Have you heard about the false alarm of the Emergency Broadcast System of 1971? Well, I hadn’t. That is, not until I found myself stuck in traffic on a way to a meeting. I tuned in to Gimlet Media’s podcast Every Little Thing and was fascinated by this obscure story that I probably never would have known about otherwise. I also learned about the history of the Emergency Broadcast System and the ways in which organizations function to alert the public in cases of various emergencies and disasters.
Podcasts don’t resolve issues of traffic, but they do seem to make my commute better. I always learn something, and I find myself swept away by the excellent storytelling, the interesting content, and the top-notch production. Some specific examples of other podcasts I’m enjoying lately are Gimlet Media’s Reply All, and Heavyweight, and Science Friday’s Undiscovered.
For people who enjoy podcasts and have been inspired to create their own, the prospect of recording, mixing, and editing can be a daunting prospect, which multiplies when one considers creating them with students. Here’s where the Anchor App comes in.
Anchor is an app that is available for iOS and Android devices. You can listen to podcasts, but what makes it special is the way it makes producing a podcast beyond simple.
Once you’ve created an account, you’re ready to start recording.
You can make an audio clip (or more than one), add background music from Apple Music and Spotify, and even have other people “call in” to your station. When a listener calls in, you then have the ability to use their audio clip in your episode.
Additionally, you can record phone calls made from the app to include as audio clips.
At the RITS meeting this fall, I spent just over 10 minutes interviewing 3 of my colleagues about something awesome that they did during the week. Add a couple of minutes for selecting an interlude, background music and I had a published episode in under 15 minutes. You can check it out here:https://anchor.fm/alainasharp/episodes/cb3068. (By the way, I would LOVE to hear something that was awesome from your week. Please call in to my station and I’ll get you on an episode!)
To me, the possibilities for use in educational settings are endless! Teachers could record snippets of lessons or share effective, classroom-tested strategies they are using with other teachers. Students could reflect on their work, respond to reading, or create a story. Administrators could share the incredible things happening in their buildings with the community, or communicate their thoughts and focus items with their respective staffs.
What are your ideas? Give Anchor a try and share your station with us. We’d love to hear more about how educators and students find uses for this powerful app!
Author: Alaina Sharp
Jackson County ISD
REMC 15
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