DLC #9 Creating a Podcast Using Garage Band and iPhoto

 Creating a Podcast Using GarageBand and iPhoto

&

Uploading it to My Classroom Blog as Video

Standard 18:  Dramatic Reading and Performance

Students will plan and present dramatic readings, recitations, and performances that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience and purpose.

Standard 27:  Media Production

Students will design and create coherent media productions (audio, video, television, multimedia, Internet, emerging technologies) with a clear controlling idea, adequate detail, and appropriate consideration of audience, purpose, and medium.

Step 1:  

First grade students will rehearse a Reader's Theater of the poem "Metamorphosis."

Step 2:  

Students will draw illustrations to go along with the poem, showing the different stages.

Step 3:

Using GarageBand, choose Podcast (new project) to record Reader's Theater.  Break the poem into small sections and record each section as a new project.  (I used "Creating a Podcast with GarageBand '09" handout given during the school year to help.)  Once you have recorded each section, save the file in GarageBand.

Step 4:

Take the completed illustrations and scan them into iPhoto so that they can be added to the final Podcast.  

Step 5:

Using GarageBand, choose Podcast (new project) and name it for the final project.  Next, select the Podcast Track at the top of the window.  Then, click the Media Browser button at the right corner of the GarageBand window.  Click the Photos tab at the top of the Media Browser and scroll down until you find Photos.  Once clicked, you will find the photos you scanned into iPhoto.

Step 6:  

Drag the photos onto the Podcast Track in the order in which they appear in the Reader's Theater.  Then click the Audio tab at the top of the Media Browser and you will see each separate Podcast of the Reader's Theater.  Drag each audio segment to the proper illustration, leaving a little extra audio time on the final audio piece to prevent a quick cut-off.  Each audio track will be longer than the photo, so drag the gray section of the photo to the end of each audio segment.  Once all audio segments have been added, match up all photo and audio segments end to end so that they will play continuous.  Rewind Podcast and hit play to preview.

Step 7:

When Podcast is finished, save the Podcast to your desktop.  Remove .m4a and add .mov to the end of your file name.  You will also need to delete  .m4a in the file name.  This saves it as a movie.

Step 8:

Go to YouTube and click the Upload tab at the top of the screen.  Then click Upload Video in yellow and you will be able to select your saved Podcast from your desktop.  Make sure you select "Private" under the Privacy Settings below.  It takes a few minutes for the video to be uploaded to YouTube.  Then your video is ready to share.

***If you have a classroom blog, Step 9 will tell how to upload the video to your blog.

Step 9:

Sign in to Blogger and click on your blog.  Go to New Post, give it a title, write a little description, and then click Upload Video.  You can upload your video right from YouTube and place it on your blog to share with others.

Reflection:

During the year I had experimented using a Podcast to record some of my students while reading for fluency.  They enjoyed this activity. I decided to have a small group of first grade students do a Reader's Theater of the poem "Metamorphosis."  I have never made a video before using my own audio and illustrations.  I have only uploaded photographs to Animoto and then put them to music.  

It took several days to complete the finished project.  My first grade students enjoyed recording the audio and completing the illustrations for this poem.  They were excited to see their completed Podcast and to share it with the rest of their classmates.  The technology teacher's input was helpful in guiding me through the process from start to finish.  I can't wait to try another!  Next time I may use KidPix for the illustrations because that is an application I have not used very much.

If you'd like to view my blog visit the Swift River School home page and click "Links."
You will find my blog titled "Reading Rocks & Math Matters."