Oct 28 2008
Podcast for free or spend $1000?
Is it really so dirt cheap to start podcasting in the classroom?
Absolutely. It can be free assuming you have a computer, microphone and Internet access. One of the biggest attractions of podcasting, for us anyway, is that it could be done with hardware and software that our school board already had, or, was freely available on the internet. As long as you have a computer that either can run Audacity, Internet access, and a microphone you already have everything you need. You might discover that your school has lots of unused microphones lying around from older computers and tape recorders. They are still usable. Easier still, your computer already might have a built in microphone. No microphone? They can be found at dollar stores. I wouldn’t suggest shelling out big bucks until you know what you’re dong and if you want to invest anything more into it.
But I really want to spend money on shiny gadgets
OK. Fine. Just for the sake of not going completely overboard, let’s say that you have money to burn or your principal or some mysterious benefactor has given you $1000 to spend on some sort of podcasting kit. What would you include? Jane and I have put a great deal of thought into this very topic (Some of this stuff goes on sale so there’s a good chance it will come out a little less than $1000):
- plug and play (no proprietary software)
- built in USB (no lost cables)
- single AAA battery
- relatively inexpensive
- similar to the model Jane won in another grant
- really important: it saves to the MP3 format
- help avoid that infuriating moment when your students are set to record and you have no batteries
- make sure it charges AA and AAA
- most voice recorders run on AAA
- once Audacity is installed, you can use it as a student editing station
- small enough for students to use at their own desks
- inexpensive enough to include in a kit like this
- plug in a USB headset microphone, or use the built in microphone to record your students
- install iTunes to listen to and subscribe to more podcasts
- because the eeePC keyboard is really tiny for adult hands
- Audacity can be used almost entirely with a mouse
- we found a Kodak SDHC card for $20
- also available in 16GB and 32GB, probably will keep increasing in memory and decreasing in price
- triples the memory of your Eee PC 4G
- allows you more flexibility to store and edit audio and install other programs
- USB simplifies things, don’t have to fiddle with sound settings
- quality recording for a single user
- students are less tempted to bump microphone around resulting in a cleaner recording
- allows for quiet sound editing
- we suggest you get at least four sets to allow for more that one student to edit audio on a computer or listen to podcasts
- allow for two headphones to connect to one headphone jack on a computer, CD player, MP3 player, etc.
Kidcast: Podcasting in the Classroom
by Dan Schmit (FTC Publishing)
- detailed overview of how to start up a podcast in the classroom
- information for both Mac and PC users
FTC SoundPak
(FTC Publishing)
- CD contains over 3,400 sound effects, music loops, and other sounds created specifically for the classroom.
- feel secure in the knowledge that you are respecting copyright
Our Class Podcast
by Jane Smith and Nathan Toft (Scholastic)
- handy way to introduce podcasting to your class
- six copies in package allow you to meet your Guided Reading requirements at the same time
- part of Scholastic’s “Moving Up with Literacy” guided reading series
- well known and respected authors
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What a great list of resources! I am especially keen to learn about the Sony ICD-UX70S recorder! I saw via the link you provided that it does record natively in mp3 format! We use the Olympus WS-110 recorders, which I love, but they unfortunately record in WMA format which requires us to use the “switch” software program to convert to WAV or MP3. We get them with a discount for around $58 US each. I’m going to check into the Sony ICD-UX70S now, however.
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Nathan Toft Reply:
January 19th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
This was a real eureka moment for us. We had been using Olympus recorders for two years before then and found it hassle to have to convert the audio files to something Audacity would understand. We managed to get our Sony voice recorders for around 80 dollars Canadian but have noticed that they are now in the $130 range.
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Wooow. Indeed, Sony ICD-UX70S MP3 Recorder seems to be a gadget all teachers should ask for and get for free to use in their classrooms, shouldn’t they?
Wesley, reading you also are a user of Olympus WS I find sort a twin soul ! Birds of a feather …
…
But let’s be realistic and become unfaithful to Olympus …and skip to this even userfriendy Sony recorder. I once wondered why Olympus hadn’t done a little better and chosen mp3 format instead of mwa… But my wondering was to no avail.
All things considered, happiness consist of loving what you can get and forget about what you cannot get , ie avoid getting frustrated
Now that we can get Sony … I think I’m going to spoil myself with one of these recorders, and become the happiest once more
See you soon on your web & Diigo tool
[Reply]
Nathan Toft Reply:
July 29th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
@Sani Girona, We really like the Sony. Our school board makes it difficult to install software on school computers so the plug and play makes things much easier.
We recently experimented with hooking up an inexpensive desktop computer mike to it and were pleased with the results. Our students tend to bump the recorders around when they record resulting in a lot of extra noise and using the desktop mike virtually eliminated that problem.
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