There are some great podcasts out there on just about any subject you could think of. Cooking, gameplay or game reviews, book talks, reviewing missed lessons, and more. One way I like to spend my time is listening to some really great tip podcasts centered around teaching or the art of the library. It makes my 30-minute drive to work more productive. Here are a few websites that give you the must-listen-to's for both teachers and librarians!
For librarians:
https://bookriot.com/2020/01/06/librarian-podcasts/
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=ljx180502_12PodcastsforLibrarians
For teachers:
https://www.teachaway.com/blog/11-teacher-podcasts-you-need-listen-right-now
https://www.weareteachers.com/must-listen-podcasts/
A few ways to use podcasts in the library would be to host book talks, have students come in and recommend their favorite books, give tips and tricks on new programs to use, explain and highlight different genres each month, and more! The possibilities are endless. Teachers could also find value in recording themselves teaching a lesson for those students that are absent or need to re-listen to a certain part.
Today, we are going to look at 3 ways to create your own podcast and then view one my team and I created discussing copyright and fair use.
Anchor
Anchor is a great free website if you are serious about becoming a podcast channel. This program has apps available for both Apple and Android users. It is customizable in look, ability to name your channel, and connecting your podcast to other platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. There are ways to set up sponsors and monetize your channel. You can also link your podcast to specific platforms to maximize your audience base. There is also an aspect where you can track your ratings to see how successful your channel or a specific episode is.
When creating a new episode, you have options to modify your recording by adding free music and sound effects to enhance the listening experience. You can also have your listeners send in voice messages that you can then add during your podcasts to make it a more interactive show.
Garageband
Garageband is another great tool for creating a podcast that is relatively easy to use. The drawback is that it is only available for those who are Apple users. You can use the program on a Mac computer or an iPad but, if you're an Android user, you are out of luck.
If you're wanting to create a new project, you need to make adjustments to ensure you are creating a podcast video rather than something tied to music. There are so many different modifications you can make to enhance your episode and adding those elements are very easy to do. You can have a single track or multiple tracks embedded in your session to create anything from a simple track to a more complex track including guest speakers, music and more.
When you are done creating your episode, you do have to take additional steps to export your final product and then upload it to any platform you choose. This is a great way to get a professional sounding podcast to your listeners.
If you're wanting to create a new project, you need to make adjustments to ensure you are creating a podcast video rather than something tied to music. There are so many different modifications you can make to enhance your episode and adding those elements are very easy to do. You can have a single track or multiple tracks embedded in your session to create anything from a simple track to a more complex track including guest speakers, music and more.
When you are done creating your episode, you do have to take additional steps to export your final product and then upload it to any platform you choose. This is a great way to get a professional sounding podcast to your listeners.
Podbean
Podbean is similar to Anchor is that there is an app for both Apple and Android users, it has a free account option, you can customize your channel, and track your statistics. It is very user friendly and has free themes available to make your podcast suit your needs. There are upgrades where you can pay to use the program and get more features depending on the tier you choose. With the free version, you have up to 5 hours total space for your podcasts, so if you feel like you will be putting out a ton of content, you may be looking at choosing the paid subscriptions. Luckily, the 2 most popular ones are $14 or $39 annually which is not very expensive.
My choice and our podcast
I personally would choose to go with Anchor because it offers your the ability to customize your channel, monetize and track your stats, AND is available for both Apple and Android users. You also have the ability to link accounts to stretch as far as you want with your podcasts. You can record anywhere and edit as needed.
While I do not have an Apple computer, my teammate did and she recorded our podcast through Garageband. It was very simple and sounds amazing. As previously mentioned, we decided to do a quick tip for teachers, librarians, students and parents to start to understand what copyright and fair use are, why it's important to make sure your images are usable, and where you can find some images with permissions granted.
I have not used Anchor before but now I am curious! I think it especially beneficial that the program can be used on both Apple and Android products. Although I like using Garageband, it is only available for Apple product users which is unfortunate. I love your suggestions of ways that podcasts can be used in the library--specifically for book talks! This would be so much fun to do and I think it would get kids more excited about books! Thanks for the suggestions.
ReplyDeleteListened to your podcast, very enjoyable for a copyright podcast. I remember when my campus library told me about the Google Image search license function a several years back, it was a game change from the point of view of a teacher. Also, the last part with the multi-million dollar law suit fro copyright infringement on the school district would certainly be an eye opener for staff members that don't think much about obeying copyright laws. I will certainly remember it for the future.
ReplyDeleteAgreed about Garage Band. I personally LOVE Garage Band. But it is not as user friendly as Podbean or Anchor. You are correct, that Garage Band is limited to Apple equipment. Book talks for Podcasts is a great idea--especially for our students. I do not work with older students, but have in the past. I was thinking how excited my students would have been to hear the voices of their classmates reviewing books. It definitely would have encouraged them to read for pleasure! Thanks again for your post!
ReplyDelete