WeVideo is one of my favorite EdTech tools – I’ve written about how I used WeVideo to record student podcasts with my 8th graders – you can read it on this post. Now, there’s a new WeVideo book called “WeVideo Every Day: 40 Strategies to Deepen Learning in Any Class” by Dr. Nathan D. Lang-Raad, and my podcasting lesson is featured!

WeVideo for podcasting

WeVideo makes podcasting super easy, especially with their new ‘audio only’ feature. I love that when students use WeVideo they are learning the technical skills applicable to any type of audio/video production and will transfer those skills as they move forward in their educational and work careers. Students feel empowered and important when they are learning about layering tracks, adjusting sound, transitions. They learn collaborative skills, creativity, and critical thinking to create an engaging project, and communication skills to transmit their message to listeners and viewers.

Ready-to-go lessons

One thing that really stands out in Dr. Lang-Raad’s new book is that he’s created 40 lessons that are ‘ready-to-go’. He’s got everything from easy beginning projects to green screening, newscasts, book reviews/reports, math explainers, and podcasting :). As I was reading through the projects, however, I realized that WeVideo can be used for so much more than just the obvious. For example, the Frayer Model. Instead of creating a one-dimensional view of a vocabulary word or concept, what if students were asked to create and record definitions, examples, non-examples, and facts or characteristics of a concept? How fun would it be to BECOME that concept and tell their story from the first-person point of view? I started thinking of all the EduProtocols I use, and am excited to layer in elements of audio and video with WeVideo next year!

Podcasting isn’t the only way I use WeVideo in my classroom. Another fun lesson with my AVID students was a problem/solution unit. I challenged them to dream up a product that solved a problem and create an infomercial video to ‘sell’ their idea. To make it a little more challenging, I used the card game “Mock-Ups” to require a particular audience, specific element, and a ‘twist’. You can see the entire assignment in my Create A Problem-Solving Product Infomercial HyperDoc. Feel free to make a copy and use it in your classroom; please, keep my name as the creator and add yours as the ‘adapter’.

Kids Take Action with WeVideo

I did switch to 7th grade ELA last year and decided to keep podcasting. The students LOVED it! As a performance assessment, students created a podcast centered on something they felt strongly that adults needed to listen to. It also had to be something that they could get other kids to take action on. Topics were climate issues, ocean pollution, the need for arts in education, gun control and safety, and how animals can be emotional support providers. I created a new HyperDoc to help take students from idea to research, planning and scripting and production with WeVideo. You can make a copy of the Kids Take Action HyperDoc here. But just know – there will be a lot of activity and FUN going on in your class. Just check out my video below!

I’d love to connect with you and share WeVideo lesson ideas. Please leave a comment or email me at mamawolfeto2@gmail.com and let’s CREATE!

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

The theory behind podcasting for students:

Give students a voice, choice, and agency
- Teaching students require relationships, connections, and showing kids that you value what they are learning and how they learn it. Podcasting allows kids’ voice to come through on things they think are really important.
Teaching skills for the future
- Podcasting is one of the communication tools of the future. Podcasts are a new frontier – and the possibilities are endless! Teaching podcasting allows students to practice the 4c’s of future-ready students: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.
Creating a platform for the entire year – and beyond!
- Teachers could think of podcasting as a platform for sharing student thinking all year long – or in smaller chunks of units and lesson assessment.

The impact you see in kids making a podcast:

Excitement! Engagement! Creativity! Collaboration! Critical thinking! Communication! Fun!
- When my class is podcasting it’s BUSY – and kids don’t want to leave the room! Don’t be afraid to have the whole class recording all at once – you can make inexpensive recording studios (see below), create a sign up sheet, scaffold in stations, use a closet for recording, or just accept that it’s not going to be perfect studio quality sound – it’s real-life background noise!
The belief that they could ‘do’ this – confidence building
- When students can show what they know in different ways, it turns them into possibilitarians – they believe in themselves and their ability to shine.
Pride – positive peer feedback
- When kids can share their thinking, with pride and control over the final product, and receive feedback from their peers, they are PROUD of their learning!
Storytelling – thinking through concept, creating an outline, following narrative arc
- It’s important for kids to start with some sort of idea rather than just going off the cuff in their podcast. The trick is to not OVER SCRIPT – which happens. I like to have kids listen to and analyze podcasts for the storytelling elements, and see what they like and what they could duplicate in their own podcast.
The realization that it isn’t/doesn’t have to be perfect the first time – revision, doing it the best they can
- Growth mindset? YES! Using their phones, WeVideo, and creating take after take helps strengthen the idea that life isn’t always done in one ‘take’ – redoing, rethinking, and revising are future ready skills we want our students to adopt.

Low budget ways to set up a recording studio:

Cardboard boxes and packaging tape
- This is seriously low budget, but I think if kids start here they could come up with creative ways to modify their box to meet their needs.
Plastic milk crates with 12×12 foam
- This method involves a bit of money, but not much. Amazon sells foam squares that are perfect liners!
iPhones, microphones, headphones
- Not necessary, but if you’re doing long-term podcasting it’s a nice investment.
Beanbags as buffers
- Something about covering their box in beanbags (pillows would work, too) not only made for better sound quality but provided a safe space for insecure first-time podcasters!
Tablecloth or sheets for kids to ‘hide’ under when recording
- Some kids really like no one seeing them…and helps a bit with the sound quality.

Coming up with topics:

That’s up to the kids – it needs to be generated by them.
- I like using our essential questions as a springboard, and then let them take it in any direction they like. They really should have ownership of the content!
Let them listen to lots of podcasts to engage their interest and teach them what a podcast IS.
- Common Sense Media has lots of good suggestions for all grade levels.
- Consider taking a poll on a Google form with any podcasts they currently listen to (see my hyperdoc for some ideas).
Consider making a year-long podcast that they can add to at intervals
- I’m considering using podcasts as a requirement for them with each literature/novel unit. I could also see adding to it with their book recommendations, suggestions for next year’s students, or just sharing exciting news about being a teen!

The impact I saw on students:

Students were excited! Empowered!
- They felt like they were really getting their voice out to the world…to other students. They said it was the best assignment they’d ever done!
Collaboration
- I had a group of four who divided work into script writing, recording, being the ‘special guest’ and one doing most of the tech work
- Another cool thing that happened was students who wanted to work alone ended up finding guest interviewees- their parents! I thought that was a cool way to expand the project.
Gives students a different avenue to show what they know.
- Showing their passions really gave me insight into them as a person, and in fact, inspired me to encourage them to keep their podcast going!
- It makes your textbook come alive! Use podcasts for assessment – use the tips in your textbook teachers edition for ideas, and then go from there!

Tips and tricks:

Don’t be afraid to start.
- It doesn’t have to be perfect – making mistakes and figuring things out is part of the process.
- Let your students teach you (and other students) all the tricks and tips THEY learn!
Better listening if it’s conversational – not too scripted.
- Use an outline (see my hyperdoc for an example) and break it up into different segments. Long talking/reading gets boring. Encourage them to break it up with music, sound effects or switching topics.
Pairs are better than singles.
- Most kids who worked alone tended to read a script and it sounded like an audiobook, not a conversational podcast.
Use Padlet to share links
- This allowed all students to listen to their peers and ‘see’ what others were thinking. You could require them to listen to For long-term curation, consider using a Google Site that can be accessed publicly. You could also create a Google classroom and share the link with the kids to add their content.
Try a Podcast hyperdoc – (click the link to use mine!)
- Hyperdocs gives the examples, an outline, scaffolding ideas, a rubric, opportunities to share publicly, and most importantly, a reflection form. Letting kids share what worked, what they would change, what they learned is crucial to help them think through the learning process.
- Mini-deadlines are key!
Graphics are not needed
- Unless they’re going to submit for RSS and syndicate their podcast publicly.
Let kids play with voices
- For emphasis, for creativity, for adding interest to the topic being discussed!
Try a podcasting ‘field trip’ – 826 Valencia is one option
- Submit kids podcasts to ‘real-life’ podcasters – and ask for feedback!
When kids get stuck…
- Encourage them to problem solve it themselves. I like the “3 before me” rule…

Overcoming fears:

Kids don’t like to hear their voices…get over it
- Honestly, this was the only fear I heard. Some struggled with workflow (they got so caught up in their ideas they didn’t get started).
Keeping the momentum going
- Divide up the responsibility. Create the podcast as a backchannel, and let the kids take over!

Rallying other teachers at your school:

Get it started
- The other teachers will join you when they see your students excited!
Start a book podcast
- Get the librarian or other English teachers to take it over and have genre months, author spotlights
Start a whole school podcast
- Different departments could take over each month
Start a podcast for your program
- AVID, SPED, GATE – share your specific stories

Excited to do a podcast? Here’s a link to my first blog post: http://jenniferwolfe.net/2018/05/podcasting.html

Here’s a link to my ‘Approaching Adulthood’ Padlet of podcasts: https://padlet.com/jwolfe14/x3u4y3gxt4or

Remember: Happy teachers will change the world! When you’re happy, your students know it – and it’s contagious. You’ll have a fun job and you’ll be giving students real-life transferable skills. You’ll show your students that they matter, that you SEE them. Our students have a voice – creating platforms for our kids to share are the best gift we can give our students!

mamawolfe

Tag: WeVideo

WeVideo – Creating Audio and Video Projects on Chromebooks

WeVideo for podcasting

Ready-to-go lessons

Kids Take Action with WeVideo

Jennifer Wolfe

Podcast In The Classroom With WeVideo – Get Started Today!

The theory behind podcasting for students:

The impact you see in kids making a podcast:

Low budget ways to set up a recording studio:

Coming up with topics:

The impact I saw on students:

Tips and tricks:

Overcoming fears:

Rallying other teachers at your school:

Jennifer Wolfe