Wednesday, July 5

Podcasting and Podcatching for the Absolute Beginner

Presenters
Ted Lai – Apple Distinguished Educator
David Warlick
Tim Wilson
Larry Anderson - Director/Founder - National Center for Technology Planning
Lucy Gray – Apple Distinguished Educator

Although I'm not an "absolute beginner" in the world of podcasting, I really wanted to attend this session for 2 reasons.

1. I know there are still bits and pieces of helpful information about podcasting that I don't know and sessions like this help to fill in those gaps and help to expand my knowledge and make it more global.

2. Many teachers in my district are becoming interested in podcasting with their students. Several have already dabbled in it a bit and more are asking me about it every day. As an instructional technology specialist its my job to teach and support these teachers and students, to help get them started, and to help troubleshoot and keep things moving along. I was hoping this session would help me organize how to present podcasting to "absolute beginners."

I won on both counts. This was an excellent session that did just what I was hoping it would do for me. In fact, it was even worth sitting on the floor for it, which I had to do and don't do very well.

Additionally, David Warlick set up a wiki page for the session information, outline and handouts and invited us all to participate in the wiki by posting our notes there.

Podcasting and Podcatching for the Absolute Beginner Wiki

Notes pages of the participants

Here are my notes in outline form as to what was covered. This will help serve as a way for me to organize training and support in my district.

What is it?

  • Audio that you can subscribe to
  • Time shifted (narrowcasting)
  • Can be downloaded to a player but doesn’t have to be
  • 20 minutes is a good length (average commuting time)
  • not platform specific
  • democratization


History

  • Began in 2004
  • Adam Curry and Dave Winer
  • “podcasting” term coined in 2004
  • about 60,000 podcasts in iTunes directory today


Vocabulary

  • XML
  • Aggregator
  • Syndication


How the simple technology works

  • David demonstrated the back end of his blog, or at least tried to 2 Cents Worth
  • “Entirely unimpressive” click, write, submit - It's that simple
  • only difference between blog and podcast is one is text and other is audio file
  • drag XML chicklet to iTunes to subscribe


Podcatching – software


Lucy demonstrated using iTunes to find and download podcasts

  • still need to have access to a server to host your files


Ideas for using podcasting in education

  • Next stage of publishing
  • Gather content to enhance learning
  • Provide school and classroom updates
  • Find or produce “Sightseeing” tours
  • Dramatize or re-enact key moments in history, science, literature, etc.
  • Communication tool between home and school
  • Produce radio shows with Reader’s theater
  • Design professional development


Examples shared

Equipment

  • Something to record with
    • Apple iPod with Griffin iTalk
    • iRiver
    • Olympus digital recorders ($90) has built in USB cords
    • M Audio Micro Trak – records on Compact Flash card ($300)
  • Microphones
    • Can find lots on eBay
    • Podcast Rigs .com (link in wiki to this)
    • Q 1 U by Samson ($49 with a tripod)
  • Mixer

Software (for creating)

  • Garageband - really the simplest and Larry rates as the best
    • says if you are a PC district it's still better to get 1 Mac to use for podcasting
    • gave quick demo
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