Podcasting, Easy Classroom

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Lesson 1
Have you heard about classroom podcasting and wondered what the big fuss is about? Well, get ready to discover a new way to marry your students' interest in technology with their schoolwork! Whether you're recording lessons or your students are recording their own projects, it's a win-win situation. In today's lesson, you'll learn what podcasting is, why it's transforming everyday teaching and learning opportunities, and how to communicate with your tech-savvy students in their language.

Lesson 2
Podcasting began as a great but humble idea: to record audio programs and make them accessible to people around the world at any time, day or night, present or future. As soon as it caught on, people started wondering, "Why can't we also make graphic, text, and video programs that are available round the clock for subscription?" Today, there are three types of podcasts: audio, enhanced (audio, text, and images), and video. We'll talk about the characteristics of each in today's lesson.

Lesson 3
There are four steps to building a solid educational podcast: planning, recording, producing, and publishing. Today, we'll tackle the first and most critical step: planning. As we talk about theme and purpose and the best ways to align our ideas to our curriculum, we'll plan an audio podcast to share book group with one of our students who is out sick. You'll get a lot of hands-on planning practice as you learn techniques the pros rely on.

Lesson 4
With a plan in place, we're ready to record our podcast. Are you ready to discover Gcast, a powerful audio podcast recording application? I hope so! It's free, it's easy to use, and it's always effective for turning great ideas into wonderful podcasts. As we work with Gcast, we'll discuss helpful tips for recording podcasts the right way the first time.

Lesson 5
Now that we've recorded our audio podcast, we have to produce and publish it for mass distribution online. After all, people are clamoring for our content! In this lesson, we'll use Gcast to produce our recording, add a musical introduction, and package it for sharing. Once we're packaged, we'll upload our podcast to iTunes. I know you're going to be impressed with the final podcast when you see it up on iTunes.

Lesson 6
Well, we've recorded our first podcast. Can it get any better? Oh yes, it can. Today, we're going to plan and record an enhanced podcast using PowerPoint slides and PowerPoint's own recording feature. If you don't have PowerPoint, don't worry--we'll walk through a free trial download. Enhanced podcasts are a terrific step up, allowing us to punctuate our message with images, text, and fun transitions.

Lesson 7
Now that we've made our PowerPoint podcast, we have to produce and publish it for the world to see. This is where the process can get a little confusing because we need another free program to turn our PowerPoint recording into a podcast. But don't worry--with authorSTREAM and a few helpful tips, you'll soon be podcasting to your heart's content. Learn the secrets in today's lesson.

Lesson 8
We've tackled audio and enhanced podcasting. Now what? It's time for the video! I know what you're thinking:"But I don't have video equipment!" Well, you won't need it. Today, we'll plan a simple video podcast and then use stock footage to bring it to life. Once you start experimenting with video podcasts, you'll be hooked. It's a blast!

Lesson 9
In this lesson, we're going to turn our stock video into a video podcast masterpiece. We'll produce it with skill in Windows Movie Maker, a free program that's already on your PC. Soon, you'll be using it to make cuts, add music, and edit your video seamlessly. Once you've produced this podcast, you'll publish it so others can examine your handiwork.

Lesson 10
Now that you've made some podcasts, you're probably itching to start using this technology in your classroom. Well, that's what we're going to do today. Get ready for lots of fun integration techniques that will have you on the right track the first time. Whether you teach first grade or twelfth, you'll enjoy the variety of ideas in this lesson.

Lesson 11
It's a wonderful educational experience to make your own podcasts. But what if you don't have time? Not to worry--thousands of teachers are sharing their podcasts with the educational community online. Today, we'll talk about smart searching techniques you can use to locate and then evaluate ready-made podcasts. This takes less than half the time of making your own podcasts but doubles the learning power.

Lesson 12
Podcasting is surely here to stay, but as with all things technological, it's sure to undergo some changes in the near future. In our final lesson, you'll discover what's on the horizon for classroom podcasting and how to stay abreast of classroom technology trends. Hey, it wouldn't be so bad to be the school's podcasting guru, would it?