PODCASTING

  

          I remember when growing up of meeting for dinner at my father’s parents.  We all pitched in to make the meal, from catching the chicken to setting the table. But when World Wide Wrestling started at 5 P.M., we all gathered in the living room with Grandpa to listen to the action on his big Victorola radio.  If you were late, you missed the show and maybe dinner.  Later, after we purchased our first television, dinner had to wait so that I could watch my cartoons (Popeye).  There was also Roy Rogers and Sky King on Saturday morning.  Shows were broadcast at specific times and if I wasn't there, I missed them.  Broadcasts disappeared into the airways.   Well, things have changed.

          Here’s the big idea. Thanks to podcasting (or Vodcasting), show times don’t matter.  When a new show is created, podcasting give you a way to capture it and take it with you to watch or listen to later –usually for free.  It makes shows personal and available on demand.  That’s what makes it different from broadcasting. It works by setting up a connection between a web site and a computer, so that new shows automatically show up when available.  As a result, podcasting may shift much of our time away from an old medium (radio and T.V.), where we wait for what we might want to hear, to a new medium where we choose what we want to hear, when we want to hear it, and how we want to give everybody else the option to listen to it as well.

          Here are three reasons why podcasting is becoming so popular.  The first is that anyone can do it.  No satellites, radio towers or studios needed.  Most people only need a microphone or video camera, a computer and a connection to the web.  With these things in place, they can make their own show that is open to everyone.  It also means that there’s a wide variety of podcasts.  Whether its investment advice, or gardening show from down the street, there is likely a podcast of interest to you. Podcasters typically cater to a niche group of listeners.  By podcasting consistently on one subject, podcasters not only assert their expertise on the subject matter but also draw a loyal and devoted group of listeners.  Although several corporations and big broadcast companies have ventured into the medium, many podcasters are amateurs broadcasting from home studios.  Because podcasters don’t rely on ratings as radio broadcasters do, the subject matter of podcasts can range from the refined to the silly to the excruciatingly dull.

          Currently, podcasting is free from government regulation.  Podcasters don’t need to buy a license to broadcast their programming, as radio stations do, and they don’t need to conform to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).  However, copyright law does apply to podcasting.  Additionally, podcasters can copyright or license their work.

          The second is subscriptions.  This means that if you visit a site that has a great podcast, you can click a button and subscribe to receive future shows automatically.  All you need is a free tool called a Podcatcher, like iTunes, that acts as a way to capture the shows.  The shows become yours to listen to or watch as much as you want, when you want and where you want.

          The third reason is technology.  You can download a podcast onto a computer, but you can also download it to an MP3 player or other portable device and take it with you.

          Just as podcasting rose out of blogging, it first attracted attention in the library field through the biblioblogosphere.  Library podcasting on the institutional level did not begin until the appearance of “Listen Up!”  It was a podcast from the Decatur Campus Library of Georgia Perimeter College in February 2005.

          There are two basic types of podcast use, each valid in the K-12 library or classroom setting.  Schools can retrieve information (access podcasts created by others) or they can provide information (creating and sharing podcasts).

          Creating a podcast is a wonderful way of allowing children to share their work and experiences with a potentially huge audience over the Internet.  Schools are increasingly using the internet to promote what they do, and to celebrate the achievements of their children, and podcasting is an excellent way of doing this.  I especially enjoyed listening to Radio Willow Web and others while doing this research.  At Radio Willow Web, different grades put on podcast radio plays and did an excellent job.  They sounded like they were having great fun and I was very happy with their performance.

          Children can benefit from the podcasting experience in many ways.  It gives them a potential audience of thousands for their work.  It’s great for developing literacy skills (writing scripts, setting up interviews etc.), allows children to develop and practice their speaking and listening skills.  Podcasts can be interactive, and the audience can be invited to send their comments, giving valuable feedback to the children about their work.  Making a podcast is also great method to develop teamwork skills.

          I also found some examples of schools that are helping their communities learn about available library programming, especially reading and book promotion.  Podcasts are used for book reviews, reading incentive program overviews, and connecting librarians to student achievements.  Student podcasts can include interviews, dramatizations of students’ creative writing, readings of book passages to demonstrate skills, and observations about the learning process.

          The librarian can be a leader in the use of technology to provide information and to increase community involvement beyond the library walls.  This technique can also be used to advertise upcoming concerts or to replay highlights of a basketball game.  Additionally, the podcast format for professional development is compelling.  Create content once and it’s always accessible for review.  Professional development podcasts can also include on-demand tutorials, copyright discussions, book group discussion guides, overviews of new services or policies, presentation by outside professionals, or introductory discussions of educational issues.

          Video podcasts provide a capability for a wide variety of video podcasters, including filmmakers, and artists, vloggers (video bloggers), and even those who just like sharing their videos.  Video podcasting is also helping build business, especially in the sales and marketing sectors.  Television networks into action too.  National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the BBC have begun podcasting some of their shows.  Corporations such as Heineken and General Motors have created their own podcasts to attract consumers.  Through video podcasts, businesses both large and small can advertise their wares and services in a modern, cost-effective way.  In the past, big businesses had better access to expensive studios where sophisticated advertisements were produced, but now even the smallest businesses can create high-quality media with just a camera, editing software and the Internet.

          Some experts say podcasting still has a long way to go before it catches on with the masses, but its growing popularity is undeniable.  It’s possible that podcasting will eventually become as popular as text blogging, which grew from a few thousand blogs in the late 90’s to more than 7 million today.  Some podcasts are already providing thousands of downloads a day, and they’re not just entertaining their listeners—they are also doing business.

Podcast rubric: Kathy Shrock: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/pdf/evalpodcast.pdf

Podcasting help:  http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Audio+%26+Podcasting