In a recent post, I expounded on the intricacies related to a media stream known as a podcast and some tips for those that are engaged in or contemplating entering into contracts related to a podcast sponsorship agreement. Like a podcast itself, the possibilities are only limited by one’s imagination and one’s ability to secure the resources, both physical and human, to access that realm.
As professional educators, understanding the nexus between law and language education may enable you to tap into the long term creative and financial possibilities afforded by pod casting. As more and more educational institutions continue to invest significant funds towards this innovative mode of teaching, many of you may find this medium to be a highly effective and efficient mode of instruction. And, more importantly, so might the students that you are educating.
So, what is a podcast? Simply stated, a podcast is a digital media format that is typically released on a regular interval, and is available to be downloaded and replayed on the Internet.
Well, what is a podcast sponsorship agreement and why would a language educator need one? A podcast sponsorship agreement is simply a contract entered into between the producer of a podcast and a company or organization that wishes to pay for advertising during the podcast in exchange for the dissemination and promotion of their product or service. A sponsor may have a product or service that is relevant to the material that your podcast is discussing. In addition, an educator may elect to simply create a podcast and then attempt to monetize it by selling sponsorship space to those businesses or organizations that are in a position to purchase it. The opportunities are only limited by one’s creativity and ingenuity.
Some statistics about Podcasting’s increasing prevalence in School Systems There are a number of statistics which clearly demonstrate the fact that podcasting is quickly becoming a mainstay in educational systems across the globe. As more and more classrooms and school districts turn to podcasts as a substantive and innovative mode of instruction, it is important to keep in mind the aforementioned video. The importance of understanding legal terminology As an educator, understanding contractual terminology and legal principles may enable you to both maximize your human and financial resources and leverage your collective bargaining power and professional development in the future. You are a professional, and as such, if you are in a position, either individually or collectively, to reap the fruits of employment in the field of education, you owe it to yourself and your colleagues to understand the terms of such contractual agreements and how they work; especially in an age where more and more professionals will ultimately engage in or be approached to enter into an employment relationship.
Some examples of the “money or resources” that can generally be optimized by having a solid understanding of legal terminology are as follows. The fact that individuals are entering into contract agreements that may terminate their ability to engage in a related or perpetrating business throughout the period of the agreement, or for a specified time period thereafter, rather than adopting a stance where the termination of the agreement leaves them “free” to pursue other legitimate educational opportunities.
In the realm of educational programming -The opportunities to create educational programming that serve to cross not just educational and linguistic lines within the United States, but that may perhaps also cross cultural lines beyond the borders of this country The importance of seeking legal guidance where you are considering entering into an agreement for the purposes either of being a podcast sponsor or creating a podcast sponsorship agreement.
There are a number of very successful and ever expanding podcast platforms. For example, some successful educational podcasts include Princeton University’s Office of Communications’s “The Science of Happiness” podcast hosted by Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., and the Center for Applied Linguistics on Education and Linguistics.
For more information on podcasting and its impact on education, you can visit Wikipedia.