Course | Online Course: Podcasting 101

Course Description

Whether you are a podcast enthusiast who has always been curious about what it takes to start your own podcast, a K-8 teacher or school librarian podcast newbie who wants to introduce podcasting into your classroom, a homeschooling parent who wants to support your child in starting a podcast, or a public librarian looking to host podcasting workshops for your patrons (young & old), this self-paced online course that introduces you to the nuts and bolts of podcasting is for you!

What The Story Seeds Podcast loves about podcasting is that it is democratic. It allows an individual’s voice and perspectives to be heard and gives them a space to channel their interests and curiosities. It also has a low barrier to entry. In this course, The Story Seeds Podcast's goal is to introduce you to each step in the process of creating a polished podcast— that way you know exactly what to expect. Their hope also is that the materials and videos they share with you will enable you to either create your own podcast or support young people (or just about any community) to create their own podcast.

Each module should take you approximately 2 hours to complete and features an introductory slideshow presentation, downloadable handouts and activities, resources, and brief assessments. Also included are bonus video presentations from nearly a dozen youth and professional podcasters who visited past Story Seeds camps and classes, including Ben Strouse (Gen Z Media), Mick Sullivan (The Past and the Curious), and Polly Hall (Ear Snacks).

This course is developed by the award-winning studio Literary Safari, creators of The Story Seeds Podcast. Literary Safari has developed curriculum for McGraw Hill Education, Sesame Workshop, Stride/K12.com, and PBS. The Story Seeds Podcast's course design is inspired by the “train-the-trainer” framework. Their goal is to introduce educators to each step in the process of creating a podcast— that way you are not only equipped to create your own show, but also empowered to develop a bespoke podcasting curriculum for your learning environment.

Course Curriculum

• Module 1: Enter the Podverse
In this module, you will situate the medium of podcasting within the overall history of communications.

• Module 2: The Wide World of Podcasts
In this module, you will be introduced to different types and styles of podcasts and engage in your own scavenger hunt for your favorite shows based on your passions.

• Module 3: Baking a Great Podcast
In this module, you'll get a bird’s eye view of what it takes to make a podcast from start to finish.

• Module 4: Choosing a Topic
In this module, you will go behind the scenes to discover how some podcasters (adult and youth) created their shows based on their passions and interests. With this foundation, you will discover tools and strategies for choosing a topic for your own podcast.

• Module 5: Planning a Podcast
In this module, you will examine the anatomy of a podcast and learn how the art of storytelling has to do with creating a podcast through insights from professional podcasters on their process, from planning and outlining to scripting.

• Module 6: Recording and Editing a Podcast
In this module, you will learn to select equipment and set up an ideal recording environment.

• Module 7: Editing a Podcast
In this module, you will be introduced to editing software and learn about the basic steps of editing an episode of your podcast.

• Module 8: All about Sound Design
In this module, you will learn about the power of sound effects, where to find them, and ideas for how to use them!

• Module 9: Packaging a Podcast
In this module, you explore the mood board and will examine the process of creating cover art and theme music for a podcast through a case study of The Story Seeds Podcast.

• Module 10: Releasing a Podcast
In this module, you will review the steps involved in getting a podcast out into the world, from selecting a host to uploading a podcast and writing show notes.

When you complete The Story Seeds Podcast's course, you will also receive information about opportunities to sign up for a mentor session with a professional podcaster. During these live, one-hour sessions, you’ll be able to meet one-on-one with podcasters who can answer your questions about creating and technical questions about podcasting.