podcasts


 * Podcasts (Stephenie) **



 __**What is it (Definition)?**__
For many educators and students the term, "podcast" simply refers to an audio and/or video file that is published on the web.

"A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication."  [|en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast]

"An audio broadcast that has been converted to MP3 or other audio file format for playback in a digital music player. Although many podcasts are played in a computer, the original concept targeted portable devices; hence, the "pod" name from "iPod." [|http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=podcast&i=49433,00.asp]

"An audio file similar to a radio broadcast, which can be downloaded and listened to on a computer, mp3 player, mobile phone, etc." []

To differentiate the term "podcasting" from other media files that are published and/or streamed on the web, Academics at the Community, Journalism & Communication Research group at the [|University of Texas at Austin] in the USA are proposing a four-part definition of a podcast: A podcast is a digital audio or video file that is episodic; downloadable; program-driven, mainly with a host and/or theme; and convenient, usually via an automated feed with computer software. []

 __**Attributes/Features**__

 * allows users to create a podcast for others to listen to
 * public web space
 * free podcast pages
 * can be embedded into a presentation
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">easy to take podcasts and incorporate the audio recording into a vodcast using software such as Windows Movie Maker or iMovie

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 28px;">__**Advantages**__

 * ===**<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">communicative tool **===
 * ===**<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">podcasts can be created on PC or Mac computers (See __Podcasting Software__ above) **===
 * **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">audio podcasts are easy to create; are less intrusive than video (with the older set!) **
 * **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">in compressed formats (mp3, m4a) audio files are generally small and easy to upload to/download from the web **
 * **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">a permanent record of learning **
 * **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">enables students to use more than one modality to learn. **
 * **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">serves as a learning aid for students with language deficits **
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**lots of free podcast software available such as Audacity for PC's**

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __**Disadvantages**__

 * ===**<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">requires Garage Band and iTunes software (Mac computers) - see advantages (above), podcasting software and podcatchers (below). Although the windows audio tools are not as pretty as the standard Apple tools, they work just as well. **===
 * ===**<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">not all podcast players are 508-compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act), unless they do on-screen transcription. Thanks for the reminder! For audio podcasts, a text transcription should be made available. **===
 * **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">not all students are "auditory learners" **

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A note about transcription - [|MovieCaptioner] is a closed-caption transcription tool available for the MAC (developed by a PSU designer, a Windows version is in the works). It is a relatively easy tool - the best feature is its integration with Dragon Dictate (or whatever the new name is!). If you have the script in paragraph format, YouTube does a decent job of adding the closed captions, although this may not be an option to the k-12 crowd. One other method is using QuickTimePro. Check out this [|podcast] that explains how.

<span style="color: #17ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __**Applications to the Classroom**__
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Podcasts can be used in the classroom in the following ways:
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">review of material
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">reading fluency
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">pronunciation of words (English or foreign)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">classroom or schoolwide news reports

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Podcasts can be used outside of the classroom to build individual knowledge while doing almost any other activity. They provide a true means of "24/7 learning" for the adult learner.

<span style="color: #ff6b00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __**Individual Knowledge**__
===<span style="color: #ff6b00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Once students begin speaking about their learning, it allows the student to internalize the learning. They are then able to play it back to hear and review their learning. ===

===<span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students can share their podcast with others and this will provide the group with knowledge. The podcast could be set up where people can comment on the podcast to add their thoughts as well. ===

<span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __What is required to create a podcast ?__ (Audio is addressed below, however podcasts can be audio only, video, animation and screencasts)

<span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**1. Equipment to record** <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**2. Audio Recording/Editing Applications (download or use on the web)** <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**3. Web server/hosting service for audio/video files** <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**4. Location to publish the file on the web to let others listen to what you/your students have to say**
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">computer with built-in microphone
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">computer with microphone accessory (audio recorded with an externally-attached microphone generally has better quality)
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">iPod (audio recording accessories are available for the older-model iPods)
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">digital audio recorder
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">cell phone
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Quicktime Pro (Apple application for Mac or PC ~$50) offers an easy one-button recording feature.
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">simple consumer point-and-shoot camera or camcorder (for audio-only file, export the audio separately with a video editing program - with one story-corps type interview assignment, students used flip cameras to record; but only the audio portion was published.
 * ===<span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 80%;">Garageband (Apple Computers; software is standard with operating system ===
 * ===<span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 80%;">Audacity (free application that downloads to PC or Apple computer). Download [|here]. Learn how to use the program [|here] and [|here] ===
 * ===<span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 80%;">[|Aviary] is a free Web application for recording and downloading audio. A quick tutorial (with terrible voice!) directed specifically to an instructor's need for an interim audio recording solution, demonstrates how easy the program is to use - [|screencast] tutorial. ===
 * ===<span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 80%;">[|List] of many other software options for all types of podcasts. ===
 * ===<span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 80%;">Podcasting software for the PC that is specifically designed for the elementary student: [|ToolFactory] (For the PA folks: During Pete&C conference workshop, each attendee received a free copy of the software. Tool Factory has presented during the past three years.) ===
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> [|Podbean] is a free podcast hosting service. After you create a podcast, you have to upload it on the web somewhere so that you can get a web link or embed link to it. This site is where you would put it!
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Podomatic] is another hosting service.
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Content Management Systems (CMS) generally provide a limited amount of server space for course content. Audio files, in compressed formats, are generally small enough to use without exceeding file size limits.
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Audio files can easily be embedded in web pages and blogs as a simple publication for viewing/listening on the web. If you have access to server space at school for storing the audio/video file (PSU PASS space, or other), simply link the file in the blog, wiki or html page.
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Simple web publication, however, does not not necessarily make the audio file a syndicated podcast, whereby a listener will be able to automatically download it to their computer/mobile device (as is the case with iTunes files).
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Most podcasting hosting services (iTunes, PodBean, Podomatic, etc.) will also provide syndication as well as some way to listen to the file. Web services host, publish and broadcast files directly from the site, or provide a client (app for mobile devices) to download files to a local computer.

<span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 20px;">__What is required to access a syndicated podcast ?__ <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**1. Podcatcher client (or mobile app)** <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**2. Podcatching web service**
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A podcatcher is a software application that uses a web feed (RSS) to retrieve the audio/video files. It automatically downloads the file directly to your compute (or mobile device), and often provides a player to view/listen to it.
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">iTunes is the most popular podcatcher
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Juice] is an open source podcatcher.
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Wikipedia offers a [|list] of available clients by operating system.
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Want to compare the features of the various podcatchers? Use this [|matrix]
 * <span style="color: #046969; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Web services, such as Podomatic, will enable users to subscribe or watch for favorite podcasts. The files play directly in the service's website platform

<span style="color: #00ffff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __**Links to Examples**__
<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What is a podcast? media type="file" key="edtec448.m4a" width="300" height="50"

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Podcast 101 <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[] <span style="color: #00ffff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">podomatic.com <span style="color: #00ffff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|http://www.podbean.com/podcasts]<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">-- this is a HUGE library of free online podcasts about any subject imaginable! <span style="color: #00ffff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[] -- this is a free podcast of the weekly "This American Life" radio show, which is one of my favorites and is the most popular podcast in the count <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Bozeman Biology is an excellent example of the use of podcasting to aid student understanding of biology concepts. While these videos are created with a MAC, the same can be created with Windows or web application equivalents. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Here is an example of a podcast created for Pre-Kindergarten students. media type="custom" key="9955233" width="130" height="130" align="left"

<span style="color: #ef3cbb; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 28px;">__References__

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Excellent book on podcasting in the classroom: Fontichiaro, Kristin (2008). Podcasting at School. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast] <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[] <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[]