What’s the big deal about podcasts? According to Edison Research (2020), 74% of Canadians are familiar with podcasting and nearly 11 million Canadian adults listened to a podcast in the past month.
- Podcasts are free and easily accessible across devices
- Podcasts pair well with other activities such as commuting and exercising
- Podcasts may be CONSUMED by students for differentiation (no reading needed), whole-class listening, assigned for preview and review, or listened to while walking for movement breaks.
- Teachers and students can CREATE podcasts to share content and new understandings with an authentic audience.
- Podcasts are perfect for synchronous and asynchronous learning
How to create a podcast:
1. Check your division’s internet acceptable use policy and student permission forms. Always make sure students have the required permissions.
2. Develop a script or talking points.
3. Record audio content (voice recording tool on a mobile device, Audacity software on a computer). Save as an MP3 file.
4. You might access copyright-free music or sound effects from a site such as Freeplay Music for the intro/outro.
5. Upload the audio file to a podcast hosting site such as Podbean (paid) or Anchor (free–more information below). This will distribute your podcast to platforms such as Apple and Spotify.
6. Or, if you’re just using the podcast in the classroom, you might share it via Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
More detailed information is available in this blog post.
Our favourite way to record podcasts: Anchor
Anchor is one of the best FREE web and app-based podcast creation tools. The app is incredibly easy to use, and includes copyright-free music transitions and sound effects. You can record your episode in Anchor, or record it using a different tool and upload the audio files to Anchor. When an episode is published, Anchor pushes the episode to podcast platforms (such as Apple and Spotify).
Tools and resources for using podcasts in the classroom:
Listenwise is a curated online collection of educational podcasts. There are podcasts for all subjects and grades, and listening comprehension level, lesson plans, and interactive quizzes are provided. Teachers get a free account, and there are pricing options for individual student accounts. The free teacher account works well for the whole class to listen at once.
Kids Listen: download this free app to search recommended podcasts by age and subject area.
EdPuzzle Blog: find out how to use podcasts in the classroom to engage learners plus podcast suggestions by age level.
Teach Create Motivate: learn more about using podcasts in the classroom and access their free reflection/listening guide templates.
What are your favourite podcast resources or tools? What podcasts do you love to listen to or use in the classroom? We’d love to hear your suggestions!
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