Technology Education Program
Podcasting
In the
Classroom
Using
Audacity
Date
Richland School District Two
Podcasting in the Classroom
Description:
Podcasting is a great new tool that has come out of the Web 2.0 movement. The idea
here is to allow student access to content on THEIR terms by allowing the student to
easily access the material using iTunes and their ipods.
Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
Use creative formats and ideas for creating Podcasts.
Use Audacity software to create audio files.
Edit and ‘professionalize’ sound quality of audio recordings.
Export audio files into a format for use as a Podcast.
Standards:
The following Educator Technology Standards have been covered in the Podcasting
class and will be met if audacity is used in the classroom in lessons and to
communicate information.
Demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts.
I A 8 Use file management tools to create, organize, copy, move, rename, delete,
search files and folders, and create shortcuts (Navigator)
I B 1 Keep abreast of current and emerging technologies that support the curriculum
(Navigator)
Plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by
technology.
II 6 Plan lessons that integrate technology and address curriculum standards
(Navigator)
II 7 Plan lessons that address Student Technology Benchmarks (Navigator)
II 9 Evaluate a variety of equipment and resources for suitability in lessons (Navigator)
Implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for applying
technology to maximize student learning.
III 5 Implement lessons that integrate equipment and resources (Integrator)
Use technology to enhance productivity and professional practice.
V 1 Use technology resources to enrich professional knowledge (Navigator)
V 3 Use technology to effectively and appropriately communicate information
(Navigator)
The following Student Technology Standards will be met if digital pictures are used in
the classroom in Power Point presentations or Microsoft Word related to curriculum
standards.
Students are proficient in the use of technology.
Date
Podcasting Handout
I. B. 9. Demonstrate how to create, edit, save, save as, open, close, and print files
Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and
promote creativity.
Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-
enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
III. A. 15. Demonstrate how to utilize advanced tools in multimedia software
Podcasting-- A podcast is a multimedia file distributed over the Internet
using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal
computers. Like 'radio', it can mean both the content and the method of
delivery; the latter may also be termed podcasting. The host or author of a
pod cast is often called a podcaster.
Example uses of Podcasting for the class and beyond: student
produced projects, teacher created lectures, educator training, etc.
A great free software to use for podcasting is the Audacity 1.2 software.
Audacity has a newer version 1.3, but it is still in the Beta phase and has
some reliability issues (Therefore it is probably best to use the reliable 1.2
version). This software is downloadable from
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
USING AUDACITY:
Simple Recording—Most of your important tools are in the upper tool bar.
The most important being the red record button. This toolbar is just as
basic as a CD player (stop button, fast forward, pause, etc.) Another
important factor is the Input Volume, where you control the volume going
into the .wav file you are creating. You may pause the track at any time
Handout by Link Graham 03-05-08 2
Podcasting Handout
and upon depressing the pause button the track will continue from your
pause point.
Multiple tracks—Another great aspect of audacity is its relatively simple
interface and its ability to record multiple tracks (at the export phase,
Audacity will automatically compress these multiple tracks into a single
sound, creating multiple level recordings). You can use this feature to
import music or to create all kind of interesting effects within your
recording. Also, while recording the second track you will still be able to
hear what is recorded in the other tracks (giving you an idea of the final
product). If what you are recording doesn’t work out, you can simply delete
it using the X in the upper left hand corner of the track. You can manipulate
the volume of every track and also choose what speaker you want the
sound to come from using the tools in the left side of each track. This is
important if you have music in the background of a podcast which you want
to be much lower than the commentary.
Editing with Audacity—for more advanced editing, use the tutorial
provided that includes the topics of: 1.adjusting volume (enveloping), 2.
cutting, 3. moving tracks, 4. click tracks and pluck tracks and 5. effects.
Exporting—A common mistake students will make is thinking that if they
save the audacity file in its native format, the .wav is finished. In order for
an audacity project to be accessible by other media players, students must
export their project. There are two formats which are most commonly used
in podcasting, these are .WAV and .MP3. Both are good formats and are
equally usable, but .MP3 formats are most commonly used over the
Handout by Link Graham 03-05-08 3
Podcasting Handout
internet to be used in portable devices such as MP3 players of ipods. In
order to save a project as a MP3 format, you must also download the
LAME MP3 encoder which is available at the same site where you
downloaded Audacity. Follow download instructions from the website to
enable Audacity to export in MP3 format. The .WAV format is perfectly
acceptable (as most MP3 players will play WAV files, as well). In the
classroom, I have the students export as .WAV 99% of the time.
To export as either, pull down the File menu and choose ‘Export As WAV’
or ‘Export As MP3’. Audacity will prompt you to select a place to save your
export, remember where you save your project. After exporting, your
project is complete.
Troubleshooting Audacity—most problems you will encounter with
audacity have already been encountered by others, the audacity website
has a frequently asked questions section which covers most issues I have
run into while using the Audacity software. Most file and format questions
can be answered by using the Audacity website also.
For further questions or help, contact me at: lgraham@svh.richland2.org
Or jegregory@svh.richland2.org
Handout by Link Graham 03-05-08 4