Podcasts, Vodcasts, and Screencasts...Oh My!

         My head is quite full right now of a variety of technology-related terms, but this week had a particular focus on the different types of "casts," hence the title of today's blog post. In my Instructional Applications of the Internet course, we have been asked to begin developing our own audio podcasts and the assignment has got me thinking about my personal podcast favorites. The topic of podcasts has also put me on a bit of a walk down memory lane, reminding me of the radio shows I used to create with my sister as a kid. I can't help but to smile at the technology we had to use, and to think about how pronounced the changes have been in the past few decades.

         When I was reading the chapter on podcasts in Will Richardson's book: "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Webtools for Classrooms," I came across a part that describes the program created by students at Willowdale Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska. Their online radio show covers topics of the students' choosing, such as poetry and jokes. This was where I had my flashback moment. I could instantly remember being in my sister's childhood bedroom, brainstorming what the segments were going to be for our radio show. For instance, I recall a time where we made up a pretend interview with my sister's oversized stuffed cow, who we named Clara. She told "our listeners" what life was like on the farm. So, what was our recording device? Have a look: 

           This was one of my favorite toys of all time. It provided hours of entertainment and was the perfect device for our radio shows. It is hard to believe that kids today don't even know what a cassette player is! The neat thing, however, is that although our tools for doing it might be quite different, the creation of radio shows in contemporary times is just as fulfilling and engaging for children as it was when I was growing up.

              Alright, back to the present, Marty. Here in 2015, we find ourselves with the ability to not only easily create our own radio show podcasts via the computer, but we have the ability to get those radio shows out to a larger audience. The fact that we can do it all for free is an added bonus. My two favorite podcasts of all time are This American Life and Serial. If you haven't listened to them, I strongly encourage you to.

               This American Life puts out weekly podcasts (which you can download or listen to live on NPR) on a wide variety of topics. For instance, one episode (the first to get me hooked, in fact) was about a young woman from Cleveland, Ohio who moved to San Francisco and started her own business. So, you might be wondering, what makes that so interesting? Well, I neglected to mention that this woman's business is a coffee shop called: "Trouble," and the only items they serve there are coffee, cinnamon toast, coconuts, and grapefruit juice. It sounds strange, but when you learn the story around it, you find it truly fascinating. The woman who opened the business struggles with psychiatric issues and has found safety and solitude in her business. This is just one example of the kind of information that you might get from a This American Life episode. 

   
            

          Now, Serial, on the other hand, is a podcast that was made to resemble a recurring television drama. Each week a new episode builds upon a storyline. In Season One, the show follows the story of an interesting murder trial from the late 1990's. A man was arrested for the death of his ex-girlfriend. That may not sound very intriguing at first, but when you begin to learn about all of the idiosyncrasies of the case and trial, along with the many questions surrounding what really happened, it is impossible to want to stop listening.

               My point in describing these podcasts is that they are the combined inspiration behind the one I will create. I hope for my podcast to be comprised of several episodes that will each cover a different book considered to be a front-runner for the coveted Newbery award (like This American Life), and that the episodes will lead up to the announcement of the award recipient early next year (kind of like Serial). Excited to see where the podcasting journey will lead. Until next time...