Audio Podcasting for the Classroom
Let’s first start with the definition of a podcast. Wikipedia defines podcast as “a web feed of audio files that is placed on the Internet for anyone to download. Although audio podcasts can be created and not downloaded to the Internet there are numerous podcasts available online for anyone to listen to. These podcasts can be downloaded individually or can be automatically downloaded, via podcatcher programs, and stored in media files for later use. Podcasting got its name from Apple’s iPod, because initially these files were made to download and play back on an iPod. Now, audio podcasts can be stored and played back on any computer through the use of Windows Media Player.
Podcasts have countless uses in today’s society, one of them being as an educational tool. Podcasts, audio and video, are a creative way to enhance a lesson. Teachers can create podcasts and use them to give instructions to their students in case of his/her absence. Podcasts can be used during lab activities to give needed instruction to individual groups as they approach the lab station. Podcasts can also be used as a learning tool for students by teaching them to create their own. Students can use podcasts when interviewing people for history assignments, or when writing creative pieces. An audio podcast is also a useful tool for students who have difficulty reading, recording their voice on a podcast can serve as reinforcement of fluent reading. Also, for those students who may read at a lower level than the rest of the class, an audio podcast of a book can be made for them to listen to on their own time giving them the opportunity to rewind needed portions for repetition and better comprehension. Audio podcasts can be a useful tool for English Language Learners as well. If a textbook does not have a Spanish version available, an audio podcast can be made to help these students better comprehend a text written in English.
There are numerous applications and software that can be used to create audio podcasts. They include Skype, iChat/AIM, Audacity, GarageBand, and LAME. For this tutorial we will take a look at using Audacity. Audacity is free, open-source, cross-platform audio recording/mixing/editing software available for download on the Internet. Just go to audacity.sourceforge.net. This software is compatible with Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. The only tools you need to get started are a computer, a multimedia headset, and a connection to the Internet. The headset can be found at your local Wal-Mart or Radio Shack, they retail for around $10.00.
Now let’s start making an audio podcast….
Step 1:
Go to audacity.sourceforge.net. After downloading the program, this is what you will see…
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The screen will be blank until you begin recording your voice. Some of the most used icons appear at the top of the screen. The ‘record’ button is the red, round icon. The ‘stop’ button is the green, square icon. Other buttons available are ‘rewind’, ‘fast-forward’, ‘play’, and ‘pause’. Another tool bar that you will use while making and editing your audio podcast is at the top, left side of the screen. These selections are similar to those found in Microsoft Word and other familiar computer programs.
Step 2:
Now, connect your multimedia headset to your computer via a USB port. Press the record button, the round red button at the top of the screen, and begin talking. Once you have finished recording press the stop button, the button with the brown square. As you are recording your podcast, this is what you will see on the screen…
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Any gaps in sound will appear as a straight line. In most audio recordings these naturally appear at the beginning and end. They will also appear in the middle if the person recording pauses for a moment while speaking. As far as gaps and unwanted time lapses in conversation, these can be selected and deleted out of the podcast; doing this will enable your podcast to flow smoothly without any delays in sound. All of these gaps can be removed with the click of a button. Now it’s time to edit your podcast and delete any gaps in conversation, edit umms, and add music or sound effects. Here’s how…
Step 3:
Click on the selection tool button, it looks like a capital “I” it is located in the upper-left hand corner of the tool bar. Once this button has been selected you can choose the area you wish to delete by left-mouse clicking on the audio track where there has been a delay in sound (the straight lines) and dragging the pointer finger to where you want to stop. This will result in a highlighted area that you wish to delete. It will look like this…
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To ensure you have made the right selection, you can play back only the highlighted portion of sound by pressing the space bar. Make necessary changes, and once you are certain this is the section that needs deleting go to the “Edit” button and choose “Cut”. The highlighted area has now been deleted; selecting the “Undo” button under “Edit” can reverse this action.
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Once you have deleted the highlighted section your audio screen will look like the sample above.
You can also adjust the volume of the voice recording to ensure that the podcast broadcasts at the same volume from beginning to end. This can be done by going to the “Edit”, “Select”, “ All” feature (left diagram) and then click on “Effects” and scroll down to normalize (right diagram) and click OK. Look at the next two diagrams to ensure you are following correct steps.
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Step 4:
Once the editing process is over you are ready to save the podcast and convert it into an MP3 file. The diagram on the left depicts these steps: go to “File” and “Save As”; name your project and save it in a desired location. Next, go to “File” and “Export as MP3”. You will be prompted to name you MP3 file and click on “Save” (see diagram on right). At this point you can also label your podcast with an “ID3tag”. This enables you to label your podcast with your name, date, genre, and a brief description of your podcast although the step is not necessary it may help you to organize and locate your podcast for later use. Once these steps have been completed your podcast will be exported and can be viewed through Windows Media Player.
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Step 5:
After you have saved and exported your podcast you can upload it to the Internet or just keep it on your desktop for your personal use. One source for free hosting and storage of your podcasts is a website called “Ourmedia”. If you want to upload it to the Internet complete the following steps.
- Go to this website and set up an account
- Select “publish my media” from the menu on the left
- Click on the “Audio” icon
- Next you will be looking at a “submit audio” screen
- Complete the information on each screen, clicking the “next” button as you finish
- You are given an opportunity to choose a copyright for your podcast Descriptions are available here as well
- Once you have answered all questions select “submit”
- Your podcast has been uploaded to the Internet a link is now available for you to use on your web page or in one of your blogs
These instructions are for podcasts that are less than 10MB in size. For any audio podcast larger than 10MB follow the next set of instructions.
Instructions for podcasts larger than 10MB:
- From the website www.ourmedia.org
- Click on the “tools” link at the top of the screen
- This will give you the option of downloading Ourmedia Publisher Program for Windows or Mac
- From the Welcome to Ourmedia Publisher page click “next” and follow the instructions as before
- After all questions have been answered the file will begin to upload.
- A link will be given for quick access to your podcast; your podcast will be available for listening about an hour after being uploaded.
- The link can then be added to your website or blog site
A video demonstrating these steps can be found at:
Resources:
http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com
