PODcasting ---an audio journey!

This is my test "podcast"

I put the link to my test podcast first because it was the result of more work than I would have thought necessary! Here is my story...or

Reflections on the process of learning about the tool

Podcasting or making audio files available for Playing On Demand is actually quite simple. My process this week reminded me however, of my Grade 9 Math class because as we study the introductory algebra I keep telling them that the steps are simple, but the number of steps makes it more complex. In my process of learning this week the number of new (never before completed) steps made the task that much more complex.

The first step was to create a recording to be played by others on demand...that was the easy part for me this week as I've already done this as part of a prior assignment. I used Audacity which I like more every time I have a chance to use it. I created five tracks on Audacity and then exported them as an mp3 file which automatically mixed it into a stereo file with a left and right channel.

Now that I had my file I had no clue how to make it become part of my blog...in the previous assignment I just uploaded the files to the discussion of our class website... so I went to the help section in Blogger and looked up instructions on how to add a podcast to my blog.   

The help was very helpful...it gave me the choice to link to third party files or to create my own (podcasting) I chose the latter option  and followed the instructions with I hope some degree of success... but of course there was another set of steps needed to rookies such as myself...that was setting up an account so that my files could be "hosted" or uploaded to a site that my blog could then link to...enter Box.net

Then next step I needed to take was to open an account with a hosting site. The help section in blogger suggested box.net and I tried it. It was relativly easy to start a free account which allows me to store up to 1 gigabyte of files to share otr link to.

Finally I made the link at the start of this post which unlocks my "test" podcast. 

Each of these steps is rather simple, but much like the algebra my grade 9 students are learning as I add more steps the whole process becomes more complex and time-consuming! It is the time that it takes for each step and the learning of the technologies that  I find difficult, not the actual learning. I complete learning how to use the tool at a minimal level which is frustrating because \i can see the use of these tools and would like to explore them in greater depth, but alas that will have to wait until the course ends and I find more time for it...this leads me to...

My Own Personal Learning

The main use of podcasting in my personal life has been through the master's program at the U. of Alberta. In our last course together Joanne had introductory podcasts for topics throughout the course. My colleagues pointed out the convenience of these as they could travel in their cars or do such tasks as gardening while learning about various facets of the course through podcasts. As a non-ownwer of an mp3 player of any kind I was jealous of the freedon that the podcasts were giving to my fellow students as I was chained to my computer. This leads me to believe that while I do not own a portable means of accessing the files Podcasting probably isn't for me... having said that I do like learning how to use audacity, however, the "Sound Recorder" that comes with windows could also make decent enough audio files.... this covers the fact that I likely will not be creating a number of podcasts in the near future, however, I have visited sites such as the Willowdale school site and see enormous potential for podcasting for my students which leads me to...

Teaching and Learning

Podcasting has enormous potential as a medium for students to share information within the class and outside of the class. In order to create good podcasts students will have to research the topics that they are discussing and with guided learning practices the sky is the limit on the curricular areas that can be covered in podcasting. I just finished listening to the Willowdale Elementary school podcast about the Olympic Games and it was very well done...I can see the social opportunities as a group of students plans, reserarches and records the podcast. They added music clips to segue from each topic and this is another area a student would have to gain some expertise in to create a good quality podcast. Will Richardson (2009) talks about the ease of creating a podcast and the fact that Willowdale includes students as early as Grade 1 indicates the ease of which he speaks. richardson also writes about the risk of putting children from schools on the web but the Willowdale example tackles this by only identifying first names of students in their radio shows.

The big con I see with podcasting is that it is only a "half medium" meaning that we are so used to having both audio and visual that I see audio only as a weakness...videocasting is where i see the future of web applications... Richardson points out that podcasting can be used for interviews, but in videocasting we can see the interview...allowing us to interpret body language of the speakers as well as voice cues... I grew up listening to radio and enjoyed the Network Replays of such shows as "The Shadow Knows" but still see video as a better option for today's students... I am fortunate enough to have a set of digital camcorders available for my students to whom I teach media... this is perhaps why I am partial to video... I must concede that not every school has this luxury and Richardson (2009 p. 113) points out that it is very inexpensive to run a radio station with a web connection and very little equipment... this is the main advantage I can see for the audio podcasts...I personally and professionally prefer videocasts.