Anchor

Anchor is a free podcasting app that makes it easy to record and publish your own content. You can even listen to podcasts, but the shows are limited to those created by Anchor users. Anchor bills itself as the "easiest way to start a podcast," and it mostly lives up to this claim. The app works on iOS, Android, and web browsers, which makes it flexible for school use. Students and teachers can choose their favorite device and start recording with the click of a button. They can switch between devices, so if students record on devices at school and home, they can easily access and edit their podcast (basic trimming, splitting, etc.) wherever they are. Each screen has instructions, and putting together an episode is just a record, drag, drop, and publish process. In addition to recording yourself, you can include up to 10 people who also have Anchor, enabling remote collaboration. To make the recording sound more polished, there are transition sound effects for all devices and background music (mobile apps only). Users can connect to a Spotify Premium account (mobile only) and Apple Music (iOS only) for more music options. Anchor has its own network for podcasts that use the platform, but you can choose to publish to all the major podcasting networks, which is included in the service. The web-based version includes analytics, so you can see the number of times your podcast is played, the number of episode downloads, and the ways people listen to your podcast. 

While podcasts are meant to be shared, in classrooms some teachers may want students to create private podcasts they just share with teachers and peers. Unfortunately, Anchor only supports public podcasts. Moreover, be aware that email addresses or social media accounts are required to create an account, and the Terms of Service require users to be at least 13 years old. You'll probably need parental permission and may need permission from your school, depending on the rules about educational technology privacy and students publishing online. 

As of the time of this review, there's an inconsistency with Google logins. Google login is only supported on the web or Android, so if you create an account through Google, you won't be able to log in on an iOS device.

Speaking and listening are major components of the Common Core and other state standards, and podcasting offers absorbing, cross-curricular opportunities for students and teachers to expand their digital skills, learn how to communicate for different audiences, and tell engaging stories. Anchor makes podcasting -- and its associated learning benefits -- more accessible to students and teachers, getting rid of the need for fancy recording equipment or the technical know-how of recording, audio editing, and publishing. However, this ease of use comes at a cost: While students can do some light trimming and editing, there's not much beyond that. This means they can't re-record parts and will need to work with what they've got. Without proper prep and practice, this could frustrate some students and lead to worse end products. It also removes some of the most important aspects of podcasting: refining audio and layering tracks.