Micro-Podcasting

Here is yet another pod-casting type tool available both for ios devices and on the web (i.e. Laptop/Desktop):  Cinch.  Through this website you can create a free account and begin the pod-casting experience.  (It is also available on the ios devices:  Cinch.  Be sure to pick the iphone app version if searching.)

This is coming from a podcast I watched today titled, "Giving Students a voice with Micro-Podcasting".  Sam Gliksman was the presentor (he is also the iPads for Education founder).  You can follow him at ipadeducators.ning.com or on twitter @samgliksman or email him at samglicksman@gmail.com.

His advice:

• limit pod-casts from 3-5 minutes
• minimum age for account is 13 (?)
• unlimited storage and useage as far as he knows
• set up a classroom account where you either create folder for the individual projects or a separate folder for each student in class
• be sure to use the reply function to give both feedback and encouragement to students
• be care to turn off the geo-tagging since this records the location of the pod-casts, photo, itouch or phone call
• utilize the widget function on the classroom or school webpage
• the widget will play what is in your main album and can be password protected or made public
• remember that once pod-cast is done it is posted and available immediately--great opportunity to discuss to to properly prepare through research, scripts, etc... as well as digital citizenship

Ideas for use in the classroom:

• use to record student reading throughout the year=portfolio for showing growth
• working in pairs prepare a script interviewing famous historical figure
• research and create a presidents day pod-cast illustrating how your favorite ex-President enriched the lives of American citizens
• create a series of pod-casts from the point of view of a crew member on Columbus' ship that chronicles his voyage across the world
• practice reading (teacher can reply with feedback and encouragement)
• create an autobiography
• can become a "reporter" and create broadcasts for sporting events, field trips, and more--can be done with a phone if you set it up that way!
• create cinch station for class--broad cast weekly school news for your community
• create a "what we learned" broadcast by different students each week and place on widget for parents and community to hear.
• use as a communication tool with parents
• use as an oral assessment tool--give kids a test and have them go home and take the test
• book reviews--have a broadcast station for your library!  How cool would that be!?!
• great tool for foreign language learning--portfolio for growth over the year

All of these ideas can be modified not only for different content but also different apps like voicethread, storykit, videolious, imovie, showme, etc....