Week 4: Podcasting and Communication

Podcasting is simply put, a blog and radio combined to create a new feed of news.  They are sound files or video files (called vodcasts), that are RSS feeds in which you to subscribe to.  These files are automatically updated and you are alerted when you have a new feed of news to listen to or to view and they sync to your gadgets!

There are many podcasting tools and uses in the classroom.  In this course, we will not go into the details of traditional podcasting but will look at some other ways we can use voice recording with other web 2.0 tools.

Take a look at Discovery Education's links for podcasting in the classroom.  They describe in detail the tools you need and how you can get started.

There are simple web 2.0 tools you can use to podcast like Audacity that are FREE.

Want to explore how you can become a podcast subscriber?  Did you know there is tons of professional development for FREE at your fingertips?  Apple has created an educational podcasting library for student and teacher use.  If you go to iTunes U you will have access to over 75,000 podcast feeds.

Do you have an iPhone or iPod Touch?  There's an app for it!!

So what do you think?  How has communication changed and what can we learn from this change?  What does this mean for the classroom?  Post a brief reflection on the Junkie Blog. 

Week 4 Thing 9: Got a picture? Don’t just post it…Blabberize it!

Week 4 is all about podcasting in different and simplistic ways.  We are looking at tools that can be used as podcasts with a focus on collaboration and digital images.  Last week, we focused on digital pictures and images-I am sure you have heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”.  Well, the next web 2.0 tool you will explore takes this saying to the next level!  What if I told you a picture can actually say your words?  Blabberize is a tool that allows you to upload a portrait of your choice, select a mouth and record a comment to share.  Go to this link to see it in action.

Here’s an idea: Students can create their own image (in Paint or other comparable software) or can use a photo to create projects which incorporate voice.  You could have your students research an animal, write a first person account and then Blabberize it!  Students could then post their Blabbers to your class wiki, blog or even edmodo.  The class can explore other animals and comment on each other’s work.  Look at the 3rd grade sample below:

Can you think of ESL connections??!!  What a great way to get these students involved…  if you search ESL and podcasting you find SO MANY ideas and uses which only increase learning.  Imagine what the Blabbers can do for vocabulary???!!

As of now, all of Blabberize features are free and accessible without registration.  It sounds like they may be changing this in time.  They seem very aware of the education world and its heavy use of their nifty tool.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope they create a free education version!

 If you do decide to register, make a classroom username and password using your general email account you created for your classroom.  All your student projects will be kept in one place.

Tech-tivity 9:  Let’s Blabberize it!

1.     Go to http://www.blabberize.com/ and watch the cute video introduction!

2.    Register or try it out.

3.    Upload a digital picture or image from your computer.  If you do not have a digital image find one on the Internet and save it to your computer so you can upload it and play.  Just make sure you are going to a royalty free image site like www.pics4learning.com or you orally cite your photos URL in your Blabber.  If you need help with this-watch the “saving an image” tutorial.

4.    Blabberize it!  Use the built in microphone on your laptop or podcasting headphones to record the voice.  Post your Blabber to your blog as Week 4 Thing 9.

5.    Finally, post a reflection on the Junkie Blog below about how this type of podcasting could encourage communication in your classroom.