Enhanced Podcasts vs. Powerpoints

I am going to run a professional development for my teachers on making an enhanced podcast. One of the questions I have been asked is I know how to make a powerpoint why should I learn how to create a podcast. I know how excited students get when they create a podcast but how should I answer this question. I believe that I have done a fair job of answering it but I would like some ideas of better answers.

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Permalink Reply by Leigh on March 18, 2008 at 3:38pm

Because a podcast is public and this creates a real audience. There tends to be a higher quality of work and buy-in from the students when they do something that is for an audience beyond the classroom. The podcast is "relevant" where as the powerpoint is school work only to be seen in a smaller context.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Hoenshell on March 18, 2008 at 3:53pm

I have told them this but they really don't have an idea about what a podcast is. Do you or anyone else know where there are some good enhanced podcasts that I could show them. This is an elementary level PD. Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Leigh on March 18, 2008 at 6:10pm

I would take some time to first educate on what a podcast is. Use examples of podcasts that you listen to or subscribe to. Show examples that are being used in classrooms. Then move the teachers to going to the next step. The biggest thing would be to look at what is the expected outcome/learning objective of the lesson and how can the podcast help achieve that outcome/learning objective and how will it compare to the outcome with Powerpoint.

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Permalink Reply by Karen Fasimpaur on March 18, 2008 at 6:28pm

I do a lot of podcasting workshops and have found that not everyone sees the application of podcasting to education. To show examples, I put together a bunch of compilations of education-related podcasts.

I did a few more mashups as well that are here. Feel free to use these if they're helpful.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on March 18, 2008 at 3:56pm

They could add audio to their powerpoints and upload them to Slideshare or Voicethreads. I don't really know if that would work but it sounds like a good idea.

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Permalink Reply by Karen Fasimpaur on March 18, 2008 at 5:45pm

What makes a podcast a podcast is the feed....or distributing it out to people. (I find that having podcasts distributed through iTunes is especially motivating to students, teachers, and administrators alike.)

Also, you can make a podcast out of a Powerpoint. (That's a nice bridge to prior knowledge.)

Lastly, if you make enhanced podcasts, you might also want to produce it as a audio (MP3) or video podcast. Enhanced podcasts only play on iPods and in iTunes. Offering an MP3 and/or video option makes the content accessible on more platforms (handhelds, cell phones, non-iPod MP3 players, PSPs, etc.).

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Permalink Reply by Mathew Needleman on March 18, 2008 at 6:59pm

Some of my favorite enhanced podcasts are at the Tech Savvy Girlz site..

When talking about using digital video/digital storytelling vs. powerpoint I always make the argument that students are getting the majority of their information and entertainment from media and yet we are doing very little to teach students critical media literacy skills in our schools. While teaching students to create powerpoints could teach effective presentation skills, (if done right) by having students create media you cannot help but begin to teach about the components used in the creation of media. With limited time, I think you get more bang for your buck in teaching students to create small movies vs. powerpoints.