Podcasting is starting to take off across the district with teachers at Normal West, Chiddix, Parkside, and Evans having students create podcast shows! In addition, Normal West teachers, Tim Franz and Joe Burgess have created an official Normal West weekly Podcast called, “podCATS”. The weekly show has special guests come in and talk with the teachers and student co-hosts about a variety of topics and events that are happening at the school.
As teachers dive into podcasts a common question that comes up is: How to push the shows out once they are finished? One option involves collaborating with technology coaches who design and create websites for the shows to be placed. The websites are set up so that only Unit 5 students and staff are able to listen to the podcasts and are not open to the public.
Students are taught how to create their own show logos using Canva and Google Draw. These are incorporated into the websites and are linked to the shows. Below are a few of the teacher websites that have the student’s shows:
Those high school teachers who would like to make the podcasts available to the public should consider the free software program, Anchor. (https://anchor.fm/) It allows teachers to take the recordings and push them out to Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and Spotify! A signed parent/guardian permission slip is needed before posting them to those public forums.
If you are interested in trying out podcasts in your classroom, contact technology coaches, Amber O’Day or Ed Hafermann and they will help get you started!
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| Normal West Students recording their podcast in the Huddle Room |
