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About Podcasting

Podcasting was born in late 2004 and refers to a digital file that is a recording of either audio and/or video, and which can be accessed on demand by users.  The term "podcast" seems to have come from combining the word "broadcast" with name of the Apple iPod, which is one of the most popular tools used for listening to these files, and it seems that the name has simply stuck to the format.  Podcasts have become increasingly popular as the software and tools needed to create them have become more inexpensive and available to the average computer user.  Today, you can find podcasts on just about any subject imaginable, from individuals who create podcasts in blog format to Apple's iTunes University, which is a collection of lectures from a variety of leading U.S. universities and colleges.

Podcasts can easily be created by the author by using a microphone to record audio, or a video camera to record video.  They can be played using various free online tools, such as iTunes or Windows Media Player, or via small handheld devices (not free) like the iPod or MP3 players.  Podcasts can be created in blog or series form and subscribed to via RSS feed, for example you can subscribe to a weekly or daily radio program on NPR and have it automatically downloaded to either your online tool or your handheld tool.  Or, podcasts can be created for one-time specific uses, such as an instructor recording their lecture for students to review at a later date.

The attraction of podcasts are their on-demand quality.  The user can subscribe to a regular podcast, or simply download a podcast for one time use, and then listen to or view the file at their leisure.  Tools like iTunes allow you to choose from a variety of podcasts for subscription and download, and a variety of websites, such as news stations or services, also offer subscription services.  When you subscribe to a download, your online tool is automatically updated the next time you open it.  For example: you open iTunes and the podcasts you have subscribed to automatically begin downloading the latest files.  You can then listen to these files via iTunes, or you can download those files to you iPod and listen to them later that day, week, month, etc. 

Because of the relative inexpense and low learning curve for use and creation, podcasts can be an enriching addition to the educational environment.  Used by the instructor, they provide students with an additional way of accessing information, which can be done on their own schedule.  Used by the students themselves, podcasts can be a way of enhancing creativity within the subject being studied, and allowing students a new way to connect the materials being taught with their own personal life experiences. 

A good, free podcast authoring tool is Audacity  which is compatible with Windows, Linux, or Mac platforms. However, Audacity does not automatically generate files in MP3 format (the most desirable format because of the smaller size), but you can also download an MP3 convertor called  LAME encoder, which is also free.  Other than that you will only need a small computer microphone (around $15 to $20) to get started.

So what are some examples of podcasting?  Here are a few:

Educational Podcasting: 

EPN: The Education Podcast Network -http://epnweb.org/ - Provided by David Warlick and The Landmark Project

Brandon's Online Magazine - http://mrmayo.typepad.com/magazine/  - a collection of weblogs and podcasts written by Mr. Mayo's students at Brandon Middle School in Virginia Beach, VA.

Radio Willow Web - http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/index.html - internet radio programs by students at Willowdale Elementary in Omaha, NE.

Lincoln Southwest High School - http://lsw.lps.org/dhersh/podcast.html  -podcast updates on what is going on at Lincoln Southwest High School in Lincoln, NE.

UTO Podcast Blog - http://podcasts.asuutoblog.net/ - University Technology Office, Arizona State University, meeting podcasts.

Podcast for Teachers - http://www.podcastforteachers.org/ -  Fordham University provides lively conversations about technology and education. Ed tech expert,Mark Gura and Fordham professor Dr. Kathy King, bring the latest resources, news, interviews and commentary on technology innovations’ meaning for teachers, students, schools, teacher education, teaching and learning.

iTunes U - http://www.apple.com/education/itunesu_mobilelearning/itunesu.html  - podcast lectures from a number of colleges and universities such as Yale, Stanford, and MIT.  (You must have iTunes to view the selections for iTunes U.)

Educational Blogs on Podcasting: 

Podcast.com - http://blog.podcast.com/ - news about podcasting and updates from Podcast.com

Podcasts for Educators Weblog - http://recap.ltd.uk/podcasting/weblog/blog.html - News and updates from the popular educational podcast directory used by many of the world's educators, schools and colleges.

Jeffrey Daniel Frey's Blog - http://jdfrey.wordpress.com/ - A Focus on Podcasting Technology Questions.

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