January 2008 — Features
Print this article | Email this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
Building a Better Podcast
"When students have planned adequately for the actual final product, making the podcast is far less time-consuming, and the focus remains on learning, not on technology," Tyson says. "By the time students have produced a finished product, they have edited the script, the storyboard, the actual podcast itself—and, perhaps without even realizing it, have mastered the curriculum content in the process."
Podcasting can be used in other ways, too. Some teachers simply have hung an iPod around their neck with a microphone attached to record a lesson for students who were out of school due to extended illness. Capturing significant campus events—a celebration of a school's 25th anniversary, for example—is another use. Tyson says that technology coordinators even can help educators use podcasts to convey complex information that would be less interesting if it merely appeared in print.
site seeing
Australian educator and technology consultant Keith Lightbody offers teachers a how-to guide on the use of digital cameras in the classroom, including tips on choosing the right kind of camera.
Focus on Sound
Tackling content and the educational relevance of podcasts is only half the equation; dealing with the technology is also important. Because most podcasts are nothing more than large audio files, it's critical that all presenters sound good. On the surface, this would seem to require simply using reliable microphones, such as the C-1 from Behringer, or the CC12 from Stageworks, both of which sell for $50. Another option is PodcastPeople, an online recording studio.
Still, because classrooms are in schools, and schools are noisy, it's important to take steps to filter out background noise. The best way for technology coordinators to do this is to go low-tech and fashion a recording studio out of a wooden box and egg-crate insulation. Another resourceful option: Stretch pantyhose over a coat hanger and stick the hanger in front of the microphone. Tools like the ASVS6GB Microphone Pop Filter from On-Stage Stands (a division of The Music People), which retails for $19.95, also work.
Audio involves other challenges, too. Because presenters usually speak at different volumes, some voices on the podcast can be louder than others are. Software solutions exist to smooth out these discrepancies. Perhaps the best solution to even out the volume is The Levelator from The Conversations Network, a listener-supported nonprofit podcast network. To use the software, simply drag podcast files into the Levelator icon onto your desktop.
