Podcasting+Information


 * What is a Podcast?**

A podcast is a series of audio or visual recordings that are released on a regular basis. The content is hosted by an online resource and made available to the public through a delivery system, commonly called a "pod-catcher". The hosting resource normally operates using an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed to deliver the content via pod-catcher to specific computers or mobile devices such as an iPhone or iPod, the broadcast can then be listened to by the recipient at a time of their choosing.

iTunes is the most well known, and possibly most widely used hosting service/pod-catcher, and has a large amount of podcasts available on it.

Although we will not be using iTunes to develop a podcast today, here is a link to iTunes for your reference as well as a brief explanation of how to get, make, and publish podcasts through this service. [|http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/]

//Remember, a standard podcast has three signature components: - It is a digital recording, either audio or video - It is episodic - It is available for subscription//

Don't be concerned if you do not meet these components as you learn to use podcasts, they usually fall into place as the teacher gains expertise and their comfort level rises.


 * Some examples of podcasts**

CNN Podcasts (Check out the Student News podcast): []

The Education Podcast Network (Landmark Project): []

Podcast Tools for Students (Scroll to the bottom for Links): []


 * Finding Podcasts for your classroom**

A simple Google search will produce a large amount of resources but remember, the more that you narrow your search terms and the more familiar you are with the search tool, the more efficient your search will be. For instance, a simple search on "podcasting" produces literally millions of results for this popular topic. However, a search on "Podcasting in the Elementary Classroom"combined with the use of the Google "Wonder Wheel" produces this search. (The Wonder Wheel can be found in the "more search tools" option of a standard Google search)

The more specific your search, the more likely it is to find useful information. **//__Remember, you are smarter than your search engine!__//**


 * What are some uses for podcasts?**

The possibilities are endless but you are the best judge of how this can be used in your classroom.

Parent and Student Informational podcasts Podcasting difficult concepts for home review. (Students could also do this one as a project) Directions/models for complex projects or experiments
 * Teacher Centered:**

News Programs Experiments Music Low anxiety presentations (or companion piece to a presentation) **
 * Student Centered:


 * What do I need to make my first podcast?**

In order to successfully develop a podcast you will need the following resources:

- A computer with headphone, microphone jacks, and speakers - A microphone, although some computers come with internal mikes, a external microphone usually produces a better product. - Headphones, a classroom can get quite noisy if students listen to their work without them - A sound recording program, there are a number of the out there including Garageband for Apple, we will be using Audacity, a rather robust open source program. - A means to place your podcast on the Internet for it to be accessed, a school webpage may suffice if you do not want to subscribe to a hosting service. Many hosting services have free accounts for limited usage.


 * What if I want to do a video podcast?**

Most video cameras now support the use of digital media and can be used to develop a video podcast, a "Flip" style camera is excellent for this purpose.

PowerPoint, or other presentation software, can be combined with a program like Photostory (a free Microsoft download) to produce a video by following these steps. 1. Complete the presentation 2. Create a folder on your computer for the images and presentation 3. Save the entire presentation into the folder as .jpg files (Powerpoint will give you the option to do this when you save a slide as an image) 4. Import the picture to Photostory and develop a movie through that program 5. Post the results


 * Where can I get music to go with my podcast?**

There are multiple websites were music can be obtained and used under a creative commons license. Many of these files can be imported into the recording software and manipulated, please pay careful attention to the licensing regarding the limitations of use as well as the attribution that may be required by the artist.

Description of the Creative Commons License: []

Samples of music available under the Creative Commons License: []


 * A word about file types, sizes, and other technical aspects:**

The manner in which you save music, video, and image files impacts the file size, the clarity of the file, and the time it takes to download the file onto a consumer machine. If you are using a hosting service that has memory restrictions or charges by bandwidth used, this could become an issue, take a moment an familiarize yourself with these various resources that describe file types.

Image files: []

Video Formats Explained: [] Video File Sizes: []Audio File Formats: []

Link to Audacity Download site http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

Link to LAME plug in (MP3 Encoder) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&i=lame-mp3

Link to Audacity Wiki for recording ideas, suggestuions, and tutorials http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Audacity_Wiki_Home_Page

Using Audacity Quick Guide