high school podcast assignment

A Simple Process and Template for Student Podcasting

Maybe you’ve heard the saying that whoever is talking is the person learning. Or, the teacher should do less talking in the classroom than the students. Both of those sayings have truth to them. With that in mind, let’s see if there are benefits to student-generated podcasts.

How Does Podcasting Benefit Students?

Through discussion, discourse, and debate, students can gain a deeper understanding of content and language and grammar skills. Research indicates that students who create podcasts show improved language, speaking, and grammar knowledge. They are also more confident in using academic vocabulary in context. The podcast creation process incorporates high student engagement, which increases the likelihood that it may also positively impact student achievement. And using student-generated podcasts can be a strategy for learning in early elementary up through college. Be sure to check out this Research for Student-Created Podcasts Wakelet collection for specific and deeper study.

A Simple Podcasting Process

That all may sound good. But many teachers feel that having students create podcasts will have a high learning curve; it could end up more like herding cats. No worries! We’ve got you taken care of with a template for you to use and a drop-dead simple process. Let’s take all the technical mumbo jumbo out of it! To make it easy to go through, we’ll share the who, what, when, where, and how you and your students can take learning to the next level with podcasting.

Step 1: Establish Criteria and Define Roles

Remember the KISS – Keep It Super Simple (or something like that). Keep the process as simple as possible– at least initially. As the students become more comfortable and skilled, then you can add more expectations. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there is no “one right process” to go by for a great podcast. I recommend checking out the following rubrics for ideas on defining the roles and teamwork necessary for each group. Having the rubrics will also help your students self assess (and peer assess) between group meeting times with you. A few rubrics to check out for ideas include:

University of Wisconsin – Stout Podcast Rubric – A very robust rubric. You may need to scale it back initially, but this rubric highlights important parts of the process.
University of Missouri Podcast Rubric – This is a slightly older rubric; however, you will find that many of the sections are still very relevant and usable.
ReadWriteThink Podcast Rubric – This rubric is most relevant for a high school English or science class as it refers to a podcast addressing a thesis argument.
Pacific Lutheran University Podcast Rubric – This one is nice in that it fits on one page, but addresses pretty much everything. Depending on the age of your students, you may want to tweak some of the wording.
University of Northern Iowa Podcast Rubric – Though unclear as to the author, this rubric does an excellent job of identifying the different details and criteria for creating a podcast. Consider using this one when identifying roles and steps in the process. Older students will do well with this, but it’s too complicated for younger learners.
Kathy Schrock’s Podcast Rubrics – Kathy has compiled six different rubrics for you to consider. Click on the link given and then scroll to the Multimedia and Apps Rubrics section.

Step 2: Explore and Choose Tools for Podcasting

If your students have cell phones, then they all can record audio. But they may need to check to see that their apps can save and share the files in an MP3 format. Or you may be using school-issued devices such as Chromebooks or iPads. Below are a few of the tools and apps you might consider during your planning and producing stages.

Voice Recorder – https://online-voice-recorder.com
Audio Joiner – https://audio-joiner.com
GarageBand – for Mac and PC
Audacity – https://www.audacityteam.org
Anchor app – for iOS and Android
Pixabay – Free Music – https://pixabay.com/music
Pixabay Special Effect Sounds – https://pixabay.com/sound-effects
Free Music Archive – https://freemusicarchive.org
Free Sound – https://freesound.org

Step 3: Determine the Pacing and Process

Having students create podcasts is a great learning strategy, but it is best implemented once you understand your students and how they work. Decide on how many class sessions they will have to produce the podcast. You will also need to determine if the students are to work on the podcast outside of class or if they will record during class time. Initially, review the rubric that you will be using with your students, go over the process for recording, and outline the pacing of the project.

TIP: Podcast Recording Environment

It might be that students can only work on the podcast while in your class. If this is the case, it might be necessary to allow students to step out into the halls to record or to visit the library to record briefly. You may have the benefit of being in a larger room so that groups can spread out. If your school encourages “bring your own device” (BYOD), students may find that they can easily record on their phones outside of class and use class time to piece it together and post it.

Unless you are trying to compete in a student podcast competition (such as the Annual New York Times Student Podcast Competition or NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge ), realize that perfection may be nice, but is not realistic. It’s okay if there is background noise, as long as the student speakers can still be heard. Make the learning fun. Be creative with where students can record and with your expectations of what is acceptable.

Step 4: Practice Podcasting as a Class

While some tasks work well for individuals, podcasting is definitely not one of them. With project-based learning, students are more successful when they have clearly defined roles, working together to accomplish the task.

You may want to initially have just one large group, the whole class, as you create the first podcast or two. This will allow everyone to get familiar with the process and expectations. It will also allow students to explore the different roles, how they interact, and understand how each role is critical for the project’s success. Yes, initially, it will be teacher-assigned, but you are working towards having students take ownership of the grouping and even the roles over time.

Step 5: Group Students for the Podcasting Project

Once the process is understood, at least in theory, break students into groups, assign roles, and, initially have them all work on the same podcast. Consider grouping students as you would for other assignments in which each group has a good mix of academic levels. There should be the same roles within groups, and it will be important to scaffold the grouping process over time.

Steps 6 and 7: Assign Podcast Topics and Start Recording

Initially, you may consider having students work on the same topic as they learn the process. Yes, that means that if you have six groups, you will have six podcasts on the same information. Each group may address it in their way, but they will all be using the same information. For example, they may podcast about chapter three of their textbook or chapter five of the class novel. Having the students listen to the other groups’ final projections will spark some ideas on how they can enhance their next podcast.

Once student groups have a podcast or two under their belt, start varying the topic or perhaps have student groups each record an episode related to a subtopic of a broader topic. This allows students to become experts on sections of information. These podcasts can end up replacing your lecture or enhancing it, giving students ownership in their learning. Though each group will be creating a podcast for a particular portion of the content, they are all accountable for all the information. This means they should both understand it and be able to apply it in different situations. (This is similar to the Jigsaw approach in teaching.)

Step 8: Check in Regularly

Just like you attend regularly-scheduled staff and faculty meetings, it will be helpful to schedule regular, though short, meetings with each group. This will give students the opportunity to report on their progress, challenges, solutions, and next steps in their process. As such, you will be mentoring them on how to manage themselves and other group members. The goal is for students to be successful and accountable for their learning. As you have students add to the podcasts, you can begin using them as a review for quizzes and exams. This will hold students accountable to make sure they have all the needed information in their episode(s).

Step 9: Publish the Podcasts with a Template

For simplicity’s sake, here is a Google Slide template to use for publishing your podcasts. Google Slides isn’t considered the typical method of publishing/hosting podcasts. But it does offer a bit more security over who has access to the podcasts. Once a student group has completed their podcast, have them upload it as an MP3 file into their Google Drive and share it. They should then copy the link to the file and add it to the appropriate slide in the template along with the title, episode number (if used), description, and show notes.

TIP: Publishing the Google Slide Deck

If the podcast’s content is intended for a real audience outside the classroom, consider publishing the slide deck. This will make it much easier for everyone to access it in presentation mode and listen. To publish the slide deck, click on FILE –> Publish To The Web. Leave the defaults so that the slide deck does NOT advance on its own; this will allow your listeners to click on the appropriate links to go to the intended slides. View the published template here so you can see how a published podcast slide deck appears. If your podcasts are only to be accessed from within your school’s domain, be sure to click on the Published Content and Settings link and then tick the box for your school’s domain.

Step 10: Review and Revise the Process

After your podcasting project, take time to review and reflect with your students. Assess the number of class sessions used for the project. Was it enough time, too much, too little? What about the tools used? Did they work well? How could the process be improved moving forward?

Pass the Mic

So, I’m now passing the mic to you. How will you do podcasting in your classroom? What are some ideas you have for implementing student-generated podcasts? If you’ve already had students create podcasts, what is one tip you would share with others who are thinking about doing the same? Leave your comment below so you can be heard loud and clear! You can also take a look at other posts on podcasting here .

Dr. Bruce Ellis

Bruce specializes in leadership development and working with districts to tailor onsite professional development workshops. Bruce earned his Ed.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Supervision in Secondary and Higher Education and his M.S. in Learning Technology/Information Systems at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He earned his B.S. in Elementary Education at Dallas Baptist University.

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Quick assist: a free remote support tool for windows, you may also like, human bingo: a fun and effective icebreaker, summer blog recap, fostering a supportive classroom for student success, engaging students with current events, an ai-powered google workspace, some advice for veteran educators, “this, not that” bellringers, five imaginative ways to use google slides, some advice for new educators, customizable drag-and-drop google slides templates.

The link to the published slide deck template won’t open. Could you please provide me with a link so I can view what you have created, please?

Click on the link in the Step 9 paragraph. That will take you directly to the Google Slide deck that I used. Also, the published link is now working so you can see it in “published mode.”

Hello, I would like to translate your Simple Podcasting Process Infographic in French for educational purposes. I work for public school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I thought I had sent you an email in November but can’t find your positive response. Thanks, Annie Dumay

Thanks for asking, Annie. Yep, feel free to translate and share with a link back here for the original. Enjoy!

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Making a Podcast That Matters: A Guide With 21 Examples From Students

This step-by-step format takes you from finding the right topic to researching, outlining and scripting, all illustrated with examples from the student winners of our previous Podcast Contests.

By Nicole Daniels and Katherine Schulten

There is no better way to understand what makes a successful submission to one of our contests than to study the work of the previous winners. And even if your students aren’t planning to send their final compositions to our competition, showing them the successful moves kids their own age have made can encourage them to experiment themselves.

That’s why we’ve gone back and listened to past winning podcasts and used them as examples for every step of the process of making your own.

What can you learn from the way one teenager interviews members of her family who have been incarcerated? From how another marks the transitions between the beginning, middle and end of his podcast about a famous April Fool’s hoax? From the way two young women have a seemingly unscripted conversation about “Their Eyes Were Watching God” on their podcast about Black writers?

We hope you’ll find many ideas here to borrow and adapt for your own work, and we hope you’ll submit it to our annual Student Podcast Contest when you’re finished.

Step I: Choose a topic.

First, make a list. What are your favorite podcasts? Do you love them because they explore a topic you’re passionate about, because you’re interested in the hosts or guests, or for some other reason?

Then, categorize your list by topic and style. Would you describe the formats of the podcasts you enjoy most as chiefly news reporting, or are they better described as interviews, conversations or storytelling?

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McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning

Podcasting assignments.

Podcasting has recently been discovered by educators as an attractive and flexible medium for class assignments. Podcasting assignments can encourage creativity, collaboration, and provide a sense of community in your course while at the same time, giving students opportunities to practice writing and presentation skills, and providing valuable experience expressing themselves through multimedia. Practically speaking, podcasting is also an attractive way to integrate technology into the curriculum because the tools involved are generally open source, easy to use, and present a very low barrier to entry.

Podcasting refers to the process of making audio recordings available online in a syndicated manner so that listeners can subscribe to podcast ‘feeds’ and be alerted when new recordings are available. While this sort of very public distribution might be appropriate for some types of digital assignments, podcasting as a course assignment more often focuses on the process of creating the podcast and in giving students opportunities to express themselves in new ways and in new media.

As with other media, podcasts can reflect many different genres. Podcasts might contain interviews, conversations, scripted audio dramas, news documentaries, or film or music reviews. Most often however, podcasts are presented in some sort of narrative form. In this regard, storyboarding and organizing materials are often essential to creating an effective podcast. Many professional podcasts may leave listeners the impression that they are freeform and ad-libbed. This may be true for a podcaster with many years of experience, but for students with no experience producing podcasts, a well developed script is almost essential.

In developing a podcast, attention should be paid to the listener’s experience. Being a very linear format, audio gives content producers the opportunity to lead the listener through an unfolding experience.

Learning goals

Podcasting assignments can encourage creativity, collaboration, and provide a sense of community.
Podcasting assignments can provide students opportunities to practice writing and presentation skills, as well as experience expressing themselves through multimedia. As a strictly linear medium, students must focus on the sequence and pacing of the presentation.
Podcasting can be an assignment in which students are not only expressing their work in written text but also in spoken form, through music and through sound effects. This involves not only working in multimedia, but also via multiple senses.

Considerations

Although instructors often choose to restrict access to the final student podcasts, podcasts are a medium that is meant to be distributed widely. In executing a podcasting assignment, even if those podcasts do not end up being distributed to the world, students get experience crafting arguments for a broader audience.
Podcasts require that students pay close attention to how their story or argument is crafted. A podcast can be a variant form of a term paper, a re-expression of that paper in audio form, but simply reading a term paper into the microphone will not make for a good podcast. Students should be aware of transitions between segments, cadence, and musical interludes.

Student Preparation

Creating a successful podcast consists of skills in two quite different areas: technical and storytelling. Students will need familiarity with recording and editing audio perhaps using specialized equipment such as lapel microphones and will need some training on audio editing software. Additionally, podcasting often involves forming interview questions and scripting the podcast so that conversation flows.

Possible Tools

McGraw Commons

Rubrics and Resources

Podcasting, A Teaching with Technology White Paper , Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University Podcasts, Digital Humanities Lab, Pacific Lutheran University
Creating a Podcast Assignment . Swarthmore College ITS Blog
Basic Podcasting Assignment , Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology
Four Mistakes I Made When Assigning Podcasts , ProfHacker blog, Chronicle of Higher Education
Sample rubric

Example Podcasting Assignments

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How to Start a Podcast as a High School Student

2020 is the year of many things — lockdowns, online school and Zoom calls to name a few. But one thing that has also boomed in 2020 is podcasting!

Given this year’s obvious limitations in the realm of extracurricular pastimes, launching a podcast can be the perfect project: the costs are low, production is a breeze and they are easy to create from the comfort of your home. As a host, podcasting is a great way to dive deeper into a topic you’re interested in, it gives you a reason to connect with people you admire, and it provides a platform to share your passion with others. Let’s not forget that it can also look pretty good on your university applications!

Over the past three months, I have set up Crimson Education’s very own podcast called Top of the Class . It’s been a steep learning curve (and I’m still learning!) but for students interested in starting a podcast of their own, I’ve compiled some advice based on my experience that I hope will make it easier for you to join the podcast party.

The Planning

Before you go launching into your podcast, you need to answer some fundamental questions to lay the groundwork for a long-lasting show. These include:

What will your podcast be about? This should be fairly specific. For example, don’t just say ‘Exams’ — narrow the focus to something clear-cut so listeners know what they’re in for. You might make your podcast about study skills, and dedicate each episode to exploring the pros and cons of a particular tactic. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a topic you’ll want to explore for the long-term.
What format will your podcast be? Most podcasts follow one of three formats: solo talk show, discussion with a friend(s) or an interview. From there, you need to decide if the episodes will be 10-minute snippets or 3-hour marathons. Make a decision about what you think is sustainable, but know that you can make adjustments in the future. Top of the Class is an interview format, which means I spend a fair bit of time contacting potential guests each week; but it also means there’s less time spent brainstorming ideas for the next episode. Each episode lasts around 40 minutes, which gives the interview depth without intimidating potential listeners.
Why will people listen to your podcast? This is a different way of thinking about the first question. For example, for Top of the Class, we interview some of the world’s highest achieving students so listeners can get practical and actionable advice on how to follow in their footsteps . Simple and worth listening to, right? If you can sum up the podcast format and the value it will provide in one sentence, you’re off to a great start.

The Fundamental Set-Up

Once you know your podcast’s purpose, you can address the logistics, which means making a few more key decisions.

Choose a podcast host. I don’t mean the person presenting it (yourself), or the platform it’s found on (like Spotify or Apple Podcasts). A podcast host is where you upload episodes to be listed on a public platform. Two popular options are Buzzsprout and Podbean, which offer different perks and pricing options and host on most major platforms. Do your research to find the best fit for your needs!
Let’s talk about microphones. Microphones come in two main categories: condenser or dynamic. To put it simply, if you’re recording in a studio or a place with similar dead quiet acoustics, then the condenser mic is your best bet. If you record at home where there could be the occasional distant bird or car horn, then it’s best to go with a dynamic mic. You can easily find one that’s simple to use and affordable. In a pinch, you could even use decent earphones / headphones that have an in-built mic - just make sure it’s not bouncing against your clothes or hair during recording! Aside from the microphone, you’ll need a good pair of headphones so you can hear exactly what you’re recording. Finally, many pro podcasters will recommend getting a boom arm and shock mount to reduce any interference on your side — helpful, but not 100% necessary, especially in the early stages.
Find the right software. Many podcasters use GarageBand to record and edit episodes, but in my experience, it’s best for in-person episodes. For remote interviews, you can use Zoom, which allows you to ‘Record an audio only file’ in settings. For those with more advanced needs and a bigger budget, there are also heaps of very good podcast recording software options out there including Riverside.fm and Zencaster. For editing, we use Audacity: it’s free and easy to use (particularly if you watch a YouTube video or two). Carefully editing an episode generally takes three times the duration of the recording itself, but is the primary differentiator between a good episode and a great one. You’re working to remove distortion and interference, and clean up rambling quotes or reduce pauses to keep the conversation moving.

The final touches

Come up with a name. Try to keep it short (five words should do) and give a hint to what you’ll be talking about. Remember it’s not the end of the world if the name you want is already taken — there can be more than one podcast with the same name! I suggest looking at the names of the top podcasts in your area of interest for some inspiration.
Choose the artwork. Your podcast’s visual identifier is arguably even more important than the name. Bright and bold, or minimalist and artsy? Whatever you choose, this is usually the first impression people get about the professionalism of your podcast. If you’re not much of a designer, ask a friend or play around on a platform like Canva until you get something you like.
Write your description. This is a short blurb that outlines what your podcast is all about. A few sentences is plenty; keep it broad, as each episode should have its own summary about the specific topic discussed. When listeners click on your podcast, the description should intrigue them to hit “play” — so get creative with it!
Prepare your intro. This is the first thing listeners will hear at the start of each episode, and it’ll become an icon of your podcast. You can find a professional sound mixer to create a custom intro and outro, or there are plenty of places to download free music. Try and get on with your actual episode ASAP — so keep the intro under 30 seconds!
Stockpile some episodes. Before you officially launch, it’s good to have at least 8-10 episodes recorded so you don’t get overwhelmed trying to create content on a schedule. When you launch, put the first few episodes up so listeners can get more of a sense of what your podcast is all about. Thereafter, you can publish at whatever frequency you like; once or twice a week is most common. Always keep a few more episodes in the bank just in case you have a busy week and are unable to record!

And that’s it! You’re up and away. Sidenote here: don’t judge the success of your podcast by the number of listeners you have — you might have a loyal audience of 15-20 people but if it benefits them and you’re getting a lot out of it too, then keep doing it!

If you’re considering starting a podcast of your own but aren’t sure how to align your strengths, interests and skills into a final product, Crimson can help! Our expert extracurricular and career mentors are available to get you started on the path to success and ensure your passion project aids your long-term goals for university and beyond.

To learn what Crimson can do to help you achieve your university dreams , click the link below and schedule a free one hour consultation with one of our Academic Advisors.

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Student Podcast Challenge

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Students’ Podcast

A Studio At Your Fingertips: 5 Apps Teachers Are Using To Make Student Podcasts

Diane Adame

Karen Keating's eighth-grade English students at Lower Dauphin Middle School in Hummelstown, Pa., fire up their laptops and gather a bundle of snowball microphones. With the click of a mouse, their laptops become studios, and they're ready to record.

Keating's class is writing, producing and editing podcasts that they'll submit to the NPR Student Podcast Challenge , and, like many teachers, Keating is using apps to help them make it happen.

As teachers and students around the country are working on their podcasts, we checked in with educators to see what digital tools they're using.

The good news? Many of these apps are free. They're also accessible. In many classrooms these days, teachers and students have their own laptops, Chromebooks or iPads. In many cases, the technology is already downloaded and, like Keating's eighth-graders, students these days are pretty tech-savvy already.

All of which means teachers can focus on the substance — ideas, writing, narrative, editing — instead of process.

"I can spend time helping students develop their stories rather than explaining the app," says Amanda Suttle, an English teacher who's using the Anchor app to help her juniors and seniors get their podcasts in shape at Licking Valley High School in Newark, Ohio.

So, with several weeks still to go before the contest deadline, here are some of the apps and programs teachers told us they're using. (Of course, we're not endorsing these, we're just sharing what we've heard from many of you).

Developed by Spotify, think of Anchor as a mobile recording studio: With a wi-fi connection, you can record with multiple people in different locations at the same time (as long as they have the app).

And you can edit what you record right in the app, using simple tools like trimming and removing segments. Other tools let you add transitions, sound effects and background music to help make your podcast unique (NOTE: Please read our strict rules on what music you can add to your submission).

Another benefit for students doing lots of experimenting: No storage limits.

Amanda Suttle says that when she started using Anchor, she didn't know anything about editing sound. Anchor made it easy. "It's intuitive," she says. "I love how user-friendly it is, and it's easy to explain."

Of the more advanced, laptop-focused software, Audacity is one of the most popular ones we heard about. It's an audio recording and editing package that is downloadable for both Windows and Mac users.

With Audacity, you can record directly on your computer's microphone or an external one (although, the audio doesn't need to be recorded with the software to edit it there).

Eric Applen, who teaches 21st century technology and careers at Friedell Middle School in Rochester, Minn., oversees the school's podcast club and says he taught himself how to use Audacity. "It just has some really handy features," he says. "It comes down to what's accessible for students and easy for them to use."

He says one of his favorite features is the ability to put together audio segments that were recorded at different times to create one episode.

Audacity can also export files in various formats, including the wave file format you'll need to submit for the Podcast Challenge.

Stacy Kreitzer is an instructional technology coach for Lower Dauphin Middle School and Lower Dauphin High School in Hummelstown, Pa. She helps teachers learn how to use the software on their laptops — she's an Audacity fan.

"It has all the bells and whistles for those that want to use it," she explains, "but it's also simple enough for the students that just want and need the basics."

Shari Jones' sixth-grade language arts students are using WeVideo to record and edit their podcast at Independence Elementary School in Liberty Township, Ohio.

WeVideo is a desktop and mobile app where users can upload, trim and arrange both audio and video clips.

This is her second time submitting to the Podcast Challenge, and Jones says she started using WeVideo this year because it doesn't have an age restriction for children like previous apps she's used.

"This is more user friendly and all sixth graders have access to this WeVideo," says Jones. "They can do it more independently. They have step-by-step directions."

Students with Google accounts, like Jones' class, can save their podcasts to their Google Drive through WeVideo. Jones says this makes it easier to export their submissions for the challenge.

Timothy Belmont, an English and public speaking teacher at Lyndhurst High School in Lyndhurst, N.J., wanted to give his students the option to go more in-depth with audio recording and editing. For him, Soundtrap is an accessible way to do that.

"It's like a fully functional studio," says Belmont. "They can use it on their iPad through their web browser, but they can also use it on a laptop."

Soundtrap is an online, collaborative music workstation that can edit and record vocals and instruments.

"You can even have students who are not necessarily in the same place record together collaboratively," says Belmont. That, he adds, "can extend the assignment from just being during class time to being outside of class."

Since Soundtrap is web-based, there's no installation required and all projects also save to the cloud, allowing students to access their files from multiple devices.

Joanne Stanley's English students at Swift Creek Middle School in Midlothian, Va., are also using Soundtrap. She says she hasn't used the app very much, and she doesn't have to: Her students have taken the lead and they are working through the "kinks" together.

GarageBand is a music creation studio that is automatically installed in all Mac and iOS devices. As long as there's an iPhone, students can record and produce their podcasts anywhere.

In New Jersey, Timothy Belmont says his students are using GarageBand as well as Soundtrap. He likes the accessibility and says that many of his students were already familiar with it: "Some of the students had already used GarageBand for other classes, whether they were recording things or just experimenting."

These of course are just a few of the options out there, and some of the educators say it's been a trial-and-error process to find the right app for their students, and their experience level.

"My advice is to check with students first to see what their experience is with recording and listening to podcasts," says Applen. "Secondly, teachers should not be afraid to reach out to the podcast world and ask for help. There are tons of podcasters out there that are willing to share their stories and experience to help get others started."

Teaching With Podcasts

About this Strategy Guide

This Strategy Guide describes the processes involved in composing and producing audio files that are published online as podcasts.

Research Basis

Strategy in practice, related resources.

Podcasts are serial recordings, posted regularly online. Robert Rozema describes a podcast as "a blog in audio form" (31). Basically, producing podcasts is the technology-based equivalent of oral storytelling. Much as oral stories and news have been shared with listeners by medieval bards, Native American storytellers, and others, podcasters share news and stories with their listeners, who download the files online.

Podcasts can be used for any purpose a text might serve-they can tell fictional stories, share and comment on recent events, inform listeners about a topic, and persuade listeners to take an action or adopt a stance. As a result, podcasts are valuable tools for teaching students to use spoken language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

Students can produce podcasts that fit any genre, including audio diary entries, analytical commentary on readings or current events, informational recordings that explain concepts, and persuasive and argumentative statements.

Review your district's appropriate use policies to determine the requirements for a podcasting site that students can use. Remember that anyone can post to most of the public podcast sites. Some material on them will be inappropriate for your classes. Some schools filter these sites, so you may need to speak with your technology coordinator ahead of time to get approval.
Make sure that all students have e-mail accounts, which are needed to set up accounts with podcasting sites.
Choose and test a podcasting site for your class. You can publish podcasts using iTunes or you can use a blogging site, like Blogger , which allows you to upload audio files. You can also upload audio files using most course management software, like Blackboard , Ning , or Moodle .
Pick out some podcasts for students to listen to before producing their own. You can search through the educational podcasts on a site like iTunes; or you might select something from the list of Podcasts Suitable for Educators, Schools and Colleges .
Decide on the kinds of podcasts that students will produce. Have students choose a theme for their production and then brainstorm several possible episodes.
Review the Audio Dramatization Process with students, and discuss how the process can be customized to fit the specific podcasts students will produce.
Have students gather notes and create scripts for their podcast episodes. Students can use any writing resources appropriate for their work. For instance, students creating arguments for or against a local issue in the news can use the Persuasion Map to gather and organize their ideas.
Gather audio recording equipment-a computer with audio recording software and a microphone, or a digital audio recorder with a microphone. Many cell phones can also record audio files.
Have students record their podcasts using the available equipment. It's usually best to record in short sections so that mistakes are easier to fix. Once the scripts have been recorded, transfer the files to the computer so that students can edit them and post them online.
Have students edit their recordings using software like GarageBand for Macintosh or Audacity for Windows. Discuss music and sound effects that students can use as background sounds for their productions and the importance of respecting copyright restrictions. Encourage students to use podsafe music, which is specifically designed to be distributed freely online. Creative Commons and FreeSound are possible starting points.
Post the finished podcasts online, using the instructions on the site you've chosen.
Lesson Plans
Student Interactives

After exploring Orson Welles' 1938 broadcast of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds , students create their own audio dramatization of a text they have read.

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

Useful for a wide variety of reading and writing activities, this outlining tool allows students to organize up to five levels of information.

The Essay Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to organize and outline their ideas for an informational, definitional, or descriptive essay.

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Explore Resources by Grade

Kindergarten K

Going Digital | Creating a Podcast Assignment

Designing the Assignment
Digital Intensive SLOs
Additional Resources

The Basics #

What is a podcast assignment .

A podcast is a produced audio recording of a monologue, interview, or conversation focused on a specific topic.

Why might you want to create a podcast assignment?

An option for creating AI-resistant assignments
If replacing presentations, frees up class time for other things
Gives students options to demonstrate proficiency (UDL)
Help with classroom engagement & anxiety reduction
Gives students experience with digital tools
Step towards designating a class DI

What kind of assignments can this replace?

Essays
Research Projects
Journals
In-Class Presentations
Group Projects

Designing the Assignment #

1. decide on goals and scale .

If you are creating a podcasting assignment, you likely are hoping the students will develop some technical proficiency. But perhaps your main goal is to give students an alternative method to demonstrate understanding of the course content. Both are valid goals, and being clear about how much priority you assign to each one will help in designing the assignment (and ultimately your grading criteria).

If you are creating this assignment to be a final project or other large assignment, you may want to break it down into smaller parts with due dates for each (much like a research paper). Some possible steps are:

Topic selection
Source selection
Draft script/outline/interview questions
Final podcast

Smaller projects, such as weekly mini-podcasts replacing a journaling assignment, may need fewer steps and shorter timelines, but don’t expect high production quality! Recording and editing a podcast takes time.

2. Recommend resources

Some students may already have tools they prefer, while others will have no prior experience with these tools. Unless you have a specific reason, there’s not need to require use of a certain tool for recording or editing, but it’s a good idea to offer your students some options. Below are a few we suggest.

Recording Tools

No amount of post-production editing can beat recording high-quality audio from the start! Often a computer microphone or standard earbuds will do just fine, but encourage your students to make a test recording using the equipment they intend to use. This way they can identify whether their current equipment will be sufficient for the project before making a long recording that they have to throw out for poor quality.

If students need or want higher-quality equipment, they can use the following resources:

HCC Info Desk Equipment Checkout

The HCC offers microphones and audio recorders for free checkout at the Info Desk on the second floor.

Podcast Studio & Vocal Booth

The HCC has spaces designed for audio recording and editing. The Vocal Booth on the 1st floor is open 24 hours and has a microphone suitable for recording a single subject. The Podcasting Studio on the 4th floor is open during DKC open hours and includes four microphones for larger interviews or group panels.

Editing Tools

SoundTrap is a free browser-based digital audio workstation (DAW) designed for editing podcasts and music. Users can trim, splice, rearrange, and reduce background noise on audio clips.

Browser-based
User-friendly
Can create transcript

Audacity is a free downloadable digital audio workstation (DAW) designed for editing podcasts and music.

Open-source
Less user-friendly but more advance features
Cannot generate transcript

3. Offer support

Make sure your students are aware that they have many options for support for digital assignments (they don’t have to always come to you!).

DKC Class Visits

Consider having the Digital Knowledge Center visit your class to introduce tools and best practices for your assignment. This can go a long way in helping your students get off on the right foot. Visits can be tailored to the needs of your class.

DKC Appointments

If students run into issues, they can book appointments with a Digital Knowledge Center consultant to help get them unstuck.

DKC Online Guides

The Digital Knowledge Center maintains online guides on many tools for digital projects, including “Getting Started” best practices for audio, video, graphic design, and website-building projects.

4. Consider Accessibility

It is important to consider accessibility in any digital project. In the case of audio projects, there are a few easy ways to improve accessibility.

Provide a transcript

Requiring students to provide a transcript of the spoken words in their podcast improves accessibility and can help you in reviewing and grading projects.

If students create auto-generated transcripts (using Soundtrap for example), it is a good idea to ask them to clean up any errors the software has made before submitting.

Minimize background noise

Recording in a quiet environment and avoiding background music improves accessibility and increases the likelihood of accurate automatic transcript generation.

5. Determine Grading Criteria

Many of the grading criteria you might use for a “traditional” project still hold true for a podcasting assignment. One major difference is that podcasts tend to be less formal and more conversational in their language. You can ask for more formal language for your assignment, but be aware that you may be pushing against the podcasting culture that your students may be familiar with.

As with any assignment, a rubric is a great way to define the grading criteria for yourself and your students. Decide what are the most important learning objectives for your assignment, and assign points accordingly in your rubric.

For example, if technical proficiency with podcasting technology is a major part of your objectives, include these as major elements and award more points for successfully accomplishing those objectives. Alternatively, if demonstrating understanding of the material is the main goal, award more points for successfully communicating the content and fewer points for the technical elements.

Below are some guiding questions and a sample rubric for an assignment focusing on content more than technical proficiency.

Content Issues (Major)

Does the student address the prompt and fulfill the assignment effectively?
Does the student think creatively?
Does the student clearly state their argument, or thesis?
Is the thesis developed over the course of the assignment?
Does the student provide evidence?
Are sources high-quality and support the thesis?
Does the podcast show evidence of organization and revision, or does it seem like a first draft/stream of conscience recording?

Technical Issues (Minor)

Can you hear the speaker clearly and distinctly?
Does the podcast transition cleanly between cuts?
Are there extraneous background sounds (mouse clicks, paper shuffling, etc.) that could have been edited out?

Example Rubric

Thesis and argument: _/40
Organization: _/30
Introduction and conclusion: _/10
Technical issues and accessibility: _/10
Sources and citations: _/10

6. Determine Submission Method

There is no “wrong” way to receive assignment submissions, so choose the one that works best for your learning objectives. Below are a few options.

Canvas Assignment

Canvas is a great submission option if you just want to receive the files directly. You can set the assignment submission type to “File Upload,” and students can upload their audio file and supporting documentation all at once.

screenshot of an example Canvas podcast assignment

Alternatively, if you are interested in having your students think about their work as having life outside of your class, embedding podcasts in a blog post is a great option. This gives students the experience of creating a unified page for the podcast and its supporting materials, similar to many professional podcasts.

Example Professional Podcast Episode Post: 99 Percent Invisible

Example Student Podcast Post

Digital Intensive SLOs #

Each Digital Intensive proposal is considered by the DI committee on a case-by-case basis, so there is no “guaranteed” method to acquire the designation. But below are few examples that may help a podcasting assignment address the DI Student Learning Objectives.

Require students to share sources for the claims made in their podcasts
Use the SIFT Method or other criteria to evaluate source credibility
Converting a written assignment to a podcasting assignment goes a long to addressing this SLO
Require a transcript alongside the podcast submission to support accessibility
Instead of requiring a specific tool to create their podcast, ask students to evaluate several and select the one that best fits their needs
Instead of submitting an audio file in Canvas, ask students to evaluate different sharing platforms (Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, etc.) and decide for themselves which one to use

These are just a few options – there are countless ways to accomplish the DI objectives. And remember that a single assignment does not need to address every SLO! A podcasting assignment could address some, while other assignments could address others.

Additional Resources #

Liberated learners – podcasting.

A great resource to share with your students! This walks through the podcasting process from start to finish.

DKC Audio Editing Guides

The Digital Knowledge Center maintains getting-started guides, tool recommendations, and repositories of free media resources for various digital project types.

How can we help?

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Teach.com / Resources

Using Podcasting in the Classroom: Activities and Recommendations

January 14, 2022

There seems to be a podcast for everything and everyone. And a growing number of people are finding their audio niche: More than a quarter of Americans listen to podcasts weekly, according to The Infinite Dial 2021. The audience is more diverse than ever, spanning all age groups. As of August 2020, Ipsos reports that 1 in 4 children listen to podcasts — a 20% increase from six months prior.

Educators are acting on these changes: TeachersPayTeachers.com reported a 650% increase in podcasting lesson plans after the launch of Serial in 2014.

The shift from listening at home to using podcasts in the classroom is not without cause. Speaking and listening skills are a part of the Common Core standards, which include interpreting diverse media and identifying speakers’ arguments, claims and rhetoric.

Audio learning is valuable for a lot of students in a way that purely text-based learning is not. Among children for whom English is not their primary language, podcasts let them hear spoken English and follow along with a transcript. The Reading Rockets public media literacy initiative states that children are able to listen and talk about more complex ideas than they can read and write about.

Additionally, the sheer amount of podcasts available afford children the opportunity to learn about things they are interested in and delve deeper into unique topics they might not otherwise have access to.

Preparing Students for Podcast Lessons

Before sending students home, educators should make sure students have access to all the resources they need to make the most of a podcast-based lesson plan and that selected content is appropriate.

Consider the following guidelines when assigning audio-oriented activities.

Provide access to supplies and devices. If a lesson requires listening to a podcast, every student will need access to a listening platform (such as Spotify, Stitcher or SoundCloud), a device to listen on (i.e., phone or computer) and headphones. For recording, students will need a device such as a smartphone. There is free editing software on some computers, and schools may have access to educational licenses.
Listen for yourself. If you are assigning a specific podcast, listen through the material just as you would a novel. Keep an ear out for content or language that might be inappropriate for your audience or that you will need to prepare students for. Take note of any warnings you want to share with administrators and guardians.
Let students have some decision-making power. When possible, allow students to choose podcasts they are interested in and focus on topics that energize them. You can set boundaries using minimum or maximum length requirements or subject matter restrictions. You may also consider imposing standards for the podcast source, or take the time to approve selections in advance.

5 Podcast Activity Ideas for the Classroom

There are plenty of ways educators can begin teaching podcasts in the classroom, regardless of subject area. Below are some lesson plan ideas for teachers who want to use podcasts as learning tools for their students.

Audio-Based Research

Podcasts can be an informative source for research, either through scripted, non-fiction series that delve into a specific topic or news briefs with interviews from experts and people affected by a story.

This lesson modification can work with almost any existing research project or essay — anything that requires cited sources. Instead of traditional text resources, ask students to cite at least three primary and three secondary sources that come directly from podcasts.

A primary source is a firsthand account of events created at the time they happen or shortly after. The New York Times podcast The Daily often uses primary sources, and reporters interview people about their lived experiences for a story.

A secondary source is an analysis or synthesis of events and primary sources. Also from The New York Times , 1619 is an audio series examining the beginnings of American slavery and is an example of a secondary source.

Start here: Citing podcasts in MLA format

Rhetorical and Argument Analysis Through Sound

Rhetorical analysis breaks down nonfiction to explain how a piece works using ethos (authoritative), pathos (emotional) and logos (logical) appeals. Often, students analyze written work.

In this activity, students complete a rhetorical analysis of a nonfiction podcast.

Pair students up and have them each select a nonfiction podcast to analyze, such as an episode of This American Life from NPR.
Take annotations or notes as you listen, marking the timestamp for each observation. Pay special attention to appeals made by the host.
Discuss with your partner what makes this episode compelling. What does the host want you to believe?
Based on your notes and discussion, determine the appeals used in this piece and provide examples.
Ethos appeals to character or credibility. Does the host demonstrate authority over the topic and respect for multiple viewpoints?
Pathos appeals to emotions. How does the host use sound to make you feel about the topic?
Logos appeals to logic. What facts does the host use to support their claim? Is the episode arranged logically?

Start here: Using Serial as an example of rhetorical analysis

Learning to Interview

Practicing interviews is a great way for students to learn how to ask incisive questions, listen actively and improvise. In this activity, ask students to conduct an interview with someone in their life and submit an edited audio version of the conversation.

Each student should select someone to interview. This could be a friend, family member or person in their community they find interesting.
Listen to podcast interviews in preparation. What kinds of questions do hosts ask? How do they use silence to compel the interviewee to speak?
Gather the information you already know about the interviewee and use it to inform the questions you want to ask.
Make a list of questions for the interview.
Conduct and record the interview in a quiet space.

Start here: How to help students develop interviewing skills

Dramatization and Storytelling

Turn a typical reading into an audio drama. Instead of reading aloud required text in class, such as Macbeth or A Midsummer Night’s Dream , have students reproduce an audio-only version.

Assign parts just as you would with a regular reading, but give students time to prepare in advance. Ask them how else you can engage listeners in the text. What additional sound effects could you make? How could music enhance the experience?

This activity focuses on the different types of sound instead of producing a clean episode or reading. Record as a class in a single take.

Start here: Oral storytelling and dramatization

Producing a Podcast

This long-term project idea could take place over the course of an entire term and teach students about the entire life cycle of a podcast and its production.

Divide students into groups and have them pitch a semester-long podcast they want to produce. Students should be able to describe what potential episodes would cover and come up with a plan to divide different responsibilities.
Write an outline for the first episode that includes any interview questions, prepared research and time checkpoints.
Record and edit your first episode.
Peer review another group’s first episode and provide feedback on the production, theme and execution of the idea.
Cycle through steps two through four for the rest of the term, at a predetermined cadence.

Start here:

Project Audio: Teaching Students How to Produce Their Own Podcasts
Teaching Podcasting: A Curriculum Guide for Educators
Making a Podcast That Matters: A Guide With Examples From 23 Students

How Can Parents Use Podcasts?

Lesson plans are not the only way children can reap the benefits of podcast listening. In fact, many parents who listen to podcasts are already sharing them with their kids: 64% of parents who listen at least a few times a week are likely to pay for podcast service for their child, according to Morning Consult.

There are plenty of opportunities for parents to incorporate podcast listening into their daily lives and as shared media with children. For example:

Replace screen time with podcast listening. Fictional stories and dramatizations can spark the same imagination and engagement while encouraging active listening.
Switch up bedtime stories to audiobooks or episodes. Give your own voice a break and put on an audio story before bed. There are podcasts dedicated to telling kids bedtime stories that will put them right to sleep. Wondery’s Stories Podcast is one example.
Listen together during daily life. Podcasts can be a shared soundtrack to the mundane, such as chores and running errands. They can also accompany you and your child on long trips or time spent cooking together.

Podcasts Suitable for Kids and Teens

Looking for a podcast suitable for the classroom, car rides or bedtime? Below are shows to consider for children and teenagers.

Podcasts for Children

Brains On from American Public Media

Every week, host Molly Bloom is joined by a kid to answer scientific questions — from why we get songs stuck in our heads to how germs are spread.

But Why from Vermont Public Radio

Experts answer questions from kid listeners about the world: Why are fireworks bright? Why aren’t babies just little adults? Parents can submit recordings of kids’ questions to [email protected].

Grandma for President from Audible

Eleven-year-old Bennet accidentally gets his grandma in the running for U.S. president. Follow along with this 10-episode series as Bennet learns about democracy, elections and the power of one.

Live From Mount Olympus from Onassis Podcasts

This dramatization of the story of Perseus details his quest to save his mother from an evil king.

The Past and the Curious from Mick Sullivan

A podcast on the little, often unknown details of history. Host Mick Sullivan uses music and humor to tell stories about people like astronomer Edwin Hubble and Maria Tallchief, the first American ballet dancer.

The Radio Adventures of Eleanor Amplified from NPR

In this adventure series, radio-reporter Eleanor Amplified pursues the biggest story of her career and foils devious plots along the way.

Story Seeds from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

In every episode, a kid and a professional children’s book author collaborate on a story idea to turn it into a reality.

The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel from Gen-Z Media

This scripted podcast is performed by middle-grade students and tells how 11-year-old Mars Patel and his two friends embark on a mysterious journey to find their missing pals.

Podcasts for Teenagers

Some of the podcasts below may contain explicit language or mature themes. Please review specific content on your own when deciding whether it is appropriate for your audience.

Dear Hank and John from Hank and John Green

Brothers and authors Hank and John Green answer emails from listeners and provide advice in this comedy podcast that touches on the lighthearted and the emotional.

The Mortified Podcast from Radiotopia

Adults get on stage and read aloud from the most embarrassing diary entries, love letters and songs they wrote as teenagers.

Song Exploder from Hrishikesh Hirway

Each week, host Hrishikesh Hirway asks artists to explain the decisions behind creating a specific song in their discography. Previous guests include Billie Eilish, Bleachers and Lorde.

Stuff You Should Know from iHeart Podcasts

Hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant research and explain a new topic every episode: Vocal fry, the electoral college and Rasputin are a few potential lessons to listen to.

Teenager Therapy

Five teenagers talk through the ups and downs of high school as they are experiencing them. The hosts recommend first-time listeners start with their episodes “Is Acne Beautiful?” and “The Realities of Our Friendship.”

This American Life from NPR

This American Life has been on the air since 1995, compiling stories around a certain theme every week for listeners. Host Ira Glass put together a playlist for newcomers: New to This American Life?

Podcast Recommendations for Teachers

There are podcasts for almost every professional audience, and educators are no exception. Check out some of the podcasts below for professional development tips and storytelling for teachers.

#EdChat Radio from BAM Radio Network

Weekly highlights and conversation about the #EdChat Twitter are among discussion topics for educators.

10 Minute Teacher Show from Vicki Davis

A brief episode every weekday brings teachers 10 minutes of professional development. The host provides a documentation template for educators who want to receive continuing education credits for listening.

The Creative Classroom from John Spencer

Host John Spencer spends about 20 minutes every Monday exploring the creative process: How can teachers use strategic confusion? What can food trucks teach us about hybrid learning?

Cult of Pedagogy from Jennifer Gonzalez

Host Jennifer Gonzalez interviews educators, students and parents about the biggest topics in education right now. Educational technology, school reform and classroom management are all fair game.

Educational Duct Tape from Jake Miller

This podcast focuses on educational technology as a tool to solve problems in the classroom and meet goals.

Teaching Hard History from Learning for Justice

Host Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries starts with the history of chattel slavery and continues through the Jim Crow era, sharing lessons many don’t learn in the classroom and advice for teachers who want to change that.

50 Of The Best Podcasts For High School Students

50 Of The Best Podcasts For High School Students by Dennis Lee, StudyPug.com High school is perhaps one of the biggest turning points of a person’s life. Sure, there’s still college after that, but not everyone gets the chance to move that stage forward. So while you’re all in the stage where you go wonder…

by Dennis Lee , StudyPug.com

High school is perhaps one of the biggest turning points of a person’s life. Sure, there’s still college after that, but not everyone gets the chance to move that stage forward.

So while you’re all in the stage where you go wonder what you really want to be like in the years to come, why not try listening to Podcasts to give yourself some insights about life. There are scores of podcasts that you could find all over the internet. Topics range from Academic Related stuff where you could be able to extend your knowledge in any particular class that you like, to inspirational ones which would give you some great things to think about how to live your life and how to enjoy what you have.

See also 12 Of The Best Vocabulary Apps For Middle & High School Students

So here’s a collection of 50 Podcasts that any high school student should listen to, categorized into the four general topics would help you focus on what you might choose to become in the years to come.

Academic Related Podcasts

Not everyone can be a History Buff, a Grammar Nazi, a Science Geek, or a Poetry enthusiast, but a person could try listening to one of these podcasts to have a bit more of new things learned from among every classes like Science, Math, English, History and Literature.

There are things that we can’t just learn in a four walled classroom, which is why these podcasts could offer you more practical applications of the theories they discuss to you. Apart from that is you get to know more advance stuff that could help you appreciate learning these classes more.

60 Seconds Health
60 Seconds Science
A Way with Words
Classic Poetry Aloud Index
Grammar Girl
Hubblecast HD
Math For Primates
Stuff you Missed in History Class
The Naked Scientist
The Podcast History of our World

General and Special Interest Podcasts

Everyone has their own sets of hobbies and interests. Some might be more of into arts (in all sorts of forms) or perhaps photography, or knitting and crocheting. Others might be interested in the latest innovations in technology. Others are superbly curious of how things work so they could make videos of it on YouTube. There are those out there who like stuff about Animals, the Universe, the Mind, Documentaries and Conspiracy Theories and so on and so forth.

See also 51 Education Podcasts For The 21st Century Teacher

So for the sake of having a lot of youngsters out there who are into several things, here’s a list of podcasts for those various hobbies and interests.

Art Podcast
Astronomy 161
Documentaries
Dummies.com
Good Job, Brain!
How to do Everything
Practical Defense
StarTalk Radio
Stash and Burn
Stuff You Should Know
Talking Animals
Tips and Tricks Photography
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
Mindset Zone
Killer Innovations
How Stuff Works
Math Mutation

Entrepreneurship

Isn’t there a saying about starting up a business while you are young?

Whether you’re into selling things for auction at eBay, or having garage sales on weekends, making homemade cookies and cupcakes for deliveries, it’s about time you get to learn more on the techniques on how to make your business flourish into something bigger. Who knows if you could make your business your career if you decide not to go further into college.

See also The Most Popular Learning Management Systems For Schools

Since it’s never just about learning the theories about business, but having the ability to be quick and efficient in decision making, why not invest a bit of your time listening to pros on how they handle their business?

Ambitious Entrepreneur Show
Creative Living with Jaime
Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders
Founder’s Talk
John Lee Dumas’ Entrepreneur on Fire
Practical Money Skills
Rise to the Top
Startup Nation
The Internet Business Mastery

Inspirational & Motivational

There are plenty of days we feel down. High School is probably among those days when you feel like everything isn’t going how you want them and that you feel like there’s no point to all the things happening around you. Now, remember that people around you are having the same struggles too. Some of them have worse things to think and feel about themselves but they still push themselves to go on with their lives. Get to know their heartwarming stories that would tug on your heartstrings. Live by their examples and inspire others like how they inspired you.

Back to Work
Daily Boost
Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything
Personal Growth Podcasts
Radio Diaries
This I believe
What It Takes
Here Be Monsters

Dennis Lee is the lead teacher at StudyPug – where they provide hundreds of video lessons and tutorials for any kinds of maths, including Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus and more.

TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in education through the growth of outstanding teachers.

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June 8, 2020 by Andrea Gribble

When Carla Pereira, APR started working for the Peel District School Board in the communications office in 2003, her first assignment was pretty exciting.

She sat next to the fax machine and waited for the news stories to come in from the various schools.

Fast-forward to 2020, and I’m curious: Do any schools still have a fax machine?

If you have a story, you just tweet or retweet it to the world!

So while communication tools have evolved to make it easier to broadcast your stories, it has created another issue: How do you stand out enough to be heard or seen?

We hope you’re using your website to share important updates. We hope you have a district Facebook page full of engaging posts and are sharing Instagram Stories to connect with your students. But if you’re ready to take on a new challenge, you might want to consider podcasting! After all, the reason I know about Carla’s story is because I interviewed her for my podcast. You can listen to her episode right here.

Here are just a few podcasting statistics to pique your interest ( sourced here ):

50% of all U.S. homes are podcast fans
55% of the U.S. population has listened to a podcast
49% of podcast listening is done at home, 22% listen while driving
56% of listeners are men
80% listen to all or most of each episode

If having a captive audience sounds appealing to you, your school might be ready to start its own podcast. My friends at Captivate Media have created a helpful podcast checklist for schools. Download it here . Read on for a bit more insight into some of their steps!

Make the Commitment

I learned that creating a podcast was easier than I thought it would be, but it does take time and resources. You and your district have to be committed to making it happen.

Start with why.

Why do you want to create a podcast? What strategic goals could be better communicated in longer-form content?

You also have to identify who is going to “own” the podcast. This person doesn’t have to be the podcast host – but there has to be someone who is going to make it happen! If that isn’t clearly laid out, you’ll be set-up for failure. And I would recommend selecting someone who is already an avid fan of podcasts.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. You have to have some foundational pieces well-thought-out when you start – and that starts with defining your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What kind of person? How might they benefit from listening to your podcast? If you can’t answer these questions. stop right now.

You might be thinking, “I want to reach all of our parents in our district.” But that isn’t realistic. I find that my favorite podcasts are very targeted. They aren’t talking about a range of topics from episode to episode. They dive deep into a specific niche. Here are some ideas for focus areas:

Highlighting innovative teaching practices from across your district
Sharing student experiences to highlight the wide array of offerings of your school
Providing regular updates and important news from the school board
Digging into referendum/bond questions or long-range planning

Once you know who you are targeting and what your focus area will be, you’ll need to select a basic show structure. That checklist breaks down 5 options. I personally love the interview show option, where one host interviews another person. Spend a moment thinking about your school or district. You actually have an endless list of podcast guests!

If you’re looking for inspiration from other schools, here are a few examples:

Leander ISD Podcast Network
Keller ISD Podcast

You’ll also want to decide the frequency of your podcast. I’m committed to doing a weekly show with my Mastering Social Media for Schools podcast – 52 episodes a year. I’m betting that this frequency makes you sweat! You could start with a monthly show and grow it from there. Some podcasts do “seasons.” This might mean 8-10 episodes and then you take a break. You can start again when you have more to say!

After you decide your podcast frequency, you still have to plan a title, design cover art, select your host, and script your introduction and ending for each episode. I said script it – not actually record it. That comes next.

If that last paragraph again makes you sweat, I want to share an awesome blog that walked me through starting my podcast. It has great advice that is easy to follow! Read How to Start a Podcast from my podcast host, Buzzsprout. It also includes a video if you’d like to watch and learn!

Record & Edit

You will need some basic equipment to get started. Captivate’s checklist has some great recommendations, but I’m going to share what I’m actually using.

Microphone: Even just a phone or a computer that can record audio can work. Right now, I use a Logitech h390 USB headset that I bought on Amazon. When I first started, I used my earbuds that came with my iPhone (remember, the volume control is a microphone). This basically covers both of the microphone and headphone needs.

Recorder: You can record your interviews through apps like Zoom. I highly recommend doing virtual interviews because it makes scheduling so much easier! As I write this, we are still under some safer-at-home guidelines. Even when you can interview people in-person, you aren’t stuck doing so.

I purchased a monthly subscription to Squadcast.fm . I find the audio quality amazing and I can see the person I’m interviewing, making it a very natural interaction. The pricing is affordable. I have the “Creator” plan that costs me $200 per year or roughly $17/month. They have a “Dabbler” plan for just $9/month and you can record up to 2 hours per month.

Once you have the recordings complete, you’ll need some software to edit pieces together – like your intro, outro, content, and any theme music you want to add. GarageBand and Audacity are both free and pretty easy to use. That blog from Buzzsprout has more information about these software options. Allison, my graphic designer at #SocialSchool4EDU, does all of my video and podcast editing, and she uses GarageBand.

Once you have your podcast complete, it’s time to distribute it! You can share it on your website, but the whole point of podcasting is to meet people where they are and make it easy to listen. This means finding a podcast hosting site.

A hosting site is basically the technology needed to store and distribute podcasts online. This site will get your podcasts to the various platforms and apps (like Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and others).

Anchor FM is a free platform that many schools use. Soundcloud and Podbean are other options. I mentioned Buzzsprout. I pay $12 per month for up to 4 hours of audio. My podcast length is between 30-40 minutes, so that is plenty for my weekly show. They have a free option for up to 2 hours each month. (Note – my hours may be slightly different. I went through an affiliate from my friend Pat Flynn. You can get the same pricing by using this link .)

These sites make it very easy to upload your audio file, add a title, and include a description of your episode. You’ll want to give your audience an idea of what they will learn from listening to each episode. If you make any references to your website or documents that people need to access, make sure to include links in the description. I refer to them as “show notes” and mention them during my podcast interviews so that people know they can find them after they are done listening.

Now that the episode is there, your work isn’t done. You should let your community know that the podcast is available by promoting it on social media, in your newsletters, on your school website, and more. Make sure to invite your community to “subscribe” so they don’t miss an episode!

And of course, after you upload your first podcast, you’ll need to start thinking about your next! Podcast listeners are loyal and they love a schedule. If you say you’re going to release a new podcast each month… well, you better do it!

As with anything in education, there is always a reflective stage. You can review your podcast analytics within your podcast hosting site. You’ll be able to get overall downloads, a breakdown per episode, and you can even see what days of the week people are listening to your podcast. Use this data to drive content going forward. If one specific episode is popular, reflect and ask yourself why that topic or guest may have reached more people.

You should also listen to the podcasts yourself. As the host of my new show, I cringe at some of the things I say or the timing, but I know I’ll get better! As a school, you may interview a particular student that just shines as a guest. You may want to consider having that student on the show more often – or even turning that student into a host! It’s all about learning as you go.

Are you ready to start a podcast for your school? Maybe? Or maybe not? Either way, this blog is here for you when you need it.

And if you just want to start learning from some other podcasts that might help you with #SchoolPR, check out this blog on my 8 favorite podcasts .

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PODCASTING Resources: Teacher Resources

Teacher resources.

Podcast Episode Student Planning Guide
WeVideo Podcasting Guide

Podcasting Rubrics

Podcasting Rubric from the Missouri Department of Education
University of Wisconsin Stout Podcast Rubric Example
PodBean Podcast Rubric Example
Rubric- Work Collaboratively Teacher feedback, student reflection and revision rubric.
Rubric- Communicate Effectively Teacher feedback, student reflection and revision rubrics.
Sample Book Review Podcast Rubric Rubric used for the Explorations in Reading class at EGHS
iRubric: Podcast Presentation Rubric
Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Publishing Podcasting Rubric
READ WRITE THINK- Podcasts Rubric:

Sample Assignments

Social Studies
English & Literature
World Languages
The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment As part of your study of the Age of Discovery, Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment, you will assume the persona of a leading historical figure and bring them back to life to apply for a job in modern times!

EGHS Science By EGHS Science Podcasts created by students enrolled in science classes at East Greenwich High School, located in East Greenwich Rhode Island
50 Ideas for Student Created Podcasts
Non-Renewable Energy Sources Group Podcast Sample assignment for groups of four students. One student is the moderator, a second student support the energy source, a third student opposes the energy source and the fourth student is group choice (political figure, expert, phone caller, etc.).
Inquiry Example: Immigration Story Podcast Inquiry Example: Immigration Story Podcast
University of Chicago-Creative Assignments: Podcasting Why Podcasts? Podcasting can be a creative assignment that encourages students to engage with a topic aurally and orally in addition to simply via text. By engaging the senses more deeply, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

East Greenwich High School

LibGuide: Library Media Production Lab Resources and examples of class podcasts.

Enter the NY Times Podcast Contest

New York Times Podcast Contest Rules

NPR Student Podcast Challenge

Teaching Ideas

NPR - A Podcasting Curriculum Guide for Educators Whether you're leading your class or advising an extracurricular group, we hope this guide will make the podcasting process easier. Here, you'll find a breakdown of the process and a series of sample lesson plans to ensure that students have the skills and background knowledge to start making a podcast.

A blueprint for planning storytelling projects It’s important to begin any storytelling project with intention. Before you start making things, you should have a clear sense of who you’re trying to reach, what you’re trying to say and the scope of your project on all platforms. This project blueprint is designed to help.
Project Blueprint Overview It’s important to begin any storytelling project with intention. Before you start making things, you should have a clear sense of who you’re trying to reach, what you’re trying to say and the scope of your project on all platforms.
Radio intros: 5 examples of success Intros can make or break your story. They are hard to write well. It’s also hard to lay down laws about intros. Their success depends on the voice that delivers them and the nature of the story they serve. But we’ll try, based on a few examples below.

NPR Training 6 Questions

Beyond the 5 W's: What should you ask before starting a story? We all know the classic “5 W” questions journalists ask: Who, what, where, when, why (and bonus, “how”). But you should also consider the six additional questions listed below, which complement those fundamentals. They are informed by journalism but focused on storytelling.

Learning Activities

Effective Interview Techniques Developed by The Learning Network at The New York Times, this worksheet asks students to listen to podcast excerpts to better understand interview elements and techniques, and how best to utilize.
Elements and Techniques of Effective Storytelling Developed by The Learning Network at The New York Times, this worksheet asks students to identify the elements and techniques of great storytelling.

Teaching & Learning.

Listen Wise: Teacher’s Guide to Podcasting in the Classroom A step-by-step guide to student podcasting projects
Listen Wise Blog: Student Podcasting Resources to Support Student Podcasting Projects
READ WRITE THINK- Podcasts: The Nuts and Bolts of Creating Podcasts Tools for Podcasting
NEA- Teachers Redesign Social Studies With Popular Podcast In an age of quarantines and remote learning, "The Missing Chapter" podcast gives two educators another tool to keep innovating.

3 ways podcasting can strengthen core academic skills K-12 Dive

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Ted Talks to Decrease Stress and Increase Self-Awareness

Why I Put QR Codes on My Worksheets

My Favorite Podcasts for the Classroom

By Amanda in Lesson Ideas , Teaching

Want to try podcasts in the classroom? I can help! This post lists out my favorite podcasts along with what standards and texts to pair them with. Many teachers prefer seasonal activities so I’m going to break this up by month. However, any of these can be used at any time throughout the year.

*UPDATE! I had the absolute pleasure of talking about podcasts on Betsy Potash’s The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, episode 61, “Using Podcasts Successfully in ELA.” So if you’re looking for more information about podcasts, check out the podcast about podcasts by clicking here.

Using Podcasts in the Classroom

Other teachers have asked me how I do podcasts in the classroom, so let me give a quick rundown of your options.

Whole class listening : This is similar to reading a text aloud. Students have some sort of worksheet or guiding questions to answer while listening. The teacher pauses occasionally to clarify, have discussions, or just allow students to write down information.
Sketch notes or a one-pager: Not sure about either? I’m including a link here from my friend Betsy’s awesome blog about how to implement them.
Individual listening: I like to include QR codes right on my worksheets for my students to access. This way they can pace themselves and rewind for clarification whenever they need to. .
With printed transcripts: Maybe you just want students to follow along and they’ll apply the information later. I print out the transcripts for my students to follow along or doodle on. Some really need something to do (doodle) or look at during the talk so we’re not all just staring at each other.
With improv visuals: Just recently I created my own page of visuals (the person speaking and a few pictures of what was being described in the podcast) and I projected it up front as a focal point during the quick podcast. Students could look at my visuals or the worksheet in front of them.

Now let’s get into the best-of-the-best podcast episodes to use throughout the year.

September: Getting Gritty with Duckworth

Everyone is back to school and ready for a fresh start. Have your students listen to the Ted Radio Hour segment on Angela Duckworth’s talk about grit . The original Ted Talk is only 6 minutes long, so I show that as well as the podcast. The Ted Talk gives the basics of what grit is while the podcast gets into the evidence behind it and how Duckworth implements strategies to improve grit in her own house.

Standards: relevant and valid evidence to support a claim.

Extension: students make a specific plan to follow Duckworth’s strategy to increase their grit. I have mine make a specific goal and action plan for the school year.

Click here for my lesson resources from TpT.

October: Scary Stories

If there’s ever a time you’re going to try a podcast and really want to hook your students, this is it. My favorite here is the podcast Lore , by Aaron Mahnke. Specifically, it’s episode 16 – “Covered Mirrors .” This episode is all about a serial ax murderer in the early 1900s. Suspects are listed along with the evidence and the students can try to figure out who did it and why.

Standards: relevant and valid evidence to support a claim, characterization, word choice, and so much more. I also pull old newspaper articles about the murder to analyze diction.

The Myths and Legends podcast is also phenomenal. For October I use their “Urban Legends” episode . The host narrates five different urban legends and even extends them to current events and pop culture. Students absolutely love this one, and it is appropriate: no sex, drugs, etc.

Standards: I focus on what elements make a story suspenseful.

Extension: After we identify what makes the stories so scary, I challenge the students to come up with their own urban legends.

I actually devoted an entire post to my Lore and Myths and Legends podcast picks – click here to read more about them. Or click here for my lesson resources from TpT.

November: Listen to Inspire Writing

Happy National Novel Writing Month! Inspire your students with powerful stories via podcasts. Here is a quick list of some podcasts that students love.

Limetown : a fake documentary about a town that suddenly disappeared a while back and no one knows what happened. First 10 minutes focus on setting up the story and creating mystery and suspense to draw in the listener.
Blackwood : three teens spend a summer investigating a local urban legend only to find out that it’s real. Very reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project . There is some swearing which sounds about right for this group of teenagers. First 10 minutes focus on characterization of the three main characters.
The Moth Radio Hour: Powerful, personal stories from any and everyone. Like a spoken memoir but only the best of the best. I’m linking this to one about an awkward high school student attempting to navigate the rocky social scene. It’s clean and it’s relatable to your students. Challenge your students to craft their own memoirs. Everyone has a story.

You could play 5-10 minutes of each at the start of each day, do a podcast tasting, or maybe first chapter Friday using a podcast clip instead of a chapter.

December: A Very Sedaris Christmas

David Sedaris is one of my favorite authors. In fact, the only thing better than reading his books is listening to Sedaris read them to me. His tone and inflections are immaculate; the creator of a work often knows best how to deliver the lines.

I’ve found a clean and shortened version of “ The Santaland Diaries” that my students love. It’s hysterical, candid, and very relatable to students since it’s all about a crummy mall job Sedaris once had.

Standards: irony and how it helps develop the theme.

Sedaris's reading of this CLEAN Santaland Diaries is perfect for students to explore irony, tone, and theme!

The second podcast by Sedaris is also from NPR and it’s a short story about Christmas on a farm. The title, “ An Animal Farm Christmas,” absolutely is a reference to Animal Farm; Sedaris’s story is dark and deadly. But it’s also funny, and in my classes dark yet humorous is always a crowd-pleaser.

Standards: More irony with a bit of characterization and theme.

Click here for another post that goes into more detail about Sedaris’s NPR episodes and how to use them in classroom.

Change things up in the classroom with these highly engaging podcast episodes! There's a little bit of everything here: funny, scary, serious, and educational. I include links to the specific podcast episodes and tips on how to use them in the classroom. Enjoy!

January: Inspire Your Students to Build Something

Encourage students to make this their year to start working towards their dreams with a little inspiration from NPR’s podcast, How I Built This . The host interviews successful people from various industries about how they built their empires. Most came from average upbringings – probably similar to your students – and with hard work and perseverance they were able to build some sort of successful business. Looking to give your students choice and help them find something they are interested in and passionate about? This is it. Episodes focus on fashion, music, hospitality, etc. There’s something for everyone.

I love giving my students choice of what they listen to and

*There is an occasional swear word here and there depending on the episode you listen to. No F-bombs that I’m aware of, but I wanted to mention it in case you are in a conservative school.

Standards: theme – growth mindset

Extension: have students hang up their sketchnotes and gallery walk in order to determine a theme for the entire podcast.

Pair it with: a memoir, biography, or autobiography unit

Click here to get my FREE graphic organizer

February – Celebrating Founding Fathers?

Happy Presidents’ Day – or not…A current issue right now is how we memorialize and talk about the leaders of the past. This podcast episode is from NPR’s Hidden Brain. The host interviews the incomparable Annette Gordon-Reed, author of The Hemingses of Monticello . The episode is all about how our minds justify our actions. In order to illustrate an example, the podcast explores the ways in which Jefferson justified having slaves even though he admitted slavery was deplorable. Slavery is an important yet sometimes difficult topic to discuss in classrooms. This podcast is perfectly laid out to allow students to engage in respectful conversation and to get a better understanding of the time period.

An unbiased look at Jefferson's words and thoughts versus his actions in regards to slavery.

Standards: identifying and using valid and relevant claims; speaking and listening skills; counterargument.

Extension: the podcast connects to the present with a quote from Trump about taking down Washington’s and Jefferson’s monuments since Confederate monuments are coming down as well. Gordon-Reed’s response is awesome and it’s a great topic for a current and relevant argumentative essay.

Pair it with: This is perfect to pair with Kindred by Octavia Butler.

Click here to get my lesson resources from TpT.

March: A Thanksgiving Lesson, Of Course

*This podcast focuses on Thanksgiving. However, this lesson is even more impactful if it’s done during a different time of the year. We can, and should, teach about Native Americans outside of November.

The Memory Palace is everything I look for in a podcast: professional, unbiased, and well-researched. My favorite episode is “On the Shores of Assawompset.” This podcast, just over 10 minutes long, is all about the celebration commemorating 300 years since the first Thanksgiving between the Wampanoag tribe and the pilgrims. However, this podcast focuses on the perspective of Charlotte Mitchell, Massasoit’s only living heir, who reluctantly took part in the celebration. She found the festival to be very offensive and regretted having ever taken part in it. DiMeo, the podcast host, delivers a wonderful narrative of the events full of biting irony in order to reinforce the purpose of the episode.

Podcast lesson for a native perspective on Thanksgiving from relatives of Massasoit. A look back at the 300th anniversary and a critical look at how we'll celebrate the 400th anniversary in 2019.

Standards: author’s purpose, irony, diction

Extension: Have students look at the current celebration being planned for the 400th anniversary coming up this fall. Are any aspects of the celebration offensive based on their new understanding of Thanksgiving from the Wampanoag perspective?

Click here to check out my resources for this podcast at my TpT store .

April: Fool Students with a Satire of Serial

To coincide with April Fools’ Day, this month’s focus is on true crime podcasts. While Serial is not in any way funny, the parody of Serial , A Very Fatal Murder , is fabulously humorous.

I start with episode one of Serial . If you haven’t already heard, it’s a podcast investigating the murder of a teenage girl just outside of Baltimore in 1999. The first episode gives a great introduction to the basic facts of the murder and introduces most of the main people involved.

Standards: For Serial I focus on author’s purpose and how the podcast and narrative are laid out. For example, “How are the victim and murderer described?”

This leads into the parody podcast from The Onion – A Very Fatal Murder . I only play the first episode of this podcast as well. Surprisingly, it’s pretty clean and tame even though it’s from The Onion. The host details how he finds the perfect murder victim – must be a hot girl who dies in some horrible way – and it starts his journey to interview the townspeople. One of my favorite moments is when interviewing the girls’ parents he refuses the mother a tissue because he likes how her crying is coming through on the audio. *There is an F-bomb at the very end of the first episode when they are previewing clips from upcoming episodes.

Standards: I focus on why this is labeled a satire and what the creators are trying to achieve in making it.

Extension: I have the students talk about if this changes the way they see Serial or other true crime shows and podcasts.

Paired it with: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Click here to get my lesson plans from TpT.

Bonus: Speaking of True Crime, Have you tried In the Dark ?

In the Dark podcast is the perfect informational text to pair with an op-ed writing assignment because students always have such strong opinions about the topics discussed on the podcast. The podcast focuses on the trials of Curtis Flowers, the alleged murderer of four Tardy Furniture employees in July 1996. Even though the murders happened in 1996, the trials have been ongoing from 1997 to present day. Six trials so far, and always with Curtis Flowers as the defendant and DA Doug Evans as the prosecutor pushing for the death penalty. *Update: Doug Evans just recused himself from the case January 2020.*

The first four episodes of the podcast cover the following topics:

Episode 1: a general summary of all the important people and what happened the day of the murders.
Episode 2: the route Curtis allegedly took the day of the murders and the eyewitnesses who saw him.
Episode 3: details about the gun Curtis allegedly stole to kill the Tardy employees
Episode 4: details about the jailhouse informants who claim Flowers confessed to them while in prison.

If your students love Serial, wait until they hear In the Dark! Season two season which explores how Curtis Flowers has been tried for the same murder case six different times over a 21 year period. They'll really be shocked when they hear he was behind bars up until December 2019 even though each of his trials has resulted in a hung jury or an overturned conviction from the Supreme Court.

However, each episode is packed with issues and red flags that show more and more that something is not right with this investigation. After listening to these first four episodes, students get pretty fired up about the injustice happening with this trial and want to do something about it.

I only use the first four episodes . Each is an hour long with so much to unpack. Doing the four episodes and the writing assignment covers a month for me. Unfortunately , that’s all the time I have .

If you want more information on this, check read my latest post detailing how I use the podcast and teach each episode : Using In the Dark Podcast in the Classroom

May: Social Media Shaming

Warm temperatures tend to bring hot tempers. What a perfect time to remind students about the negative effects of social media shaming. I again turn to Ted Radio Hour: How Can Our Real Lives Be Ruined By Our Digital Ones ? I actually love the Ted Talk given by Jon Ronson, but there are so many bad words said aloud and printed all over the screen that I can’t use it in class. Ted Radio Hour to rescue with their censoring bleeps. Don’t worry, I’m sure your students can figure out what was said.

Amazing podcast lesson that involves a candid look at social media shaming and how it ruins people's lives.

Ronson shows our hypocrisy as a society when someone missteps online and society completely destroys the person with insults and threats that go well beyond whatever misstep the original person made. It’s a good reminder to everyone that what we say online may seem innocuous or even warranted, but in actuality it may be powerful enough to destroy a life.

Standards: valid and relevant evidence, counter arguments, fact versus opion

Pair it with: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

What did I miss? What are your favorites? I’d love to hear back from you about how you use podcasts in the classroom.

Graphic organizer , lessons , podcast , worksheets

This is my ninth year teaching. I'm certified in secondary English and special education. I love creating engaging lessons that help to reach all students regardless of ability. I don't post my real picture because I like to keep my privacy.

Skip to comment form

Etosha on June 13, 2019 at 6:43 pm

What worksheets do you use when listening to a read aloud/story podcast?

Amanda on June 14, 2019 at 9:42 am Author

I use worksheets similar to what I use when we’re reading in class. Here’s an example of a graphic organizer I made for an NPR podcast: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-I-Built-This-Graphic-Organizer-4574959

Karin Larson Krisetya on April 1, 2019 at 6:19 pm

Have you listened in on ‘Ear Hustle’? Great for purpose of podcasting/communication and point of view because they are recording from inside San Quentin prison.

Amanda on April 3, 2019 at 5:56 pm Author

Wow, such a good podcast! Thanks so much for sharing. I don’t think I could get approval for my whole class to listen, but I will absolutely recommend it to my students.

Ann Phillips on January 13, 2019 at 1:33 pm

Fabulous blog! I’m so, so glad I read it! I love the way you have current and relevant ideas connected to standards I need to teach! Thank you, and please keep these coming! What a treat!

Amanda on January 13, 2019 at 5:58 pm Author

My pleasure! Thanks for reading and for taking the time to leave a comment. November’s podcast coming soon…probably after midterms 😱

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Engaging High School Students: Flexible Podcast Assignment

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Description

This podcast activity is intended to be a flexible classwork/homework assignment that can be used simply as an activity in which students spend time listening to a topic of interest perhaps between units, last block on a Friday, or as an activity if there is a substitute teacher. It could also serve as an introductory activity for an upcoming writing assignment or class discussion.

This activity was designed based on feedback from sophomores and seniors. They provided topics of interest, and then I researched and compiled List of Podcasts that I thought they might like and would be school appropriate. WIth that said, everyone has different interests and comfort levels, so it is important to emphasize that there are plenty of choices and they should select something appropriate for their interests and situation. Of course, if they have some podcasts they already enjoy, , they are welcome to use them.

Here is how I use the materials provided here:

Students spent 1 class “sampling” the different podcasts and deciding which ones were of interest to them and created a Podcast-Personal Playlist that included links and a general description of the podcast.
During designated classes , they would listen to 1 episode of a podcast from their list. Even if the podcast were longer than the allotted time, that was fine. If it was shorter, I asked them to listen to a second one.
During the last 5 minutes of class, I asked them to complete a Podcasts- Notes and Reflections sheet to submit. It is intended to be quick but also require them to reflect on what they learned. Some students like to write on them as they listen; others like to complete them at the end of class so it doesn’t take away from their enjoyment of the activity. One of the questions they have to answer is “Was there an idea in the episode that you disagreed with? This question is incorporated in case they want to use this topic as a possible argumentative/debate in the future.

This assignment is valuable in and of itself, especially since many students had never listened to a podcast and, through this activity, started doing so regularly for pleasure. It was also helpful because it provided me an opportunity to learn more about their personal interests, ultimately helping to connect with them more.

Resource Contents

The following are included in this resource:

Google Slides that include the following:

Creating Your Podcast Personal Playlist Assignment
List of Podcasts
Podcast Assignment Instructions
Notes and Reflection Sheet

The slides are formatted in 8 ½ X 11 so they can be easily printed on letter-sized paper.

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Creative Assignments: Podcasting

by Aidan Kaplan | Feb 1, 2019 | Instructional design , Services

Note: ATS now offers a workshop on podcasting assignments . All UChicago faculty, instructors, and academic support staff are welcome to attend.

Why Podcasts?

Podcasting can be a creative assignment that encourages students to engage with a topic aurally and orally in addition to simply via text. By engaging the senses more deeply, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

A podcast is an audio file made available for online streaming, and as a format, it offers a lot of flexibility. One of podcasting’s main benefits is that it prompts students to practice writing for a general public. Reading an academic essay out loud does not make an engrossing podcast; students must think carefully about their audience and how to keep their interest.

Podcasting gives students the opportunity to be creative as they figure out the structure of an episode and decide how to incorporate music and other audio. The conversational, journalistic style that many podcasts use encourages students to think outside the box in terms of presentation. Radio services like NPR and the BBC have many good examples of engaging, informative programming in their podcasts. With the current surge in popularity of podcasting as a medium for entertainment and information, students are likely to already have podcasts that they enjoy, which they can try to emulate as they complete their own projects.

Podcasting is especially well-suited to subjects with an aural component, and UChicago music faculty have assigned podcasts as short assignments during the term and as final projects. The format allows students to intersperse segments of audio with their discussion. But podcasting should not be limited to subjects like music—it can be adapted to almost anything. In a poetry class students might make podcasts in which they read and discuss a poem; in a science class students might explain a new finding and its significance, including interviews with experts; history students might use a podcast to present an oral history project.

This blog post by Professor Chris Buddle at McGill University gives a good idea of the potential for using podcasts as an assessment tool. He assigned group podcasts at the end of the term, in which students made short segments about current issues in ecology. His post includes links to sample student work that came out of the project, which illustrates students’ creativity as well as mastery of the material. These podcasts made by students in Whitman College’s Semester in the West program show the medium’s potential for long-term projects. Students produced narrative podcasts of about eight minutes each to present some of the things they learned during their semester doing field studies.

What technology do you need to make podcasts?

Graphic showing the podcast creation process

There are three main steps in creating a podcast: recording the audio, compiling and editing the episode, and making the podcast available to listeners. For basic recording needs, students’ smartphones or laptops are likely sufficient. Students with iPhones can use the built-in Voice Memos app; Android users may need to download an app, such as Voice Recorder . NPR has a helpful guide on using phones to record audio. If a project calls for more sophisticated audio equipment or extra planning and preparation, instructors can reach out to Audio-Visual Services for help. There is also recording equipment available in the Audiovisual Room of Regenstein Library (room 307); the key can be checked out at the circulation desk.

To put recorded audio together into an episode, students will need audio editing software. Audacity is a popular choice; it is free to use and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. For Apple users, another good choice is GarageBand , which has both a desktop and a mobile version. Audacity and GarageBand are both easy to learn, and there is a wealth of online documentation to help students get started.

Once students have recorded their audio and edited it together into a brilliant, engaging podcast, there is still one crucial step: making it available for people to listen to. It is possible for students to simply share an MP3 file with the instructor via email, a file-sharing service, or a USB drive, but this makes it hard for students to listen to one another’s work or for the work to be distributed even more widely. Instead, you might consider hosting your students’ podcasts online. Canvas has a built-in system for podcasting inside Discussions. First, the instructor must enable the podcast feed . Students upload their podcasts using the Record/Upload Media button in the Rich Content Editor, and all the podcasts are available both from the discussion and via the podcast feed link. If your course uses a WordPress blog, you can also upload audio files directly to WordPress. Another option, which is especially good for sharing student work with a wider public, is SoundCloud . Note that free accounts on SoundCloud are limited to three hours of uploads.

The most important thing to remember is not to be intimidated by the technical needs of podcasting. It is easy to learn and can be done with free software and equipment that students likely already own.

Here is a sample mini-podcast, recorded in the Audiovisual Room at Regenstein Library, put together using GarageBand, and hosted on Soundcloud.

Resources and Further Reading

Chronicle of Higher Education : Four Mistakes I Made When Assigning Podcasts , Evan Cordulack, 2012.
New York Times : Project Audio: Teaching Students How to Produce Their Own Podcasts , 2018. (Aimed at K-12, but contains useful tips that can be adapted to higher education.)
Canvas Help: How do I enable a podcast feed for a discussion in a course?

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Two-Minute Drill for July 25: NFL camps are in session, high school football set to begin

The NFL has returned, and that means three teams are full go in the state of Florida.

The Dolphins, Jaguars and Buccaneers returned to practice this past week, each preparing for their preseason openers during the second week of August.

The Dolphins play their first preseason game Friday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Jags and Bucs both play Saturday, August 10 at 7 p.m., with Kansas City at Jacksonville and Tampa Bay at Cincinnati.

Miami Dolphins training camp

For reporting on the Dolphins, visit palmbeachpost.com . Here's some of our reporting thus far:

QB Quandry: What Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said about Tua Tagovailoa contract

Dolphins training camp preview: These are the Top 5 Miami Dolphins training camp storylines

PUP list: Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips open Dolphins training camp on physically unable to perform list

Wide receiver speaks: Tyreek Hill spills on Tua Tagovailoa contract, his contract

Hal Habib: Stanley Cup is ‘amazing,' but Miami Dolphins' Raheem Mostert eyes different trophy

Jacksonville Jaguars training camp

For reporting on the Jaguars, visit Jacksonville.com . Here's some of our reporting thus far:

Camp Day 1: Jaguars' Doug Pederson non-committal on play calling, will consider Shad Khan's comments

Gene Frenette: Jacksonville Jaguars' receivers uplifted by Chad Hall's animated presence

Jaguars training camp preview: What's next for Trevor Lawrence and offense?

Jaguars defense: Can defense turn corner under Ryan Nielsen?

Jaguars offense: Trevor Lawrence among hot topics before training camp

Trevor at 94: Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence cracks NFL Top 100 for 2024 season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp

If you’re looking for great Bucs coverage, check out our friends over at joebucsfan.com .

High school football

Teams are ready to return to practice for the high school football season. Here's some of our reporting from around the state:

High school NIL: Florida Department of Education ratifies FHSAA regulations

High school NIL in Florida: Here's FHSAA's latest rule change after vote on collectives

Junior Balles: Top 10 potentially junior difference makers this Big Bend football season

Put aside: Cape Coral football coach Isaac Harvin sidelined by Lee School District investigation

Panhandle to Central Florida: UCF football gets commit from Pace edge rusher Tylon Lee

UCF football podcast

The Knights enter year 2 in the Big 12, and they welcome in four new ex-Pac-12 teams. How will they do? Listen to "The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast" to hear what Chris Boyle has to say as he enters his third year covering the team.

Violent demonstration outside L.A. synagogue sparks second lawsuit

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The organizers of a demonstration outside a Los Angeles synagogue last month that ended in violence and sparked national condemnation have been sued for a second time.

StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, a nonprofit that fights antisemitism, filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of seven Jewish people who planned to attend a real estate and religious event on June 23 at the Adas Torah Synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood.

It is the second lawsuit to be filed against Code Pink and the Palestinian Youth Movement, the nonprofits that led the demonstration. The first suit was filed by a Jewish man who accused the groups of causing violence and blocking him from entering the synagogue

Attorneys for Stand with Us Center for Legal Justice echoed similar allegations as the first lawsuit, saying demonstrators “terrorized Jewish congregants outside of their house of worship, blocking access to those seeking religious services and trapping others inside.”

Jewish worshipers, the lawsuit said, were injured by bear spray, assaulted and threatened by demonstrators. The protest also halted multiple daily prayer services and Torah study sessions.

“Targeting Jewish families on their way to exercise their religious freedom at a house of worship is abhorrent and has no place in modern society,” said Carly Gammill, Director of the SCLJ. “The organizers of this antisemitic riot need to learn they cannot use violence and intimidation to deprive Jews of their 1st Amendment rights — and that we are here to help the Jewish community ensures that our laws are enforced to their fullest extent.”

Los Angeles, CA - June 23: Pro-Palestine protester gets in car that is being swarmed by Pro-Israel protesters near Adas Torah on 9040 block of West Pico Boulevard on Sunday, June 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. (Zoe Cranfill / Los Angeles Times)

Pro-Palestinian groups sued over demonstration outside L.A. synagogue

A Jewish man filed a lawsuit against two pro-Palestinian groups over a June demonstration outside an L.A. synagogue that turned violent and drew condemnation.

July 10, 2024

President Biden and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined Jewish community groups to condemn the protest as an act of antisemitism.

“I want to be clear that Los Angeles will not be a harbor for antisemitism and violence,” Bass said at the time. “Those responsible for either will be found and held accountable.”

The violence prompted U.S. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland to call for a federal inquiry into the demonstration.

The recent lawsuit also named the WESPAC Foundation, short for Westchester People’s Action Coalition Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in New York, as the “fiscal sponsor” of the Palestinian Youth Movement and therefore supported the demonstration outside of the synagogue.

A spokesperson for Code Pink declined to comment about the ongoing litigation. Representatives of the Palestinian Youth Movement and WESPAC Foundation could not immediately be reached for comment.

But the groups have said that the protest last month was spurred not by antisemitism but by a real estate event at the synagogue that aimed to provide information about housing opportunities in Israel that would fulfill the religious commandment to make Aliyah, which means migrating to Israel.

Los Angeles, CA - June 23: Pro-Israel protester asks "bring back the hostages" to a Pro-Palestine protester near Adas Torah on 9040 block of West Pico Boulevard on Sunday, June 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. (Zoe Cranfill / Los Angeles Times)

Protest violence outside L.A. synagogue spurs widespread condemnation. Bass vows quick action

Law enforcement sources said more than 150 people converged on the temple, and it took time for the Los Angeles Police Department to get enough personnel to the scene.

June 25, 2024

The lawsuit said the Aliyah event was organized by My Home in Israel, a real estate company, whose events have sparked demonstrations elsewhere in the country.

Much of the international community — including the Biden administration and the United Nations — considers settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law, although the Israeli government disagrees.

Plaintiffs for the lawsuit are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorney fees. They’re also asking that the nonprofits and their members stay at least 100 feet from the synagogue.

Man vandalizes Hollywood synagogue as accomplice records it, security video shows

July 29, 2024

Westwood, CA, Sunday, April 28, 2024 - Thousands rally for Israel as pro Palestine counter demonstrators surround them at UCLA. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Opinion: What’s behind the Anti-Defamation League’s troubling complaints against L.A.-area colleges

July 16, 2024

Los Angeles, CA - June 23: Pro-Israel protester argues with a Pro-Palestine protester near Adas Torah on 9040 block of West Pico Boulevard on Sunday, June 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. (Zoe Cranfill / Los Angeles Times)

West Bank occupation at the center of the violence at L.A. synagogue

July 3, 2024

The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Ruben Vives is a general assignment reporter for the Los Angeles Times. A native of Guatemala, he got his start in journalism by writing for The Times’ Homicide Report in 2007. He helped uncover the financial corruption in the city of Bell that led to criminal charges against eight city officials. The 2010 investigative series won the Pulitzer Prize for public service and other prestigious awards.

More From the Los Angeles Times

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, CA - JULY 20, 2024 - Contractor Hector Lopez, 55, stands in front of the ADU he built for his daughter in the San Fernando Valley on July 20, 2024. It took eight months to build the 1200 square foot property. "Right now what's really pushing are ADU's," Lopez said. Lopez' family business, Bluejay Construction, has built 3 ADUs so far for family members. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

L.A. is the epicenter of the ADU boom. These surprising cities are building the most

Check out which l.a. county cities are building the most adus and which are building the least.

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IMAGES

Podcast
Recommending the 10 Best Podcasts for High School Students (2023)
How to Create Student Podcasts in the Classroom: All Your Questions
Podcast Worksheets, Listening Guides for Analysis, Digital and
68 High School Podcast Lessons ideas
How to Podcast with Your Students

VIDEO

Podcast Assignment
English podcast assignment from miss done
Rakshabandhan (Podcast) Assignment
Our HIGH SCHOOL experience as teenagers
Audio Presentation Podcast
Stella, Ocean, Brian's Literature Podcast

COMMENTS

Project Audio: Teaching Students How to Produce Their Own Podcasts
Project Workshop Step 1: Planning a Podcast. Students should fill out their own podcast planning form (PDF), beginning with their focus question. The form also asks students to think about ...
Teaching Podcasting: A Curriculum Guide for Educators : NPR
Part 1: Small-group brainstorming, 30 minutes. *If your class is creating podcasts in small groups, have them split into those small groups now and spend the entire class period completing this ...
A Simple Process and Template for Student Podcasting
ReadWriteThink Podcast Rubric - This rubric is most relevant for a high school English or science class as it refers to a podcast addressing a thesis argument. Pacific Lutheran University Podcast Rubric - This one is nice in that it fits on one page, but addresses pretty much everything. Depending on the age of your students, you may want ...
How to plan a podcast unit for middle school and high school
Luckily, this post will cover both! To be successful with having students create podcasts, they must first listen to podcasts as mentor texts. Read to the end to get all the podcast unit planning information you will need! 1. Get Inspired to use podcasts in the classroom.
Making a Podcast That Matters: A Guide With 21 Examples From Students
Step IV: Create a storyboard or outline. Our contest rubric stresses the need for a clear beginning, middle and end that together create a "complete listening experience" regardless of format ...
Starting Your Podcast: A Guide For Students : NPR
If you're recording a person speaking, hold the phone a few inches from his or her mouth. Not too close, but not more than a few inches away, either. 2. A computer with sound editing software ...
Podcasting assignments
Learning goals. Podcasting assignments can encourage creativity, collaboration, and provide a sense of community. Podcasting assignments can provide students opportunities to practice writing and presentation skills, as well as experience expressing themselves through multimedia. As a strictly linear medium, students must focus on the sequence ...
How to Create Student Podcasts in the Classroom: All Your Questions
A: I first had my students complete an outline of their episode based on the type of podcast they wanted to create (see above). They divided their episode up by segment and wrote a series of "talking points" for each. Sometimes they wrote complete sentences, while other times they just wrote bullet points.
How to Start a Podcast as a High School Student
Stockpile some episodes. Before you officially launch, it's good to have at least 8-10 episodes recorded so you don't get overwhelmed trying to create content on a schedule. When you launch, put the first few episodes up so listeners can get more of a sense of what your podcast is all about.
Podcasts: The Nuts and Bolts of Creating Podcasts
Use podcast assignments across the curriculum. Podcasts can connect to: Writing: Have students create their own recipe podcasts or critiques of recipes they have tried. ... The "junior" words are more suitable to younger students and the "senior" songs for middle and high school students. Science: Have students write a research report ...
20 Podcasts for High School English Class
A personal favorite, this podcast covers a variety of topics researched by hosts Chuck and Josh. There are a lot of "how stuff works" as well as topics on a variety of persons. #6: That High School Life. Joe Ticar, a vice-principal and guidance counselor from an international German school, hosts this podcast with topics centered on high ...
A Teacher's Guide To Using Apps To Make A Podcast : NPR
Timothy Belmont, an English and public speaking teacher at Lyndhurst High School in Lyndhurst, N.J., wanted to give his students the option to go more in-depth with audio recording and editing.
Teaching With Podcasts
Podcasts are serial recordings, posted regularly online. Robert Rozema describes a podcast as "a blog in audio form" (31). Basically, producing podcasts is the technology-based equivalent of oral storytelling. Much as oral stories and news have been shared with listeners by medieval bards, Native American storytellers, and others, podcasters ...
Going Digital
Some possible steps are: Topic selection. Source selection. Draft script/outline/interview questions. Final podcast. Smaller projects, such as weekly mini-podcasts replacing a journaling assignment, may need fewer steps and shorter timelines, but don't expect high production quality! Recording and editing a podcast takes time.
Podcasting in the Classroom: Activities & Recommendations
Using Podcasting in the Classroom: Activities and Recommendations. January 14, 2022. There seems to be a podcast for everything and everyone. And a growing number of people are finding their audio niche: More than a quarter of Americans listen to podcasts weekly, open_in_new according to The Infinite Dial 2021.
50 Of The Best Podcasts For High School Students
A Way with Words. Classic Poetry Aloud Index. Grammar Girl. Hubblecast HD. Math For Primates. Stuff you Missed in History Class. The Naked Scientist. The Podcast History of our World. General and Special Interest Podcasts.
How to Start a Podcast for Your School · #SocialSchool4EDU
This might mean 8-10 episodes and then you take a break. You can start again when you have more to say! After you decide your podcast frequency, you still have to plan a title, design cover art, select your host, and script your introduction and ending for each episode. I said script it - not actually record it.
LibGuides: PODCASTING Resources: Teacher Resources
50 Ideas for Student Created Podcasts. Non-Renewable Energy Sources Group Podcast. Sample assignment for groups of four students. One student is the moderator, a second student support the energy source, a third student opposes the energy source and the fourth student is group choice (political figure, expert, phone caller, etc.).
Podcasting Rubrics » Podcasting and Pedagogy
Podcasting Rubrics. PODCASTING RUBRICS. By clicking on these links you will find examples of rubrics that you can use to grade podcasting work produced by students. University of Wisconsin. University of Oregon. "This I believe", Podcasting Rubric. Bloom's Digital Taxonomy (Podcasting Rubric)
Your Final Assignment Is…a Podcast.
Your Final Assignment Is…a Podcast. Learning to podcast kept my remote students engaged and connected. Here's how to bring podcasting to your classroom. The Covid-19 crisis reshaped the landscape of education. While many schools and colleges are pushing for a return to in-person classes, online and hybrid teaching will remain part of the ...
My Favorite Podcasts for the Classroom
In the Dark podcast is the perfect informational text to pair with an op-ed writing assignment because students always have such strong opinions about the topics discussed on the podcast. The podcast focuses on the trials of Curtis Flowers, the alleged murderer of four Tardy Furniture employees in July 1996.
Engaging High School Students: Flexible Podcast Assignment
This podcast activity is intended to be a flexible classwork/homework assignment that can be used simply as an activity in which students spend time listening to a topic of interest perhaps between units, last block on a Friday, or as an activity if there is a substitute teacher. It could also serve as an introductory activity for an upcoming writing assignment or class discussion.
Creative Assignments: Podcasting
Podcasting can be a creative assignment that encourages students to engage with a topic aurally and orally in addition to simply via text. By engaging the senses more deeply, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic. A podcast is an audio file made available for online streaming, and as a format, it offers a lot of flexibility.
NFL camps are ongoing in Florida, high school football is back
State of Florida Two-Minute Drill video: Dolphins, Jaguars and Bucs began camp this week, and high school football teams begin their practices Monday.
'Weird' election turns to how Harris laughs and Trump does not
The Assignment with Audie Cornish ... The Axe Files All There Is with Anderson Cooper All CNN Audio podcasts Science ... Kamala Harris speaks at West Allis Central High School during her first ...
Violent demonstration outside L.A. synagogue sparks second lawsuit
Ruben Vives is a general assignment reporter for the Los Angeles Times. A native of Guatemala, he got his start in journalism by writing for The Times' Homicide Report in 2007.
Heat is testing the limits of human survivability. Here's how it kills
Philip Kreycik should have survived his run. In the summer of 2021, the 37-year-old ultra-marathon runner used an app to plot a roughly 8-mile loop through Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in ...