Podcasting with Gcast
Podcasting with GCast
Since entering the Classrooms for the Future equipped classroom at Fairview High School, I’ve been focused on teaching with podcasts as a way to enhance instruction and assess authentic web 2.0 skills.
Initially, I ran into some problems with podcast publishing. Thanks to some great research and support from FHS CFF coach, Pam Stevens, we found a podcast manager to import as a widget, and be user friendly for first time podcasters. The answer for our class was www.gcast.com.
Wetpaint and Audio Files
I chose wetpaint to host our class wikipage for several reasons (perhaps the subject of a future post), but ran into a limitation. One advantage wikispaces.com has over wetpaint is the ability to directly import audio wave files onto a page. Wikispaces effortlessly imports the wave file and places it on the wikipage with an embedded player. Wetpaint cannot perform this function. To have the class podcast, it became necessary to find a player to embed in the wetpaint wikipage. After some searching, Pam discovered www.gcast.com . It became our class podcast manager.
Gcast’s Versatility
If you’re not familiar with gcast, it is a free podcasting manager that can upload mp3 files and also convert phone calls into mp3 podcasts. There are advantages to using both of these functions within the class. Initially, we uploaded our audacity created podcasts using the class laptops. The sound quality was very good, but the process of converting the audacity file to mp3 format does take some time. Furthermore, connectivity issues hindered some students. That’s when the alternate method of publishing came into play. Using cellphones, which almost every student had, students dialed the toll-free number, followed the simple directions and began talking. When finished with the audio for the podcast, a few simple key punches and their podcast was added to the class manager. It’s easy, simple, and straightforward without a lot of technical know-how.
Podcasting integrated with instruction and assessment
I teach two sections: CP World Cultures and Psychology/ Sociology. I’ve used podcasting as a formative assessment in the World Cultures class, assigning a student created podcast at the conclusion of each chapter. For the Psychology/Sociology section, I’ve used the podcasts primarily to supplement instruction. I’m very pleased with the results of using podcasts and am actively looking to improve the quality of podcasting within my classrooms.
Please weigh in on the uses of podcasts, and experienced advice on podcast implementation would be appreciated.
