For your podcast be sure to include the following features. You may place them in any order but be sure you include them all in your review. Remember, no more than three minutes total for your book review.

• Title and Author
• What type of Genre is the book?
• Describe the setting
• A description of the main characters
• Why did you choose this book?
• A summary of the conflict in the book – don’t give away the ending
• Read a meaningful passage and explain why you chose it
• Explain why you would recommend the book
• What level reader it is for?
• Include your FIRST name

Here’s an example of Raven’s Gate by Steven.
Raven’s Gate

As a final step, we are accumulating a collection of the top reviews and adding them to the library website for kids to listen to. This is only beginning to roll out now. They will be able to search by author, genre, as well as level of book. (HKIS uses the Diagnostic Reading Assessment [DRA] continuum for leveling books.)

As an educator, we must ask ourselves what we want students to learn before assigning a podcast. Here are some typical questions one should ask before assigning and design a podcast.

1. What are your aims for the podcast?
2. Clearly state the intended learning outcomes of the podcast … what do you really want the student to learn?
3. Describe or scaffold any sub-activities that may be needed (topic, writing, technical, etc.).
4. How will the students be motivated and not frustrated with the technology?
5. What is the timeline for the podcast … remember, technology takes time. Allow 30 minutes for every one minute of podcast.
7. Identify the parts of the podcast with a suggested time frame (writing, recording, editing, etc.).
6. How will students be directed through the activity?
8. What resources will you need (human and physical)?
9. How will you know the activity has been successful, how will you ? assess it?

1. Identify your aims, objectives, and audience.

2. Use more than one voice – monologues can be boring, two make it more exciting.

3. Be Natural – use your normal voice, it’s a lot easier than making one up.

4. Prepare your podcast – create an outline that you wish to follow .

5. Check your sound – record it with the best quality you can.

6. Music - be sure to balance your background music with the voice over. Create your own music to be your signature. Resist breaking copyright laws. Free music for educational podcasts can also be found here.

7. Choose a quiet place to record – watch out for ambient sounds that can be distracting in the background.

8. Practice with your equipment.

9. Record more than once and use the best. Mix and match the recordings if needed.

10. Test your results before publishing – if you want the world to listen, be sure to put your best forward.

Many podcasts suffer from poor quality in the audio. The proper use of a microphone can greatly enhance your podcasts. Here are three top tips for maximizing the effectiveness of any microphone:

1. Don’t put the mike too close to your mouth: Position it a few inches away so you do not breathe directly into it. This helps prevent “plosives,” or popping sounds, generated by the letter P, and helps reduce S sounds.
2. Angle the mike: If possible, point the microphone down toward your mouth from above to reduce plosives, nasal tones, and lip-smacking sounds.
3. Use a windscreen: If you can get a mike with a windscreen–a foam shield that covers the mike — it helps a great deal in preventing wind noise when outside. Some people swear by a variation made by stretching a piece of nylon pantyhose over a hoop placed in front of the mike.