While your mp3 player may generally be used for listening to music, that’s not all it’s good for. These days, one of the more promising creative educational formats is Podcasting, where you create (or just listen to) downloadable audio files with information, interviews, and more. You can listen to Podcasts around the house or in your car.  They are great for passing the time while performing monotonous tasks like folding laundry or exercising.

Podcasts provide a myriad of instructional benefits when using them with kids, especially in the homeschool environment. Using educational podcasts can be an effective way to work with students on reading and writing skills. They can be used to create lessons that supplement existing homeschool curricula, or they provide interesting enrichment on their own. They can also be created with specific learning needs in mind. Children often enjoy writing and producing podcasts, whether on their own or as part of a project for the whole family. The potential uses of educational podcasts are limited only by the imagination and available resources! The following links will help any family get started:

Articles:

What is a Podcast?
This short article sums up what podcasts are and what they can do.
http://www.epnweb.org/index.php?view_mode=what

How do I subscribe to a Podcast Program?
By clicking this link, parents can receive step-by-step instructions for subscribing and downloading a free iPodder program.
http://www.epnweb.org/index.php?view_mode=questions

Think Educational: Podcasting with Windows
This great article provides step-by-step instructions for educational podcasters.
http://thinkingmachine.pbwiki.com/Think%20Educational%20Podcasting%20with%20Windows

Get Yourself Heard: Learn to Express Yourself Through Podcasting
Here’s a resourceful article about creating a personal podcast.
http://www.microsoft.com/canada/home/internetandsecurity/2.4.58_createyourownpodcast.aspx

How to Create Your Own Podcast
This article is a basic guide to creating a first time podcast with lots of resources.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/how-to-podcast.htm

Services:

Education Podcast Network
EPN is a directory of educational podcast programs that includes a variety of subjects and grade levels.
http://www.epnweb.org/

Kids Learn Out Loud
Here is a site with FREE educational podcasts for kids in a variety of subject areas and grade levels.
http://kids.learnoutloud.com/Kids-Free-Stuff

Candlelight Stories
FREE audio stories for children, including podcasts and more, are offered at this site.
http://www.candlelightstories.com/

Books:

Podcasting For Dummies
Tee Morris, Evo Terra
This book is designed for the not so technologically inclined person, giving step-by-step instructions for listening, downloading, recording, and creating podcasts.

Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide
Todd Cochrane
This book explains how to get started with podcasting, from choosing software, subscribing, recording, and creating podcasts using a personal computer and whatever else a family has on hand.

Additional Links:

Education Podcasts
This is a directory to educational podcasts, for preschool and up.
http://www.podfeed.net/category_list.asp?id=30

Podcasting in Education, A New Way to Inspire Learning
This article is intended for classroom teachers, but homeschooling parents may find many of the suggestions useful.
http://www.apple.com/education/digitalauthoring/podcasting.html

Podcasting in Education
Excellent resource site for learning more about using and creating podcasts for education.
http://www.stager.org/podcasting.html

Notes and Advice:

Educational podcasts can be a wonderful medium for supplying instructional content that enriches the quality of learning.

On the one hand, you can access existing podcasts to provide interesting listening experiences to your children. And, on the other hand, you can also provide your children with a wonderful creative outlet by encouraging them to develop their own podcast productions. They can create their own podcast “shows” on a variety of topics, and they can then share them with friends, family, or online. Such projects can encourage your children to research, organize, write, and edit information on favorite topics, providing valuable experience and life lessons.

The low costs involved in podcasting technology make this option a viable choice for anyone with a computer and internet access!