1. INTRODUCTION Podcasts allow internet broadcasts to be downloaded onto computers, iPods, or MP3 players. People can download podcast programs and listen to them wherever they go, and whenever they like. It also gives people the option to have new episodes of their favorite podcast automatically downloaded. Anyone can create and share their own podcast. Vodcasting is exactly the same except with video files. To create a podcast you have to have an audio program to record your podcast as an.mp3 file. Also, you will have to create an RSS file for your podcast. There are websites available that create an RSS file for you, like ClickCaster or BlogMatrix. Next, you upload the RSS file with the.mp3 file onto a server and make sure it works. When these steps are complete, your podcast is available for others to access and download. With podcasting being a new technology in the lives of Americans today, how does it effect the education system, and are educators interested in using it in their classrooms? METHOD We created a ten-question survey to answer the following questions. 1. What do educators know about podcasting? 2. Are they interested in using it in their classroom? Our survey was created with Survey Monkey, an online survey website. It contained two True/False, two Yes/No, two opened-ended, and four multiple-choice questions. After the survey was created, it was e-mailed to 93 educators in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and college fields. These educators teach in Minnesota, in the towns of Winona, Minnesota City, St. Paul, and Inver Grove Heights. In our survey, we included a paragraph defining what podcasting is and what people can do with them. Then, our ten questions were as follows: 1.Did you know what podcasting was before reading the definition above? (Circle one) Yes No 2. I know how to make a podcast. (Circle one) TrueFalse FINDINGS 3. Podcasting can be beneficial to use in education. (Circle one) True False 4. If you have used podcasting in your classroom, how have you used it, and if not why? (Explain) 5. Do you have the technology to use podcasting in your classroom? (Circle one) YesNo 6. Podcasting can be used for: a. Student assignments b. Lesson plans c. Recording lectures d. All of the above 7. I can create my own podcast with which site? a. blogtalkradio.com b. clickcaster.com c. Gcast.com d. All of these 8. Who can make a podcast? a. Teachers b. Students c. Anyone who has the technology and knowledge d. Radio talk show hosts 9. What can you play a podcast on? a. Radio and CD player b. iPod c. Computer and cell phones d. MP3 player, iPod, and computer 10. After taking this survey, would you be interested in further research on podcasting in the classroom? Why or why not? (Explain) From the remaining survey questions, we found that all educators agree that podcasting can be beneficial to use in education. Educators understand that podcasting can be used for student assignments, lesson plans, recording lectures, and much more. However, an outstanding 95 percent of educators do not know how to make a podcast. We found that the most common reason that educators choose not to use podcasting is because they do not have access to this type of technology, lack of time, and lack of resources. CONCLUSION The most important thing we learned from our research is that educators believe that podcasting is beneficial to use in education, but they are not using it in their classrooms. They are not using it because they do not know how to make a podcast, they lack the time, technology, and the resources. Podcasting can be very useful for both educators and students. If these educators used podcasting it would provide them with a different approach to teaching while promoting and using personalized education. It will also help educators develop cross-curricular activities. Educators need the support from schools, parents, and communities to give them the resources and technology to use podcasting in their classrooms. Further research can be done with the educators that are using podcasting in their classrooms. By researching the most common ways podcasting is used, how they are supported, and how the process worked for them. Podcasting in the classroom has many benefits and if pursued it can enhance the learning for all students, and educators as well. REFERENCES Deitz, C. (n.d.). How to Create Your Own Podcast- A Step-by-Step Tutorial. Retrieved September 9, 2009, from http://radio.about.com/od/podcastin1/a/ aa030805a.htm Rainie, L., & Madden, M. (2005, April). Podcasting Catches On. Retrieved from www.pewinternet.org/ reports/2005/podcasting-catching-on.aspx PODCASTING IN EDUCATION BY: DANIELLE KOCH, DANA MERKEL, AND CHRISTINE LIEBEG This graph shows that 55 percent of educators surveyed knew what podcasting is, and the other 45 percent did not know what podcasting is. The information was gathered from question number one in our survey. This graph shows that 25 percent of educators surveyed have access to technology for podcasting. The other 75 percent do not have access to appropriate technology for podcasting. This information was gathered from question number five in our survey. This graph shows that 41 percent of educators are interested in podcasting, 24 percent are undecided, and 35 percent are not interested. This information was gathered from question number ten in our survey.