Ashley Laake, a fellow teacher-librarian colleague, and I have taken the liberty to evaluate three software programs available in the podcast world. Keep in mind, there are tons of softwares out there, and we are just providing you with a brief glimpse into what's available. When you're taking the time to build your podcast brand, you'll want to find what works best for you!
Podbean
Podbean is a simple tool for creating, promoting, and monetizing your podcast. Currently, there are over 600,000 podcasters who use Podbean. You’ll find a huge variety of podcasters, anywhere from newbies to professionals, so even if you are new to the podcast world, the tools provided will help you create a professional-quality podcast that is sure to wow your listeners!
Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout is a podcast option that is great for inexperienced users because it provides free learning materials and customer service. With over 100,000 podcasters using Buzzsprout, you have the ability to be heard by millions of listeners within the platform and beyond.
Anchor
Anchor is a podcast app owned by Spotify that allows users to create, distribute, and monetize podcasts for free. This is the app we chose because it allowed us to do everything we needed using one platform - built-in uploading, recording, and editing tools. The best part? It is free! It is hard to find the ability to have several people podcast together, especially when not in the same location, unless you buy expensive equipment. This app made it easy to invite others using one link and create professional-sounding podcasts from the comfort of our own homes.
How Librarians Can Use Podcasts:
Introduce new digital tools for teachers
Give book reviews
Talk about important events coming up in the library or promote an upcoming program
Communicate with parents and the community
Provide professional development for teachers
How Students Can Use Podcasts:
Document research process along the way
Present a final research project
Oral reading, dramatizations, or interviews
Where can you find educational podcasts?
A quick Google search for “top educational podcasts” yields a plethora of results that may seem overwhelming at first. A great starting point would be this blog that provides details and rankings for the top 50 educational podcasts available: https://blog.feedspot.com/educational_podcasts/. This particular blog gives readers a summary of each podcast, as well as details on the physical location of the podcast, number of Facebook followers, number of Twitter followers, how many new episodes are released each week/month, how long the podcast has been broadcasting, and the average length of an episode. Additionally, many of the podcasts listed have websites and ways to contact the podcasts via email available right from the blog.
Personally, we like to browse the Podcast App available on Apple devices. Two educational favorites include: The Literacy Dive Podcast with Megan Polk, Confetti Moments with Courtney Hinshaw. The Literacy Dive Podcast “offers actionable steps and information for ELA teachers” with new episodes released every Monday and Confetti Moments highlights all things picture books from new releases and reading tips to special interviews with picture book authors and illustrators. Check them out today!
In addition to exploring some of the educational podcasts listed above, check out our podcast that we created using Anchor. Here we discuss a topic heavily debated in the library world: Genrefication in the Library!
Very informative blog over Podcasting! I really enjoyed reading the ways that Podcast could be used in the library setting as well as the educational aspect from students. I also used Anchor and felt like it was very simple to use. I love that it is free but worry what type of Ads they will put in the Podcast if I were to let students use it or have them listen to one of my recordings. I wish they could promise school appropriate Ads, then I wouldn't be as concerned.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your calmness in explaining how to genrefy your libraries and your different approaches. My partner also chose to use Anchor to record our podcast and once we knew what we were going to say it was easy to record and share. Thank you for sharing educational podcasts. Back to your podcast, it was nice that the entire time the focus was on students and getting them interested in reading!
ReplyDeleteHi Brianne! I really enjoyed your podcast! I think you guys picked a great topic. Your tone and language were perfect for encouraging a relaxing listening experience. My partner and I decided to utilize Podbean for our podcast. It was definitely a trial and error situation, but we finally figured it out. I think next time I will try to use the Anchor platform though. It might be less stressful!
ReplyDeleteGreat podcast! I've always used Podbean concerning podcasts. However, when I chose to use it for this assignment with another person, it became more difficult. The process of having to add another person required an email, a confirmation email, and this was all just to get on air at the same time. I found Anchor the most user friendly when using more than one person. The podcast can be edited and combines separate recordings. This is convenient for those who are not in the same vicinity.
ReplyDeleteYou made a wonderful podcast, excellent work. I like the ideas you shared about how librarians and students can use podcasts in school. I've used Anchor before and it's pretty user-friendly, but I ended up using Podbean with my partner and with some minor setbacks, we figured it out. If I need to podcast again, I might use Anchor again. I also liked seeing how you separate the advantages and disadvantages for each platform which made it easy to read. Thank you for sharing.
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