Why, how and where to podcast: A guide from Buzzsprout

Shared by Darren DeMatas, How to Make a Podcast, is a really clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide, which uses a range of multimedia to demonstrate and inform anyone who is interested in podcasting.

The guide also includes some indicative pricing if you are serious about getting into podcasting.

• Chapter 1: Why Start A Podcast
• Chapter 2: What Makes a Podcast Great?
• Chapter 3: Before You Create a Podcast, You Need A Solid Plan
• Chapter 4: Creating Your First Podcast Episode
• Chapter 5: Hosting Your Podcast With Buzzsprout
• Chapter 6: Podcast Promotion and Directory Submission

Buzzsprout, who produced the guide, offers a hosting option. The option has a free plan available, and you don't need to enter your credit card details to sign up.
I'd highly recommend this guide!


Image: Publish once update everywhere. From the Buzzsprout site: http://www.buzzsprout.com/how-to-make-a-podcast

Psychomtric testing and the myth of personality types

Over the last 3 years I have become a podcast enthusiast (some may even say, bore!). I love the fact that I can be driving, running, cooking...you name it, while learning or being entertained...and often both. One of my favourite podcasts is from the BBC World Service Documentaries, and recently, I listened to a particularly good 2-part podcast that looked into psychometric testing.

I was very familiar with the concepts and with some of the most popular tests, including the Myers Briggs, which is the main one discussed in this podcast. (You can also read the BBC article here.)

Much of what covered in the documentary reinforced some uneasy feelings I have always had about these types of test. Many tests appear clumsy, where there are 'either/or' decisions to be made without any context, and where you might actually see both answers as relevant to you. They tend to be really long, and can be pretty tedious. Furthermore, if they are being used as part of a recruitment process, they can be 'played'. A person I know very well went for a high powered sales job a couple of years back. He decided almost immediately that he didn't want the job, so had some fun with the psychometric test. He answered all of the questions, as he said "as if I were a sociopath". He was called back for a second interview because the company felt he had the drive and the personality they were looking for!!!

There is also the uneasy notion that, while there is a human need to belong and psychometric testing offers a way of being part of a group ("I'm a..., what are you?"), the 'result' also labels us (a point that is explored in the documentary). And, a really scary thing for me was, these tests are being used with high school students. Once a student has a label or box in which to place themselves, who is to say that this won't limit what and how they explore the world going forward - again, eloquently discussed in the documentary. See what you think...the podcasts did little to allay my fears, and much to reinforce my uneasiness as psychometric tests gain in popularity in all walks of life.

How do people from different companies use psychological assessments in the workplace? podcast part 1:
 

Lucy Ash asks if personality tests are a journey of discovery.: podcast part 2:

Images

Personality (Photo credit: hang_in_there)

Related articles

• Do Psychometric Tests really work? Job Interview [Lawrence Perry] (ecademy.com)
• Applicant analysis saves money (nzherald.co.nz)
• Testing, testing... 1,2,3 (aphotogenicworld.wordpress.com)

Inspiration, skills, and feedback via video: Introducing Russell Stannard

Have you come across Russell Stannard? He has been doing some really interesting things around recording video feedback for students, as well as creating (free) videos for teacher professional development. It is well worth checking him out, especially if you teach English as an Additional Language or have a similar language support role.

Below is an extract from the monthly newsletter that you can subscribe to if you want to stay up to date with the work Russell is doing.

"Welcome to the January 2012 TeacherTrainingVideos.com newsletter. Happy new year to you. I didn't send out a newsletter in December so you will get 2 this month and each one will have new content. I have quite a few new videos set up to share.
This month there are new videos on how to use Smartboard software. So if you use a Smartboard IWB then these videos will really help you. There are also new videos on the fabulous Audioboo podcasting tool. If you want to create podcasts or get your students to create them, then you will find these really useful. There is also a set of videos on a fabulous video mail tool, which is great for getting your students to do speaking activities. There is also my latest audioboo, an recent article of mine in the Guardian and lots more: http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/iwb2/index.html

Audioboo-Great Podcasting Tool
Audioboo is a great tool for podcasting and it is free. It can also work with smart phones, so great for doing podcasts on the run. The videos take you through everything and even show you how to connect your audioboos so that they can be found on iTunes! Great tool and easy to use.
http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/audioboo/index.html

Jing
If you want to learn to use JING, the fabulous tool I use for creating the feedback videos, then here is the link.
http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/Jing/index.html".


 

ePortfolios: showcasing student voice and choice (ACEC 2010)

Image by hazelowendmc via Flickr

Christine Haynes - ePortfolios: showcasing student voice and choice

Christine showcased some of the work that students (reception to year 6) are doing with multmodal texts, digital storytelling, and ePortfolios. She shared some rich examples of student work and comments. Students used either their own photos or images from places such as the "Australian photo library". In addition, the class created the podcasts using their own voices as well as others from interviews.

Visual explanations were used a lot to encourage oral literacy. Students themselves created much of the resources and explanations too. Data was translated into graphs and charts, which were shared with and commented on by peers. Awareness was raised of audience and appropriacy as well as creation of resources for authentic audiences. As such the students created artefacts and images around concepts such as, for example, peace. Animation, and other hands-on creation were seen as really important.

Reflection was encouraged, and students were assisted in reflective practice. For instance, commenting on book chapters as they read them. Students were also asked to explain choices around images, colours and backgrounds. Parents could also visit the resources, and leave comments.

The link with Alan November's keynote was strong, with ePortfolios being populated by student created resources, which were then shared. The primary years examples shared were indicative of the creativity and engagement of learners once they are given the choice and forum to share.

Design, reflection and open learning

Design & open spaces

Just wanted to jot a couple of thoughts down in response to this podcast "Teaching outside the limits of space and time" which I listened to while running along the waterfront in Auckland a couple of days ago. The podcast features the EdTech Posse who pretty regularly have entertaining discussions around a whole heap of aspects of ICT enhanced learning and teaching. (They have a laid-back, pretty unstructured approach, sometimes featuring pub-settings, and often with guest appearances by the dogs...you just have to listen :-) )

In this particular podcast a lot of what they were saying hit a note of accord and I found myself grinning like an idiot (not a good look at the best of times). Some of the key topics they covered were designing programmes and what (if any) is the optimum duration for a course for effective learning, and aligning assessment (types as well as content with course design) - i.e. if you have a course that encourages open learning, then more traditional forms of assessment are unlikely to measure the effectiveness of the learning that has taken place. They also mulled over the importance of building learning networks, but that these too need time to develop, and that it is hopeless to try to force a community to develop. The final point was about podcasting - taking offline conversations and putting them online...but in a forum where futher discussion from disparate voices from around the globe is encouraged.

I did think there were a couple of points I'd like to add into the mix. For example, when they discussed the optimum length of a course, one aspect that I don't think was mentioned directly was motivation (extrinsic or intrinsic), although there was discussion about how interest in a subject can shape the learning experience (irrespective of duration). Alongside this factor is the notion of whether a learner is 'ready'...if they have developed the necessary cognitive framework that can be built upon with this next set of thinking and/or skills. If the learner is in just the right spot then an hour may be all it takes to turn the tide; something that just falls into place that makes sense of everything else. I think that this may be the case irrespective of whether it's a content based or process based course.

The other thing that really struck my imagination was the embedding of one discipline with in another that really 'smokes the tyres' of the learner. The example was the art class with embedded math. Awesome. We did something similar (but not as sophisticated) at Dubai Men's College where we had a project-based ICT enhanced blended-learning programme over 40 weeks. Math, English, academic literacies, ICT literacies, and Arabic were all integrated into the incremental, experiential learning course. Students would gradually produce one artefact over 10 weeks, building cumulatively another 'bit' each week, and the focus was very much on the process - the learning journey - rather than the end product.

I reckon I've drivelled on for long enough. I'd highly recommend the podcasts as thought-provoking and entertaining.

Podcast: Introducing New Technology to Faculty

If you are involved in any sort of academic support or, on the other hand, are a faculty member who is working at an institution where new technologies are becoming a focus, you may well find this podcast created by Gerry Bayne (EDUCAUSE) on April 15, 2009, of interest.

One of the key points made is that it is all about the learning and teaching, and very little to do with the tools. The blurb on the site advises: "In this forty-two minute podcast we feature a conversation from the ELI 2009 Annual Meeting. Participants in our lively roundtable discuss their experiences with introducing new technology to faculty, approaches to digital literacy, and ways to think about teaching with (or without) technology". Sometimes thought provoking, and well worth a listen:

ELI In Conversation: Introducing New Technology to Faculty

Access the Mp3 file by clicking here.

Technology problems, or social problems...

Out running on Friday, I was totally absorbed by what Morris W. Beverage Jr. had to say (Educause podcast). He started from a point around technology which actually switched me off to begin with, describing technology as 'things' communicating with 'things' rather than, apparently, seeing the key focus as the communication and co-construction of artefacts/knowledge that is enabled through technology.

Anyhow, once I had stopped bristling and listened to what he went on to say, a lot of it seemed to make sense. One point in particular where he spoke about issues in education (for example, plagiarism) are not technology problems, but rather social problems. It make such a lot of sense. Yes, technology such as Turnitin may be developed to attempt to address the problem, but in fact what it needs is a recognition of the reasons behind the plagiarism, which tend to be academic literacy challenges and questions around ethics.

Well worth listening to this podcast as it is likely to strike a few chords no matter what your role is in, or supporting, education.

The Educause blurb is: "Campuses today face a growing number of clashing cultures. Faculty struggle with traditional methods of teaching in an environment where demands for flexibility and convenience are rising. Learners increasingly treat a college degree like a commodity. Battles rage over resource allocation. External constituents exert influence on campus operations and outcomes. This session addresses these issues and the role IT departments need to play to help higher education not just survive, but thrive."