Podcasts

I have wanted to use podcasts in my classroom for a long time now. The timing has never really worked out for me though. For several years I've wanted to teach this Iditarod lesson. Living in Alaska, and near where the start of the Iditarod sled dog race starts, I feel like this is a lesson tailor made for me. Basically, students will choose a musher to follow, then create daily podcasts about that particular musher and his status within the race. I feel that students would have more buy in with something that is so relevant to their lives as Alaskans. 

I have to say, I hate hearing my own voice. Do I really sound like that?! Do my students have to listen to that voice all day long?! Poor kids!

I thought of a few different ways that I could use podcasts. I could make messages about homework, give weekly updates instead of a newsletter (plus that's more green of me right?), or I can make book reviews. As far as students using podcasts, I would love to have them practice giving book reviews or summaries, maybe biography reports, or read their own writing, like a technological author's chair. 

 I opted to make a book review right now, just to see how it feels. It takes a long time to get used to my own voice. I got tongue tied often, brain farted, and was disgusted with where the podcast was going. So suffice it to say, I did many a retake. I finally settled on a book review for The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Yes I jumped on that bandwagon, but I am a firm believer in book before movie. Oh man guys, this book, there are no words! I couldn't even give a real summary or review without fear of giving anything away. This book is best read without any background knowledge, so you're surprised and heartbroken, like you should be. This podcast was made with Audioboo. 

listen to ‘Book Review - The Fault In Our Stars’ on Audioboo

 
To play the podcast field, I made another book review for Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book on Soundcloud
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So I tried out three different podcasting websites, Soundcloud, Audioboo, and PodOmatic. 
I'll start with the bad. PodOmatic didn't work out for me. I worked really hard on my podcast and when I was finished, I went to publish it and I'm not sure what happened, but my recording wasn't there. They do have the option of uploading my own recording or recording on the site. Maybe I'll go back and look at the site some other time, but I was extremely frustrated when, after all of my hard work, there was nothing there. Probably user error of course. 
Soundcloud and Audioboo are both great sites, both very user friendly, and both easy to record, download upload, and share. They both give you the option to find other podcasts and follow people, but I really like Audioboo's interface. It's very similar to Twitter or Instagram or Facebook. I'm not sure which embedded podcast I like better. I like that I can attach a picture to the Soundcloud recording, but it might also be a bit much, I'm not sure. 
I'd definitely recommend either Soundcloud or Audioboo for any beginner podcasters. They're also super easy to use that students can easily record. I'd probably set up a classroom or schoolwide profile and have students record podcasts there. Then I could share the link with their teacher or parents.

I will ask you to be kind when listening to my podcasts. I felt like an awkward teenager who couldn't get the words to come out right.