I first learned of Gcast last summer at the Upstate Technology Conference in a session led by Elizabeth Kohut. When you’re at a tech conference, you always learn more than you have time to explore, so although I was intrigued with the idea of creating a podcast with a cell phone, it was one of those new ideas that got put on the back burner.
This year I’ve seen a growing interest in podcasting by my teachers. Only several of them have iPods in their classrooms. Usually when a teacher has a podcast idea, they will schedule a time for me to come into the classroom with my iPod, and I help record and publish. As I was preparing for this month’s technology staff development grade level sessions, I was considering what new technology tools I might introduce to them. This is how GCast resurfaced for me. Every teacher has a cell phone, and GCast is so simple to use!
Sign up for a free GCast account and create your PIN.
Call the GCast number from your cell phone and enter your PIN.
When you are ready to record a podcast, call the same number and enter your PIN. You will be prompted to push # to begin recording and push # again when you have finished. Then you have options to listen to your recording, discard your recording, or publish your recording.
Within a few minutes, your recording shows up on your account page on the GCast website.
You then have the option to publish your podcast. GCast has it’s own little podcast player that can easily be embedded in a blog or web page by copying and pasting the code.
This is another fast, easy way to connect our students with the world, to give them an opportunity to have their voices heard, and to provide them with an authentic audience as they express their learning.
Last week I listened to a Discovery Education webinar with Tony Vincent, “I Didn’t Know You Could Do That with IPods.” One of the best things I learned was a great tool for converting YouTube videos into MP4, FLV, AVI, MPG, and other file formats. It was exciting to discover an easy way to be able to use YouTube content in the classroom. YouTube is blocked in my district, so I previously haven’t spent much time exploring and searching, but I have been amazed to see how much good educational content is out there! My math coach and I recently received an iTouch through a grant, and we’re working on finding and creating math content that would be useful to students. I’ve downloaded over 30 videos in a short amount of time. It’s so easy! All you have to do is type in the word kick in front of the word youtube in the video URL.
Example: http://kickyoutube.com/watch/?v=skX6RnnIkuM#VQsQj1Q_CMQ
Here are a couple of my favorite YouTube finds:
Multiplication Tables: Created initially in the computer lab at the juvenile detention center in Portland, Oregon, these catchy, rap-style videos will be very helpful for students needing help learning multiplication facts.
Learning Upgrade: This company offers online courses in reading and math, but they have loaded a few of their professionally done videos to YouTube.
There are a variety of ways to create audio and video files that can be played on iPods or other media players. Here are a few ideas:
Creating podcast content with a Windows computer:
Record a podcast on an iPod and load it into iTunes.
Record a podcast on a laptop in Audacity and export as an MP3.
Create a PowerPoint and convert it with Authorstream.
Create a video using Windows Movie Maker and use a converter such as Jodix or Zamzar.
Use SMART Notebook recorder to record a Notebook lesson and convert the .wmv file to an Mp4.
Creating podcast content with a MacBook:
Create a Keynote Presentation, record narration, and export as an Mp4. (If you do this, add a blank slide at the beginning after you record, but before you export. It’s a quirk, but necessary to get the file to play correctly on the iPod. )
Create a recording in GarageBand and export to iTunes.
Over the past several months, I have become convinced that iPods have an important role to play in the classroom, both as a tool for learning and a tool for sharing learning. Two teachers in my school each have 3 iPods that they are using regularly with their classes. My math coach and I recently received a grant to get an iTouch that will be made available for check out by math teachers. We are in the process of creating some standards-based math content, and I’ve searched extensively for online content. Here’s a short video that is a summary of a presentation I shared with principals and technology integration specialists in my district.
It’s finally spring break! Yesterday was a gorgeous day, and I went hiking with my mom. Every so often, I need a strong dose of nature to keep myself balanced and connected. I believe that connections are what matter the most…our connections to ourselves, to others, to the Divine, and to the planet. Ramsey Falls, Chau Ram Park
I was reflecting on the past week and some small successes I experienced in my efforts to facilitate changes in pedagogy in my school regarding teaching from a 21st Century perspective. After a 3rd grade teacher had a fantastic podcasting experience, another 3rd grade teacher wanted to give it a try. She asked me to get their habitat podcasts posted quickly because it would be a good way for students to study for the test. Right then she had a 21st Century “aha!” moment, and she said, “Hey, I don’t have to give them a test. I can use the rubric and grade them on their podcasts.” Authentic assessment for authentic work products…I love it! Making a connection between old expectations and new practices helped her realize that a new way of doing things would save her time and still generate the desired results.
A third grade student in another class made an awesome connection this week as well. When I use my iPod to record student podcasts, I explain to them that if they goof up, I can use Audacity to edit the recording and remove the boo-boos. That seems to relieve their nervousness about speaking into the microphone. After a recording session with me, a girl went back into her class and told her teacher that I could edit their recordings just like they edit their written work. Connections between old ways and new ways… change will happen! I hope that I’ll continue to be an agent for change in both thinking and learning…one teacher, one student at a time!
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