Just 4 Things

Part two of a theoretically infinite series, a couple more things you can do before classes start in September. Pick and choose or ignore. If you're wondering about the numbering, read the previous article.

3.) Listen to Podcasts.

If actually reading seems like too much work, then a perfect alternative is podcasting. A podcast is equivalent to a radio show that you can download onto your computer, and many portable devices such as iPods, and listen whenever and wherever you like. With the right equipment (i.e. a computer and a microphone and/or video camera) anyone can become a podcaster, and as a result there are many podcasts and multiple topics to choose from.

For a quick overview, try Podcasting in Plain English. Actually, going through the "Plain English" video series would make its own complete pro-d course.

So, download iTunes and install it (if you don't have it already), and click on "Podcasts". There are podcasts for keeping up with subject areas (aka Chemistry , and The Introduction to English Learning Podcasts has a good introduction to podcasts, and links to several podcasts for English teachers and students) and educational pro-d, but of particular use can be podcasts for students. A ridiculous amount of our students have an iPod and seem to enjoy using them - much to our chagrin sometimes. Rather than fighting this very expensive and versatile piece of equipment, finding ways to use may be more productive. Supplementary or assignment material for class as a podcast can then be downloaded and listened to in the same way as their favorite music. I was first introduced to this by a student who had found a series of biology lectures as a podcast (I didn't get the link, sorry), that corresponded to the anatomy lectures for Biology 12. Whether or not the school network allows students to connect to the iTunes store to receive podcasts, many teachers have their own private Internet connections, from which they can download content and then make it available at school, whether through Moodle or another medium. A reasonable 'first list' is at the Podcast Awards, and it includes a section devoted to education.

Podcasting essentially democratized audio content, with all the benefits and drawbacks that this implies. The popularity of blogging, which turned anyone into an online news commentator, caught the media establishment sleeping at the wheel (heard of any newspapers going out of business lately?), and the industry is trying not to make the same mistake with podcasting, which lets nearly anyone "broadcast" on the Internet. Traditional media have embraced podcasting, and have been quick to adopt it as well. CBC has a large number of podcasts, as does Scientific American, plus there's some great comedy as well. Most 'formal' news and entertainment organizations now have some kind of free content available through podcasts.

Of particular use is podcasts for second-language learners, whether that's ESL, French, Spanish, Mandarin or German. In addition to regular programs in other languages (i.e. the CBC has numerous French podcasts), simply typing "Learn French by Podcast" into a web search engine or the iTunes store, and numerous free programs pop up. The BBC has, for example, a 'learn Spanish' section that includes a series of podcasts (actually the BBC has a similar series for several languages).

Much like creating your own blog, you can create your own podcast. Far from being simply a mode of entertainment, podcasts now present a wealth of educational material, and can be structured to meet an individual students' learning style and desires. The ability to repeat a concept or a lesson, critical for those IEP students, allows significant opportunities for repeated reinforcement and review. Instructors are podcasting specific ideas and constructs, broken into manageable chunks and (like all electronic media) are potentially available year after year, everywhere your students are.

4.) Create your own podcast.

If you need something done right, and specific to your needs, you sometimes have to do it yourself. Whether it's podcasting lectures, or specific items for learning or discussion, or even a guest lecturers talk, podcasting can be as easy as blogging.

When podcasting, it is essential to have good material. Don't worry overmuch about your style or delivery - presenting quality material is more important than production values. There is a problem with copyright if (for example) you wish to podcast a guest lecturer or speaker. A copyright waiver form would be an essential part of doing so. Our school doesn't have an official one yet, but I use a printed version from the Creative Commons when necessary. If you are going to publish someone else's work, you will need their permission, in some form.

There are some specific technical requirements. Although blogging just requires a computer and internet connection, podcasting needs audio equipment. There is the Audacity software (free and open source) which can record podcasts and convert them into mp3 files. Even if your laptop comes with a microphone, buy a separate one. A USB microphone is usually pretty cheap, and the increase in sound quality is substantial - I've found wireless ones for under a hundred dollars on sale, which gives the added ability to record without wires and allows you to move about a classroom. After that it needs to be uploaded online. If it's not possible to host it at your school site, type "Free Podcast hosting" into Google and numerous resources will appear.

Lastly, an RSS feed (more on those in a later article) is needed to stream the podcast. This is what makes a podcast different from simply hosting an audio file - the RSS feed updates potential listeners that a new podcast is ready. This can be as simple as creating a blog, and then linking to the podcast in the blog, as blogs often have their own RSS feeds.

At that point you have a podcast. Getting it into iTunes is another step (if you so desire), but not one I am in any way an expert. Check out Apple itself on how to do it generally, or this article on how to use Google's free blogging service to set up the podcast feed for iTunes.

So, essentially thus far, pro-d this summer is reading blogs on material you already like, and listening to content via podcasts you already enjoy. The next article will introduce the personal learning network.

Cheers,

Ron Neufeld
Canada's Best Boarding School