I remember back in the day when we had to present in front of the entire class. Talk about nerve-wracking! Podcasts are another great digital tool that both educators and students can use to present information! This digital tool can be beneficial for all students and subjects! There are tons of popular podcast apps out there. Today we will be looking at 3 apps I decided to explore and review. I focused on the ease, system compatibility, and price. You can view my findings below.
Podbean
Podbean has many neat features that allow users to easily generate and follow podcasts that might interest them. Before getting started the app allows users to select categories to choose from including education, music, comedy, religion, etc. After users choose their topic, Podbean immediately generates podcast list that they might like to follow.
I love that Podbean provides new users with steps and tips on how to get started! Podcasters will have access to unlimited storage and bandwidth, audience data analysis, and sharing their podcast on social networks including Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Tumblr.
Soundcloud
Everyone thinks of Soundcloud as a music app because that is what it was known for back in the day. However, Soundcloud is an app for podcasters too!! Users have an option on 3 plans to choose from which are SoundCloud Basic (Free), SoundCloud Pro Pro Badge ($7/ month),And SoundCloud Pro Unlimited ($15/month). SoundCloud is available on Web,iOS, Android, Sonos, Chromecast, and Xbox One. The SoundCloud panel is very user-friendly! It enables users to filter search results using tags, follow and keep track of their favorite artist or fans, send messages, and track their progress.
As a podcaster, I actually liked that I am able to share my embedded player on my social media or blog. In addition, I am able to customize my player to my liking. I can change the size, color, display comments, etc. Podcasters also have an option of sharing their players privately with others by using secret links.
Below, I had the opportunity to create a Reader's Advisory Conversation. This will be useful to students as well as teachers!
Podomatic
Podomatic is the last podcast app I explored. This app is compatible with Apple and Google devices. Users have 2 plans to choose from which are the basic plan (free), and the Pro Plan ($8.32/ month). This is the only podcaster app that I would pay to get the most bang for my buck. With the Pro Plan, users are able to have 100GB of bandwidth and 2 GB of storage, detailed data on podcast traffic, a customizable podcast page, and priority customer support. Another feature that really excited me was that users are able to earn money from fans!
And the winner is...
Podbean is my Fave!! I feel like Podbean is made for podcasters! The app is really easy to navigate! Podbean is very user-friendly features! I really like that users are able to have a page and customize it to their liking! I feel like users will be able to grow on this app and have their voice heard!
Podcasts in the classroom
There are tons of ways educators can integrate podcasts in the classroom. Below I listed a few that I would do at my school! The more creative... the better!!- Reading News-Students act like Reading News Anchors to report new/trending books in the school library.
- Multicultural- Students celebrate and present information about other cultures.(i.e Spanish Heritage, Black History, Chinese New Year)
- News Around the School- Students share information about events, issues, trending topics, etc. around school!
This is a great article to find educational podcasts! Click the link below!
Hi Muriel,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your ideas for using podcasts in the library! Students would love to be "Reading News Anchors" and presenting information about other cultures is so important!
Podcasts can really be used in so many ways. I like your idea of a student news podcast. It is a fun way for kids to be creative and talk about books.
ReplyDeleteHello Muriel,
ReplyDeleteYou always have a unique way of presenting the information and I enjoy your blog entries immensely. I really enjoyed your explanations of Podcasts and your Reader’s Advisory Convo was genius. I liked your suggestions for using PodCasts with students. I also agree with you, I enjoyed using PodBean the most because it was designed for PodCasts and user-friendly.
I love the idea of having the kids create the podcasts! Such a cool and easy way to let them share information and opinions!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of having students create a podcast versus getting up in front of the class to conduct presentations all the time! As a student, I dreaded having to get in front of the class to do a presentation (which cracks me up since we now do this on a daily basis as educators). I think if I could have created a podcast, I would have felt more comfortable!
ReplyDelete