Week7

=Eight Weeks to Web 2.0 ** - Week 7 **=

Listen to Some Podcasts; Create Your Own
Unlike the blogging component, you will listen to some podcasts and create one in one week. Think of podcasting as the natural followup to blogging. Instead of the written word, you will be recording your voice and thoughts into a shareable file.

 Another element of being your own publisher and creating content to share over the internet ... Podcasting. Here, we're not using the written word, but rather than the spoken word to comment, express opinions, comment, narrate, relate, retell , ... in fact when you podcast, you are your own internet radio host. Like traditional radio, you broadcast or post to the world and you really don't know who you audience ultimately will be. Unlike traditional radio, your internet radio show made be downloaded and played back on computer or a portable music device like an iPod for listening at a later time and also over and over.

There are thousands of podcasts available if you know where to look. Traditional media uses it as another outlet for their message. Schools use it in Communication Technology courses but the concept isn't limited there. An individual radio show may be a media file stored in MP3 or other audio format. When you produce your show on a regular basis, you create episodes and you'll let your listeners know of updates via an RSS feed. Your listeners "subscribe" to your RSS feed and download updated episodes as you make them available.

 [|How to become a disk jockey] the old fashioned way! Or, check it out using [|Career Cruising]. Your teacher will have your school's login/password.

** Media Formats **
 As with word processing or spreadsheet documents, there are file formats that promote the universality of access. In order for your podcast to be enjoyed by others, you must save your episodes in a format that others can use. The common format is [|MP3]. This is a compressed audio format that balances a small size with high quality audio.

** RSS **
 RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary" or probably other things. Bottom line, it is a file that captures the critical details about your podcast so that your visitors know where they may access your episodes. Your visitors can use a separate utility like [|iTunes] to keep track, they may use a utility like [|Google's Reader], or modern web browsers like [|Internet Explorer] or [|Firefox] have this functionality built into them. RSS can be a little intimidating at first, but makes a great deal of sense to your RSS reader. Depending upon where you post your podcast, you may not even need to know the technical details.

What you see...   What your reader sees (and understands!) ...

** Some sample podcasts (The listening part of this week) **

 * [|Grade 3 EQAO Thoughts]
 * [|Early Years ECO Schools Podcast]
 * [|On Meeting Arn McCallum]
 * [|Portable Radio.CA]
 * [|Grade 9 Core French Podcast]
 * [|Quirks and Quarks]
 * [|http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/nov06/mm.htm
 * [|The Podcast Network]
 * [|David Warlick's Educational Podcast Directory]
 * [|Le Podcast de la Cabane au Canada]
 * [|http://www.podcastdirectory.org/

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)">Planning
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Before you go near a computer, you need to consider the following <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> The Writing Process is key <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)">Step Two
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">What type of podcast am I producing?
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">How long will my broadcast be?
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">How can my message be effectively delivered?
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Prewriting
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Writing
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Revising
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Editing
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> Publishing - this time as a podcast - note this is LAST!

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)"> **Recording**

 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **If you are podcasting directly into FirstClass no software is necessary. FirstClass has its own simple recorder built right into it.**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **[|http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/Dec07/fc.htm </span]****>**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **If you don't use the FirstClass recorder, you will need a software package to record your podcast. There a number of really good product like Garageband to do this. An excellent free and open source software package for the purpose is Audacity. Audacity is available for Macintosh, Linux, and Windows. You can download Audacity from:** **http://audacity.sourceforge.net/.** **Audacity should be installed on computers on our networks.** **Make sure that you also download the** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">**[|LAME MP3]** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **encoder.**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **There are some limitations with FirstClass that make learning how to use Audacity an attractive option.**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **[|http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/tutorials </span]****>**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **[|http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/Mar07/mm.htm </span]****>**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **[|http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/apr07/mm.htm </span]****>**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **Locate the internal microphone on your computer or connect and test your external microphone. If you are going to do this quite often, purchasing a USB microphone is an excellent idea.**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **Make sure that there are no background noises to interrupt your production. Bells, buzzers, announcements, students, ... This may well be the most challenging issue. Perhaps the instructions should read "minimize background noises"!**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **Position your script in an easy position to read. i.e. not between your mouth and the microphone.**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **Want to be high tech? Play your material through this [|online teleprompter].**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **The easiest way to create a podcast is in a single recording. However, Audacity will allow you to record multiple segments and merge them together to produce a final product.**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **For professional results, consider musical introductions and segues. Respect copyright limitations of artists and their distributors. Read the acceptable use restrictions at various sites. For example, the resources at Free Play Music may NOT be used in a podcast. Sources you may consider include: http://ccmixter.org/, [|http://music.podshow.com/ </span]> or [|Wikimedia Commons].**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **Practice makes perfect. Retakes are easily done. Even consider a blooper reel!**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> **Make sure that you know the name of your Podcast file. You'll need to know it when creating your RSS feed.**

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)"> Creating the RSS Feed
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> You now have to find some way for your listeners to find and to subscribe to your Podcast. With an appropriate browser or reader, you will want to broadcast information about your episodes.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> If you are using FirstClass, it's easy. FirstClass creates the RSS feed for you automatically. Any visitor to your website will see the notification of an RSS feed right in the browser. Or, if you are using an RSS reader, the feed needs to be entered.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> If you are not using and posting through FirstClass, you'll need to create your own RSS feed. Fortunately, there are a number of wizards available to take care of the technical details. Here's one. Fill in the blanks and let the wizard create the feed for you.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> [|PodCast RSS Feed Generator]
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> If you expect to broadcast your Podcast through iTunes, there are additional tags that are needed. Apple's specifications are found here.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> [|http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html </span]>

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)"> Posting your Podcast and your Feed
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> So, you've created the podcast and your feed. What's next? Getting it onto the web.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> Again, if you're using FirstClass, you are done. The content is already stored on the server and the RSS feed is already created. Just advertise your feed!
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> You might consider posting your podcast to an online service. Check out: [|http://www.gcast.com]
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> Doing it yourself. Not a terribly difficult task. Determine just where on your website you will be uploading the podcast. You'll need to know that.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> Decide what page will host the information about your podcast. Usually it will be your index page or you may have a special Podcast page. On that page, you'll have to add the following line. It will let incoming browsers know 1) that there's an RSS feed, and 2) where the podcast is stored. The line will be between and and is only entered the first time you create the file. From this point on, you just modify the RSS feed.

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> Examples <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">< link rel = "alternate" type = "application/rss+xml" title = "GEC Computers in the Classroom Podcasts Feed" href = "http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/GEC_Podcasts.xml">
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> < link rel = "alternate" type = "application/rss+xml" title = "Name of your feed" href = "[|http://<address] to your RSS file." >

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)">** Step Five **
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> Finally, proudly let everyone (including me) know of your Podcast. There's no sense creating the next great radio show and not having an audience.

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">**Guy Kawasaki**'s [|Big List]
 * http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/channelFeeds.html - technology-focused media channel of The Conversations Network
 * http://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab - best podcast(.)
 * http://thedistrictofcorruption.com/feed/ (@technosailor and @geoffliving)
 * http://talk.talis.com/ - Best semantic web podcast series
 * http://feeds.feedburner.com/startupstoryradio - Startup Story Radio with Rob McNealy (Audio Podcast Feed)
 * http://feeds.feedburner.com/startupstoryradio/iNuE - Startup Story Radio with Rob McNealy (Blog Feed)
 * http://www.podcastalley.com/
 * http://feed.podchicks.net/ - Three sisters in Arizona chatting about animal welfare, politics, eco-friendly living and mind/body health
 * http://feeds.feedburner.com/techtalkforfamiliesmp3 - Technology, toy, and video game news for families (Enhanced feed also available)
 * http://feeds.feedburner.com/HassberryTheatreCompany - Short Radio Drama from Hassberry Theatre Company
 * http://www.localna8ion.com/category/video/ - Great Video Podcast dedicated solely to local online marketing from LOCAL Na8ion
 * http://thepodcastnetwork.com/ - The goal of TPN is to bring together talented and committed podcasters from around the world to produce high quality programming for a global audience.
 * http://junkmailgalaxy.tv/ - Junk Mail Galaxy is a video podcast specifically about the direct marketing industry offering up to date news, tech tips, expert analysis and commentary.
 * http://feeds.feedburner.com/typepad/sethsmainblog
 * http://www.43folders.com/rss.xml
 * [|http://www.businesscast.podshow.com]/">http://www.businesscast.podshow.com/ - Business tips, tricks and strategy, presented concisely and to the point. Business Smarts To Go!
 * http://www.mynameisbill.com/ - Great video podcast on RTW travel and a theater company
 * http://www.cnet.com/i/pod/cnet_buzz.xml - Buzz Out Loud, One of the best tech Podcasts.
 * http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/kermode/rss.xml - Mark Kermode’s Film Reviews – BBC’s Five Live Resident Film Reviewer
 * http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/podcastRSS?feedPublishKey=3421 – The Official Lost Podcast from ABC.com – One of the best TV show Podcasts
 * [[[|http://feeds.feedburner.com/voxtalk+|http://feeds.feedburner.com/voxtalk] ]]- VOX Talk is your connection to the voice industry covering news about voice-overs and voice actors, hot tips on how to grow your voice-over business, technology, and Q&A with the experts at Voices.com.
 * http://feeds.feedburner.com/voiceoverexperts - Voice Over Experts features lectures from the best and brightest in the voice over industry. Tips for your voice, advice on marketing, and opinions on the industry today.
 * [|http://www.japanesepod101.com/] - Excellent instructional Podcast that provides conversational Japanese lessons AND lesson plans in PDF.
 * http://www.coverville.com/ - Great podcast of song covers. While not every cover you hear is a winner there are some gems in every show. (+1
 * http://www.podcastingnews.com/feed/ - A great place to stay current about podcasting.
 * http://www.qdnow.com/grammar.xml -- Weekly grammar tips from the long-running, short-format Grammar Girl podcast.
 * [|http://www.pluggd.tv]
 * http://www.manager-tools.com/podcasts/feed/rss2 - Manager Tools provides great information for anyone leading a team or managing other people. Real, action based, solutions to business and process problems.
 * [|http://www.brandfasttrackers.com/]- marketing podcast
 * [|http://citizengarden.com/] - Chris Messina's podcast on social software design
 * http://mentalnomad.libsyn.com/rss - An eclectic music podcast that focuses on podsafe music from a variety of genres, as well as minimal but witty commentary from the host.

Download a booklet from Learning in Hand "[|Podcasting for Teachers and Students]"

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)">Check in
To date, this was the most technically taxing activity that you have done during these eight weeks. How did you make out<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">? How would you use this with your classes<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">? How could student projects be created using podcasts<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">?