Podcasting

=Task 3: Explore Podcasting=


 * NOTE: ** For the sake of simplicity, this task will focus on **audio podcasts**, but the concepts apply to **video podcasts** as well.

__**Introduction**__



A **podcast** is sort of like an **online radio show**, except the listeners get to decide **when and where** they want to listen.

The term "podcast" //stands for Portable On-Demand Broadcast.// And you **[|DON"T NEED an iPod]** to listen to or create a podcast! Having an iPod (or similar portable device) simply makes listening to podcasts (and other media, such as music, audiobooks and videos) really convenient. (Of course, there are tons of ways to use [|iPods in education]).

An audio file published to the web does **__not__** qualify as a **podcast**. A podcast consists of an audio file (typically MP3 format) published to the web **PLUS** an **RSS feed** (XML file). The RSS feed **allows listeners to subscribe** to the podcast and to **automatically receive** new episodes in a special type of RSS reader called a **podcatcher**. In addition to managing your podcast subscriptions and playing the media files, podcatchers can also help you **transfer your podcasts** to your media player. The most popular podcatcher is iTunes, a free program designed to work with iPods, but which also serves as a **general media player** and **organizer**, and a huge, searchable **podcast directory**.

**Good to know:** You can subscribe to and play podcasts in your [|Google Reader], but it can't help you transfer your media files onto your portable player. If you just want to **listen to podcasts on your computer**, Google Reader is actually a great option, because it just "points to" the podcast files so that you can play them in the reader, whereas a "true podcatcher" such as iTunes actually DOWNLOADS the media files to your hard drive.

**Lucky for us**, our friends at CommonCraft have created a "Podcasting in Plain English" video...

media type="custom" key="2909397"

Here is another excellent introduction to Podcasting video, from PodGrunt. Click the image to view the video on its originating page.


 * Link:** http://gruntmedia.com/podgrunt_001_view.html


 * Discovery Exercise**


 * Find and subscribe to a podcast.** The best way to learn about podcasts is to listen to a few of them.

Find and subscribe to one or more podcasts of professional interest using iTunes. You can add **any podcast feed** to iTunes (even if it's not listed in the iTunes Store -- see "**Where do I find podcasts?**" below) by copying the podcast feed URL, then opening iTunes and selecting **Advanced > Subscribe to Podcast** and pasting the URL). Listen to a bit of your subscription(s).


 * Help Resources for iTunes:** Apple iTunes Tutorial: [|Get Free Podcasts] (~2 min)


 * Where do I find podcasts?**
 * [|iTunes Store] (requires download and installation of iTunes -- you are NOT required to install iTunes to complete this "Thing!) - Like it or not, the iTunes Store is the "mother of all" of podcasting directories, offering a catalog of gazillions (estimated) of FREE podcast titles, including over 10,000 titles specific to education.
 * [|Education Podcast Network] - A directory of about 2,000 education-themed podcasts, organized by subject area.
 * [|Learn Out Loud] - A directory of about 1500 free "podcasts you can learn from."
 * [|NPR Podcast Directory] - A directory of 619 high-quality podcasts from National Public Radio and affiliates.
 * [|Skip the Tuition: 100 Free Podcasts from the Best Colleges in the World]
 * [|PBS Podcasts] - About thirty quality video podcasts from PBS.


 * Additional Resources**
 * Learning in Hand - [|Podcasting in the classroom] (This is Tony Vincent's FANTASTIC site!)
 * Apple - [|Podcasting in Education]
 * Get started podcasting with Audacity and other free tools.
 * OEDb - [|100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better]

__**Task**:__ Create your own podcast! Visit the Garageband help page and watch the following videos to learn how to create a podcast. [|Creating Your Own Podcast] [|Planning Your Podcast Recording Session] [|Recording Your First Podcast Episode] [|Polishing the Sound of Your Podcast Episode] [|Enhancing Your Podcast Episode with Artwork and Chapters] [|How to publish your podcast] Try making your own one minute podcast about your podcasting experience: Do you have any ideas about incorporating existing podcasts into your classroom or professional learning? If you already use iTunes (or other podcatcher) and/or have an iPod or other MP3 player that you use for podcast listening, please share a bit about your experiences. If you are a podcaster, or have used podcasting with students, please share a bit about that as well. Put the podcast on your pi2.1 wiki sandbox page and label it "Task 3"

//**Stretch Task:**// Check out an ipod and ipod microphone from the Technology Department and try recording a podcast using the ipod. Once you have made a voice recording, put it in your itunes and post the file on your wikispace sandbox page (or put it in Garageband first and manipulate it).