Podcasts

https://www.flickr.com/photos/abletoven/3223086466/in/photostream/

When I think of podcasts, I envision Ralphie in A Christmas Story intently listening to the Little Orphan Annie radio broadcast, which was an actual 15-minute serial show for children debuting in 1931. Nowadays, we don't have to sit close to the radio at a specific time awaiting a live recording. Instead, we can listen to podcasts at our convenience.

Podcasts are voice recordings saved in an audio file which are regularly posted online...and kids love them (so do adults, by the way)! Effective podcasts are like periodicals. Recordings are regularly released so that the audience tunes in at predictable intervals. Episodes are relatively brief: 20 - 30 minutes long.

In Prime Time for Podcasts, Linda Rodgers shares Jonathan Messinger's thoughts including that podcasts are immersive and engage the imagination since there is no visual. Podcasts can be used for multiple purposes. They can be academically informative, serve as a virtual book club, or solely entertain. They can be used to develop listening skills, build excitement about reading, or to spotlight someone in an interview. I hope to use podcasts in the library with students to record book reviews. I'd also love to interview teachers, administrators, and community members about their favorite reads. I can envision creating a series of podcasts for teachers, as well, to spotlight new technology tools or for training purposes.

Prime Time for Podcasts offers the following tips for igniting a passion for podcasts in kids:

• Cue episodes before storytime
• Get together with podcast creators
• Jump-start discussions
• Host a podcast petting zoo
• Connect with kid creators
• Become a contributor

Podcasts are free and easy to subscribe to or download. Here are some resources for finding existing podcasts:
✔ Apple's Podcasts app
✔ Stitcher Radio
✔ Zooglobble's Podcasts for Kids - categorized kids' podcast list with links and descriptions
✔ Kids Listen app
✔ Ear Snacks - musical podcast for kids about the world
✔April Eight - songs and stories podcast
✔ Book Club for Kids - book discussion podcast for middle schoolers
✔ iTunes
✔ 36 Educational Podcasts - podcasts for teachers

If you'd like to start a podcast yourself or help your students to do so, check out Podcast Host's informational booklet to get started. From what I read, there are numerous platforms you can use to record each podcast such as GarageBand, Audacity, Soundtrap, Soundcloud, Audioboo(m), Podomatic, or even Voice Memo on your smartphone.

I decided to check out a few of the tools mentioned in the articles I read. I was a bit surprised by my experience. Here are my thoughts on the tools I investigated:

SoundCloud

The initial SoundCloud webpage was a bit overwhelming. It had information about listening to music, monetizing, creating, developing, etc. It did not feel like a comfortable place for newbies. I wasn't sure if I needed to set up an account or not to create a podcast. I did, though, because I wanted to see why I might need one. When setting up the account, I had to enter an email address, password, user name, and specify my age and gender.

Once I had an account, there were three tabs to choose from: Stream, Charts, and Discover. From what I could tell, the Stream page is like your home base. You can add podcasts to follow and create a playlist here. The Charts page allows you to see the top 50 tracks played on SoundCloud over the current week or to find recordings in specific categories. The Discover page displays various featured tracks. I, personally, felt like much of the items displayed would be inappropriate for school-aged children. I'd exercise caution here. Also, it seemed like the focus of SoundCloud was music -vs- podcasts. 

I did like that SoundCloud included copyright information. I think that this would be extremely helpful for anyone creating or downloading podcasts. 

Overall, I did not like SoundCloud, though. I was unable to find a help feature and still don't know how to create a podcast with it.

Audioboo(m)

OK, so here is where things get a bit confusing. I discovered that there is an Audioboom site AND an Audioboo site.

The Audioboom website was definitely geared towards podcasters. But, there was no free option. Whereas, the Audioboo site said it was a free web and mobile platform where you can record and share audio by using a computer or Apple device. As you know, I'm all about free, so my immediate reaction was to try Audioboo.

The Audioboo webpage stated that recordings were limited to 5 minutes each; a good option for small amounts of information, but if you want to create regular podcasts of 20 - 30 minutes in length, this is not the tool for you. It was easy to tell that Audioboo was not created by a corporation, as the site was pretty simple and even had a few grammatical errors. It seemed really easy to figure out how to use, though, and the provided podcast examples created by kids were precious. I could see using this tool to create short book reviews, conduct brief interviews, and provide instructional clips. There was even a brief Intro to Audioboo video on the website that was extremely helpful. So, I decided to give it a try. I went to the app store to download Audioboo and...the app did not exist. 

After a bit more investigation online, I discovered that Audioboo was relaunched as Audioboom in 2014. Ugghh! So, back to square one. As stated previously, there is no free option of Audioboom. So, my search for an easy-to-use, free podcast utility continued.

Podomatic

When I viewed the Podomatic website, I was cautiously optimistic. The homepage stated that Podomatic was "the easiest way to create your own podcast" and advertised 500 MB of storage for free (and not as a trial!). It listed 4 steps in a humorous way (I liked it already!): record, upload, publish, and promote. Could it be that easy?

I decided to give it a shot. The "Create a FREE podcast" button was easy to locate and led me to create an account by entering my name, email address, and a password. Next, I was led to a page stating 3 simple steps to get started: setup, record, publish. I proceeded.

Podomatic was soooo user-friendly. It walked me through the process step-by-step and provided helpful tips along the way. Title...check! Tagline...check! Description...check! Cover art...yep! Categories...OK! Tagline...sure! URL...setup done!

Next came the scary part, recording. Have no fear with Podomatic! It will lead you through the entire process including how to set up and check your microphone, tips for preparing and setting up the environment, and it even links you to easy-to-use free recording software. With Podomatic, I was able to record, save, and even embed a podcast with NO problems. 

                                 My Verdict

I 100% recommend Podomatic for recording podcasts. It was up-to-date, straightforward, and included step-by-step instructions with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout. And, the free option has everything you need to produce periodic podcasts.

Here is my first podcast. I certainly have room for growth; but, I am pleased that I took the plunge and I hope you will too. Enjoy!