To complete Thing 19 you must:
A. Learn what podcasting is
B. Listen to a variety of podcasts
C. Reflect on Thing 19 on your blog
A. Learn What Podcasting Is
Podcasting is the ability to create or listen to audio or video content either live or downloaded for later use. A podcast is similar to a radio show in that each show consists of a series of individual episodes. With podcasts you can listen or watch on your computer or on a digital audio player like an iPod.What distinguishes an audio podcast from a traditional radio show is that you can listen to a podcast whenever and wherever you want to. To clarify a common misconception - please know that creating a digital audio file and posting it on a website is not exactly podcasting. Podcasting also involves using another technology called RSS which allows others to subcribe to a podcast series so when a new episode is posted, it automatically downloads to your computer. (RSS is explained further in the 2nd video below.) The word podcast comes from a combination of the words iPod and broadcast, but you don’t need an iPod to listen to podcasts.
Besides "audio only" podcasts, which are usually mp3 files, there are also enhanced podcasts which include visuals along with the audio – something like a slide show. And there are video podcasts – sometimes called vodcasts or v-casts.As popular as podcasting has become, you may be surprised that the first podcast was produced in 2004. In 2005, “podcast” was the New Oxford American Dictionary’s word of the year (incidentally, beating out sudoku, bird flu, and trans fat). Today millions of people subscribe to podcasts, and more than 100,000 people are now creating podcasts. Interested in a particular topic? You'll probably find that someone has created a podcast related to the topic.Watch this Common Craft video which does a great job of explaining podcasting.
If you can't see the video, click here to watch it on the Common Craft website.
B. Listen to a Variety of Podcasts
The best way to learn about podcasts is to listen to a sampling of those available. You'll find professional development podcasts for educators, podcasts created by teachers to support classroom instruction, and podcasts created by students.Watch these two episodes of Wayne RESA's Tech to Go series for a guided tour of educational podcasts.
Note: These are larger files and you may experience bandwidth problems streaming them. At the lower right corner of the page are several "Viewing Options." If you cannot view them in the default Quick Time format, try the Flash Option, or one of the Save for Viewing options to play the podcast in either iTunes or in Quck Time directly from the file saved on your computer.
Great Educational Podcasts - Part 1 (14 min.)
Great Eduational Podcasts - Part 2 (13 min.)
Then to listen to other podcasts, go to Podcasting in Education and start exploring.
C. Reflect - Blog Prompts for Thing 19
Which podcasts did you find interesting? Identify one or two podcasts and describe how you would use them in your work. (Be sure to include links in your blog entry to the podcasts mentioned.)
