Podcasting
A podcast is a series of audio or video on the Web
that can be cataloged and automatically downloaded.
|
Podcasts Deliver Free Audio & Video Students and teachers from all over the world are learning from audio and video programs on desktop computers, laptops, iPods, Pocket PCs, Palm handhelds, and other devices. Hundreds of free educational programs are available online. Here are some examples: Grammar Girls Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, English Idioms and Slang, Storynory: Free Audio Stories for Kids, MathGrad: Everyday Mathematics Explained, and First Amendment Minute. Online educational media are produced not only by broadcast and cable networks, radio professionals, and education experts, but also by ordinary students and teachers. Podcasts by students include Radio WillowWeb, Coulee Kids, and ColeyCast. With a PC or Mac and freely available software, it's fairly simple to create audio or video content, complete with introduction music and sound effects. Putting audio and video on the web is not a new concept. However, in September 2004 a new way of cataloging and downloading audio and video programs emerged. It's called podcasting. A podcast has a news feed (known as RSS) that allows it to be cataloged in various podcasting directories like iTunes and Podcast Pickle. The popular directory, Podcast Alley, has cataloged over 41,000 podcasts and nearly 3 million individual episodes. If you are interested in listening to the podcasts mentioned here, launch iTunes and type the name into the search field. In addition, the news feed allows podcatching programs like iTunes to automatically download new episodes. Once you have found the podcast you want to subscribe to, simply click its Subscribe button. There's no need manually check a website to see if there's new content; iTunes does it for you. The episode will be downloaded and waiting for you to play. Play the episodes in iTunes on your Mac or PC. To listen or watch on a mobile device, connect a handheld to your computer and copy the file to the device. To listen on a CD, place the podcast in a playlist in iTunes and click the Burn Disc button. There are certainly plenty of options for listening to podcasts! There are three kinds of podcasts. Audio podcasts are usually an MP3 file and are the most common types of podcasts. Enhanced podcasts can have images to go along with the audio. They can also have chapter markers, making it easier to skip to different portions of an episode. Enhanced podcasts are an AAC file and are not supported by all devices. Video podcasts are movies, complete with sound. Video podcasts can be in a variety of formats, but MPEG-4 is the most popular. In most classrooms the teacher will find podcast episodes for students to listen to or watch. Sets of laptops, iPods, Palm handhelds, Pocket PCs, or other devices can be loaded with podcast episodes so students can use them at their desks, on field trips, in the library, or at home. Teachers may want to make their own podcast to communicate with students, parents, and the community. Creating podcasts has many educational benefits for students. Students are able to create a product to share with a potentially world-wide audience. Their podcast can be listed in iTunes, right along with podcasts from The Discovery Channel, Disney, and NPR. Knowing that there is a real-world audience gives students purpose and motivation to create a spectacular product. The process of putting together an audio recording is extremely valuable and is certainly a cross-curricular experience. There are so many ways to listen to and create a podcast. In this booklet, I will focus on using free and cross-platform tools. That means that Windows and Mac users alike can do everything I mention. It’s nice that software like iTunes, Audacity, and Levelator are all free--making it easy to get started. There are two things you may want to purchase. One is a headset microphone. I recommend USB, and USB is a must for Mac users. Second, you might consider paying for a service that hosts your podcast. While there are free services, pay ones typically cost $5 per month. Podcasting is inexpensive, and students love it. Download Tony Vincent's booklet to learn how. Download iTunes for Mac or Windows Podcast Examples |
|
Page Updated 3/5/09
