The Cost of Podcasting

I get many emails that ask about grants for podcasting. My response comes in two parts. First, there aren't many grants specifically for podcasting. If you need funding, consider applying for a more general grant and use podcasting to meet the goals of the grant.

Secondly, podcasting doesn't involve much expense. You really just need a computer. Macs come with GarageBand and Windows users can download the free Audacity software. You can use a computer's built-in microphone, but I suggest purchasing a $25 USB headset (Logitech makes good ones). You'll also need a way to generate an RSS feed and a web server to host the podcast.

A school district may already have a web server. If the server doesn't have podcasting support, both Mac and Windows users can use FeedForAll. It's $40 software where you fill in the blanks and it creates and updates your RSS feed. Or, Mac users can use iWeb that comes free on all new Macs. If you have a server for the episode files but need the RSS feed, you can use a combination of Blogger.com and Feedburner.com. This method is absolutely free and you can read how to do it here.

If you don't already have access to a server and/or you want to make publishing a breeze, I suggest using a service like Slapcast, LibSyn, or AvMyPodcast. These services charge $5 per month. There are limitations for monthly uploads but they offer an unlimited number of downloads. You should note that once you stop paying the monthly fee your podcast will no longer be available online.

If you encourage students to listen to podcasts on classroom computers or in the lab, you're going to want earphones. If you don't already have them, you can buy 97¢ ear buds at Walmart or you can spend several dollars for nicer headphones.

Those are the basic needs for podcasting. Of course, there are other ways to spend money. While you don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast, it's really nice to have iPods available for students. They can listen to their own podcasts and to those of other students, companies, and organizations. Also, iPods can be used as a portable hard drive, making them useful for transferring audio projects and for backing up files. You may also want to purchase a powered USB hub so you can charge and sync multiple iPods at a time.

While I prefer recording directly into GarageBand or Audacity for on-the-fly editing, there are times when you might want a mobile recorder. You can attach a $50 iTalk Pro to the larger iPods with video. You can also buy digital recorders, like those from Olympus, just be sure you can get the sound file from the recorder into the computer.

If you plan to record more than one student at once, you'll want a mixing board. Mixers combine the audio from multiple sources and allow you to perform certain audio effects. The Alesis MultiMix 8USB works with Mac and Windows computers and it can be yours (or your school's) for about $150. Not wanting to spend that much? You can find mixers at Radio Shack starting at $40. Don't forget the extra microphones to go with the mixer.

Some other things you may wish to purchase include binders and clipboards to keep track of the paperwork and preproduction notes. And while we're on the subject of spending money, it's wise to provide professional development to teachers. There are techniques, strategies, and tips that experienced podcasters like me can share to make podcasting easier, maximize student learning, and produce a high quality product.

If you are itching to apply for a grant specific for podcasting, check out the Olympus/Tool Factory Podcasting Grant. Your school can can win $3,000 worth of hardware and software:

• A site license of Tool Factory Podcasting software (Windows only)
• Three Olympus Digital Voice Recorders
• Three headsets and mics
• A site license of Clip Art Station
• A site license of Worksheet Station
• A site license of Web Page Station
• Tool Factory's Simple Guide to Podcasting (book and CD combo)

Tool Factory's Podcasting software is a complete solution for recording, editing, and publishing podcasts. In fact, there's a screencast you can view to get a feel for the software and you can download a demo. Olympus says the most unique podcasting lesson plans, incorporating student involvement, creativity, and all of the awarded hardware and software will win. There are three deadlines: 6/30/07, 12/30/07, and 4/30/08. You must resubmit after every deadline to reapply. Here is more information and a flyer.

Even if you don't apply for the Olympus/Tool Factory Grant, you can download Tool Factory's free worksheets to help with podcasting:. The worksheets include Topic Flow Chart, Episode Timeline, Sound Effects, Listener Motives, and more.

What have you purchased for podcasting? Please let us know by leaving a comment!

More and More Podcasts

I've posted a new special episode of Soft Reset: Pod People #5. Like Pod People #1, #2, #3, and #4, Pod People #5 is filled with segments by educators who participated in one of my podcasting workshops. Because time was short, the segments were hastily recorded but they contain some great information. The first half of Pod People #5 has five segments, each reviewing a different podcast. The second half is filled with tips that participants learned about listening to and creating podcasts.

Looking for new educational podcasts? Scholastic Instructor Magazine listed ten of their favorite podcasts in their March/April 2007 edition. The list includes Wild Animal Chronicles, Children's Fun Storytime, Poem of the Day, and The Science Show for Kids. I'm proud to say that second on the list is Radio WillowWeb, the podcast for kids and by kids that I developed for Willowdale Elementary School.

Another resource for educational podcasts is Karen Fasimpaur's new show, Karen's Educational Mashups. She describes it on her blog:

This podcast is a compilation of excerpts from podcasts and other free audio and video content of interest to educators. Shows will air twice a month, and each show will focus on a different topic. Some will be focused on content for students, while others will feature professional development content for administrators and teachers. Our first show is on history-related content. The second show will be aimed at library media specialists (and everyone who loves books).

With over 1,000 educational podcasts listed in iTunes, Karen's podcast is a great way to learn about podcasts. Another way to learn about more podcasts and podcasting is fellow Nebraskan Dan Schmit's KidCast: Podcasting in the Classroom podcast. Currently Dan's podcast is sponsoring the 2007 KidCast Podcasting Awards. The contest is divided into categories that focus on specific types of educational podcasting. The deadline is April 30th and results will be announced May 15th. To enter, fill out the form on this page.

Remember, you don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts. You can listen right in your browser, iTunes, or other portable player. The video, Uncle Seth - You Don't Need an iPod, (posted on YouTube in September 2006) makes that point very clear with a catchy song.

Say Aloha to Our City Podcast

I've posted the newest episode of Our City Podcast! Sheltered Bay is by third graders at St. Andrew's Priory School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Students from the all-girls school did an outstanding job. I've already listened to the episode twice and I know I will give it a listen again soon. Why? It it one of the best I've heard! It is extremely informative while also entertaining. The girls' voices sound loud and clear. The music and sound effects compliment what's being presented. At 12 minutes, it ends before my attention begins to wander. Bravo, I say!

With 19 Our City Podcast episodes currently online, we're building quite a library of audio by kids from cities all over. I encourage elementary and middle school teachers to use Our City Podcast in their classrooms. I've got ideas for using Our City Podcast in the classroom:

• Groups of students listen and discuss different episodes. Have the groups report back to the class what they learned.
• Set up a listening center with a different episode each week. The center could be a computer, iPod, handheld, MP3 player, or a CD player (burn the podcast to CD using iTunes).
• Play an episode for the class while they work on an art project.
• Write feedback about the episode and email it (the page for each podcast lists an email address for the teacher).
• Listen to two episodes and compare and contrast the cities in those episodes.
• Listen to decide which city you would want to visit. Tell why.
• Which city would make a good home for you? Tell why.
• Which podcaster do you think would make a good friend for you. Tell why.
• Compare the information given in the podcast with the city's Wikipedia entry.
• Find landmarks mentioned in an episode in Google Maps or Google Earth.
• What information or segment would you add to one of the episodes?
• Produce your own Our City Podcast episode. Resources are available.
• Offer some of above as extra credit opportunities.

If you aren't an Our City Podcast subscriber, click here to subscribe with iTunes. Episodes from cities around the globe will be automatically delivered to your computer as they become available.

Linking to iTunes

There are times when you might want to link to an item in the iTunes Store. Maybe you want to bookmark, email, or post a hyperlink to an item. That item might be a song, podcast, video, or category. Just about everything in the iTunes Store has its own web address. Entering that address into a web browser opens iTunes and automatically navigates to the linked item. For example, clicking this link takes you to the Our City podcast in iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=104141824

How do I know the web address for the podcast in the iTunes Store? Simple. Most everything in the iTunes Store (including podcasts) is right-clickable (or control-clickable for Mac users). When right-clicked, a context menu appears. Select Copy iTunes Store URL to copy the web address. Here are some examples:

Right-click the Education category from the Podcasts section to get the link for this page.	Right-click the podcast cover art to get the link for the podcast's details page.	Right-click the podcast episode title to get a link to the podcast's details page that will have that particular episode selected.

Paste the copied web address into a hyperlink for the item. Users are redirected to the iTunes download page if iTunes is not installed on their computers.

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You have probably seen links to podcasts that look like this:

An easy way to make this kind of link (with the spiffy iTunes icon) is to use iTunes Link Maker. You are three easy steps away from getting HTML code to include in your blog or podcast web page:

1. Enter the podcast, song, or album to which you wish to link. Click "Search".
2. Click the arrow associated with a specific link on the page.
3. Copy and paste the HTML link into your web page or blog posting.

When iTunes Link Maker supplies you with the HTML code, it also explains:

The url in the text box on this page points directly to a deep link within the iTunes Store. When a user clicks on it, iTunes will open and navigate to the correct page. The iTunes graphic is included with the code and resides on Apple's servers; all you have to do is copy and paste. If iTunes is not present, the link will automatically take the user to an iTunes download page.

Linking to items in iTunes is very handy. Once your web visitors are directed to a podcast in the iTunes Store, they are just one click away from subscribing!

Exemplary Podcasts Listing

I've added a new tool to Learning in Hand. The new Grazr widget appears on some pages. Grazr is a free service for websites that allows visitors to "graze" selected RSS feeds without the hassle of subscribing. This means you can browse and listen to selected podcasts without leaving Learning in Hand. In the event you'd like to subscribe to a podcast you find in Learning in Hand's Educational Podcasts Grazr, you can follow these directions for subscribing with iTunes.

My goal is not to list every educational podcast under the sun. Instead, I want to list exemplary podcasts so those new to podcasting have a place to start listening. Please help me make this list better by suggesting podcasts to list (or suggestions for podcasts to remove from the list). Leave a comment or email me.

Bits & Pieces

It's time again to list many of items that are piling up in my inbox and in my Bloglines feeds. There's a little something for everyone: Palm, Pocket PC, iPod, Mobile Phone, PSP, and podcasting users...

There's a new Google Maps application for Windows Mobile. It's also available for Palm OS. It requires an Internet connection.

Some Australian schools are using the Nova5000 with students. Read about their experiences in the NOVA5000 Australian Trials blog.

Some U.K. schools are using PSP (PlayStation Portables) in classrooms. Read about their experiences in the PSPTeachers blog. They are using the PSP's WiFi connection to deliver RSS feeds to the students. Be sure to check out their cool charging and storage cart. Click on over to this article from Popular Science to learn how to read eBooks and watch videos on a PSP.

Doug Hyde is a library-media specialist at a Wisconsin middle school. His blog, Classroom in Your Pocket, has a useful post about showing video from an iPod on a television or projector.

Karen Fasimpaur wrote about PocketPicture, a great paint program for Windows Mobile. It's free!

The Podcasts for Educators Weblog has a post titled evaluating podcasts. It links to a PDF file for evaluating podcasts for teaching and learning. In the future, the blog will be publishing an evaluation for students and young people to use. Also at the weblog, learn about podcasting through their Online Learning Studio.

Leonard Low posted his Top 10 Freeware Apps for M-Learning on his Mobile Learning blog. His suggestions focus on mobile phones and Windows Mobile devices.

Rolly Maiquez has a couple of blog posts you might want to check out: Useful Palm Handhelds and Language Arts Curriculum Integration Links and Funding Links.

Lynn Lary points to curriculum resources for a interesting lessons using MIT's free participatory simulations for Palm handhelds. Included are materials and handouts for a unit called "Future CSI" and a unit about the Big Fish-Little Fish simulation.

Those of you who are Windows, Palm, and iPod users may be interested in Palm2iPod that sends your contacts and calendar from Palm Desktop to your iPod.

Here are several new freeware applications for the Palm OS:

• SequenceM: Sequencing application for elementary classrooms.
• ClipExtend: Bypass the 1000 character clipboard limit so you can copy and paste larger amounts of text.
• HealthCalc: Calculate BMI, body fat, heart rate zones, and more.
• Pepe Palm Chat: Send text back and forth through infrared.
• Checklist by Paper Trail Software: Create and manipulate checklists.
• Dekses: Puzzle game where you follow the right number order and move the digits to their correct places.
• Target: Game where you make words out of a 3x3 grid of nine letters.
• tejpWriter: Word processor with a surprising number of features. I like that it can export to HTML. The applications is a little buggy, though.
• SimpleChart: Plot up to three columns of data.
• Subscribe to Palm Freeware's RSS feed.
• Dale Ehrhart has produced many free educational applications. Read about them on his Pre-Service Teacher blog.

And here are some freeware applications for Windows Mobile:

• Hubdog: Read news feeds and subscribe to podcasts on your Pocket PC.
• Free PDA Keyboard: Full screen keyboard for easier text entry.
• Pocket Notes: Notebook program with different pen sizes and colors.
• Subscribe to Pocket PC Freeware's RSS feed.

iPod Shuffle

Despite its lack of display screen, Apple's $79 iPod shuffle can be more useful than you might think. I recently grew my iPod collection to include a 1GB shuffle. The iPod shuffle's memory can store more than 12 hours of audio, which means the battery will need to be recharged before I've listened to all of the audio. Since I'm always near a computer for syncing and charging, the 1GB of memory (compared to my 60GB iPod) isn't as limiting as I thought it would be.

To sort an iTunes playlist by date, right-click the Name column header and select Date Added. Then click the newly displayed Date Added header to sort newest-to-oldest. Click again to sort oldest-to-newest.

In classrooms where students are listening to a limited number of podcasts, the shuffle could be useful. Students could check out the shuffle (perhaps for a center activity). They can even clip the shuffle to their clothing so they don't drop the device. Now that the iPod shuffle comes in five different colors, they make handy additions to classrooms; content on the iPods could be color-coded. For example, the orange iPod is loaded with history podcasts while the the green one has episodes about volcanoes.

With a name like shuffle, you might think that the player would only be good for listening to music in a random order. But, the iPod shuffle has a switch to toggle between random order and going in the order synced from iTunes. While you can't navigate playlists on the iPod shuffle, in iTunes you can create a playlist for the shuffle and move the audio around in any order you want before syncing. You can even create a Smart Playlist in iTunes that automatically places certain podcasts on the iPod. Another tip for listening to podcasts on an iPod shuffle is to organize your iTunes playlist by Date Added. That way the newest (or oldest--your pick) episodes are played first.

And a note for podcasters: Without a screen, it's important for audio to be immediately recognizable. It's always nice when podcasts identify themselves within the first 10 seconds so you know which podcast and which episode you're listening to.

Podcasts for Student Listening

Jason Jaffe, 6th grade teacher at Mill Creek Elementary School, writes this question:

Tony, do you have a list of some good educational podcasts that can be used to integrate with elementary students. Sites such as NASA, National Geographic...etc?

With over 30,000 podcasts out there today, it might be hard to find quality podcasts that you can actually use with students. Here are some podcasts that could be put to good use in classrooms:

Grammar Girl -
"Short, friendly tips for better writing. Whether English is your first language, these grammar, punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer."

English Idioms and Slang -
"English idioms and slang lessons and study for those learning English. Learn by listening to these short podcasts."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day -
"Build your vocabulary with Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day! Each day a Merriam-Webster editor offers insight into a fascinating new word; explaining its meaning, current use, and little-known details about its origin."

Space.com Universal Space Podcast -
"Space.com's podcast features deep auditory examinations of topics and phenomena in the universe of space science and technology."

Dr. Carlson's Science Theater -
"Video podcast of cool science demonstrations. Join Dr. Matt Carlson as he risks life, limb, and dignity to bring you the finest science videos on Earth."

Mr. Wizard's Fun Science Facts -
"Mr. Wizard is here to provide you with Ten Minute Lessons on everyday science From physics to chemistry, biology to geology, the team behind Mr. Wizard is here to answer all of your tough questions."

PRI's The World - Geo Quiz -
"The World's Geo Quiz tests your knowledge of world geography and introduces you to the fascinating people and places around the globe."

Earthwatch Radio -
"Earthwatch Radio is produces by the staff and students at the Sea Grant Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The podcast covers a wide range of subjects that concern science and the environment."

History Podcast -
"History Podcast is a show simply devoted to history. Anything and everything related to history will be covered. Topics include historical figures and events."

National Geographic Magazine -
"Explore Earth's deepest trench. Discover Africa on foot. Go inside your DNA. Get the best of 118 years of adventure, meet the cultures and creatures that inhabit our globe in this series of podcasts."

Also check out iTunes' section Kids and Family. It has fun storytelling and comedy podcasts for younger listeners like Storynory and The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd.

The listing above is just a start and doesn't include my favorite kind: podcasts by kids. Periodically I'll post new podcasts that I think would be great for student listening. If you, dear readers, have podcasts you would like to suggest, please leave it in a comment!

Podcasting Notes

Last month Dan Schmit, podcaster, author of KidCast: Podcasting in the Classroom, and fellow Nebraskan, posted his keynote presentation from the iPod and Podcasting Users Conference in Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Texas. Here are my notes from viewing Dan's video podcast:

• According to some market research, there are about 65,000 podcasts and 4.5 million active listeners. By 2010, this number of active listeners is expected to be 56 million.
• Dan sees three ways to use podcasts in education: curricular supplement, professional development, and academic expression.
• Dan teaches preservice teachers. Besides writing a paper, these students must also turn the paper into a podcast discussion of what they learned.
• Dan recommends making students specialists when it comes to classroom podcasts. Some are sound engineers, some are email checkers, and others are publishers.
• Teachers need to design podcasts so that they can be maintained over time. Many classrooms start a podcast but then are unable to keep them going.
• 80% of podcasting is working with content and 20% is spent on production.
• Use rubrics that measure what you value in a podcast. Again, content should be more important than production value in the evaluation.
• Odeo is a podcast directory. It also lets you record and post podcasts right from inside of your web browser.
• Gcast allows you to podcast from your mobile phone.
• Although you can use iMovie and Movie Maker to make videos for video podcasts (sometimes called video blog or vlogs), Dan likes Vlog It! (Windows, $29) and Videocue (Macintosh, $40). These programs include teleprompter and greenscreen features.

Dan shares over 20 innovative strategies and models for educational podcasts:

• Sound Seeing Tour: Take portable recorders on fields trips. The podcasters describes what they are seeing, thinking, and feeling as they move through museums, habitats, historical sites, etc.
• Daily Reporter: Each student takes a turn telling about the school day or special school event.
• Student Almanac: Students pick a day in a given month and create a listing of facts about that date. They could include famous birthdays, historical events, weather observations, etc. Episodes can be recorded ahead of time and then posted on the proper date.
• Process Streams: Record a movie of what's been written on an interactive whiteboard. Examples include diagrams of processes and steps to math problems.
• Study Guides: Students make unit review for tests and quizzes.
• Sound Stories: Acting out student-written stories and dramas. Dan suggests making these serial episodes so listeners have to tune in again to see how the story unfolds.
• Poetry Slam: Create original poems and record them expressively. Publish them separately or as collections of poems.
• Our View: Students participant in a round table discussion about a classroom topic or news story. Opinions are shared constructively.
• Today in History: Students are assigned a day each month to tell about the historical events that took place on that date. Students research context, events, and implications.
• Lost in Time:Quiz show where students describe a date or event in history without giving it away. Listeners email their guesses for the date.
• Add It Up: Students design mathematical puzzles with hints. Listeners can email their answers to the podcasters.
• Where in the World: A global podcasting quiz show where students post hints about where they live. Listeners email their guesses. Check it out in iTunes.
• Word of a Day: Students select a new word to teach others. Students could go to people to see if they know what the word means and how to spell it.
• Book Talk: Review books in a podcast.
• Spelling Bee: Publish your weekly spelling list as a podcast.
• Pod Pals: Create a podcast for students in a partner school. Send episodes back and forth to get to know each other.
• Pet Talk: Everyone loves to talk about their pets. Students can talk about topics like pet selection, habitats, care, and training.
• Career Talk: Record job shadowing experiences. This could be organized through a school's guidance counseling office.
• Liar's Club: Student listeners are the fact checkers for this podcast because the episode contains factual information and some inaccuracies. The following episode addresses the inaccuracies of the previous show.
• Sport Stats: Connect sports statistics to what they mean to coaches, athletes, and fans.
• Sign Casting: Video podcasting for the hearing impaired.

To download the two-part video podcast, subscribe to the KidCast podcast. Or, view the videos online: Episode 33 and Episode 34.

.Mac Podcast Packs

Users of Apple's GarageBand 3 (part of iLife '06) are familiar with its built-in "podcast studio." The studio is complete with pre-made jingles that you just drag-and-drop into a GarageBand track. With so many podcasts made with GarageBand out there, you might start to notice that those same default jingles are used in many podcast episodes.

Subscribers to Apple's .Mac suite of services ($99 per year) can download dozens of additional jingles for free. Just log in to your .Mac account, click Member Central in the list along the left side of the page, and then click Free jingles + voiceovers. Listed are jingles in nine different categories, including Alternative Rock, Blues, Cinematic, Country, Electronic, Jazz, Rock & Pop, Urban, and World. There's over 800MB in free music for podcasts! Downloads from .Mac's Member Central are usually available for a few months. If you are a .Mac member, download them soon before they disappear.

Unfortunately, you have to install each of the .Mac Podcast Packs separately, but once they are installed, you have access to great podcasting music. Just choose Show Loop Browser from GarageBand's Control menu. Many of the jingles have different lengths, depending on your needs.

Also included are 17 professional voiceover tracks by Joe Cipriano. You're sure to recognize his voice as he's done voiceover work for broadcast networks like ABC and FOX. His recordings are short segments like, "Now, welcome back to the show," and "Coming up next in our show..."

With the 136 new sound files included in the .Mac Podcast Packs, your podcast can have jingles different from the defaults everyone else is using.

Newsfeeds & Podcasts on Pocket PCs

The Wolverhampton Local Authority in the U.K. has been using Pocket PCs for a few years. They call their project Learning2Go and the students and teachers involved are doing amazing things with their tiny computers. Recently Learning2Go started a blog and podcast. Although the podcast is available in iTunes, Wolverhampton learners can use FeederReader on their Pocket PCs to subscribe to the blog and podcast. Here's the description of FeederReader from its website:

FeederReader is a full-featured RSS Aggregator with podcast listening and watching ("podcasting" or "podcatching") and enclosure support, running on Windows Mobile. It is designed for downloading and reading RSS feeds on Smartphones and Pocket PCs without the assistance of a host computer. You can update the feeds when the device is connected to the internet (i.e. through a LAN or Mobile Phone) and read them while offline.

Learning2Go has posted video tutorials to show how to manage feeds in FeederReader. FeederReader is available for download and requires free registration. Once installed, you can subscribe to newsfeeds and podcasts. Besides the Learning2Go feed, try subscribing to the Our City Podcast feed. New episodes have been posted this month!

Notes from Apple Podcasting Seminar

I attended a seminar in Omaha, Nebraska put on by Apple about podcasting. Janet Hill from Apple did most of the presenting. Here are some of my notes:

• Apple has a page about iPods in classrooms and another page for podcasting in education.
• Janet had a good analogy for RSS and podcasting. She showed a screen with a bunch of paper magazines. You subscribe to podcasts and have them delivered to you, just like Entertainment Weekly or Time Magazine. But, you don't have to pay for the subscriptions. And of course, when you subscribe, the magazine issue for next January has not been printed yet. When it is printed, it's sent to you. Just like magazines, podcasts are delivered to you after they have been produced.
• If you have to pay for a podcast, iTunes does not put it in the Podcast category. If there is a charge, Apple puts it in the Audiobook category.
• Remember that the iTunes Store does not host podcast files. It simply points users to the web server that contains the file. For instance, when you subscribe to the Our City Podcast in iTunes, it actually downloads the mp3 file from the learninginhand.com server.
• There are three kinds of podcasts: Audio (just sound), Enhanced (sound, images/slides, and URL links), and Video (movies).
• You can create a podcast using QuickTime Pro ($30). QuickTime Pro is available for Mac and Windows. Here's a tutorial. Using QuickTime Pro is best for straight audio that probably won't be mixed with other tracks, sound effects, or music. Janet exported her recording to an MPEG-4 (.mp4). She explains that mp4 files are smaller and sound better than mp3 files. Smaller files download faster from servers and take up less memory. However, I still prefer mp3 files because they are much more compatible with all kinds of handheld devices.
• You can also create video podcasts using QuickTime Pro. If you have a Mac with an iSight camera, it's just a press of the record button and you're recording video.
• Isn't it crazy the number of ways you can record, publish, and listen to podcasts? With so many options and methods, it's actually hard to decide which one is best for you. I prefer using GarageBand (Macs) or Audacity (Windows) to record directly into the desktop or laptop computer.
• Besides recording directly in a computer, Janet used a Belkin voice recorder iPod attachment. She passed it around the room and had attendees record something they learned. Then when she syncs her iPod, the recordings are transferred into her computer's iTunes library. She then can use those recordings for podcasts. I prefer to record on my Palm TX using a microphone attachment and SoundRec (freeware) software. This way I can easily rename clips, so that everything is in order when I transfer the clips from my SD card to my computer.
• Using GarageBand, Janet made an enhanced podcast with photos. She showed how to include chapters and hyperlinks that can be clicked in iTunes while it's playing.You can link to websites and documents. That means you can make worksheets or other digital documents for students to access while they are listening to the podcast. Enhanced podcasts are in the AAC format, not MP3, so they cannot play on most devices but play great in iTunes.
• Macintosh servers have the ability to serve podcasts on the web. Janet demonstrated how fast it is to upload to the server through a web page. She fills in a couple of fields of information about her recording and clicks a button to upload the audio file. Within seconds, a podcast feed is created and uploaded, available to the world. This really is such a great solution. The problem is not many educators have access to these kinds of servers.
• The question was asked that on iPods, the pictures that accompany an enhanced podcast are very small and pretty much unusable. To enlarge the image, push the iPod's Center button.
• Profcast is a Mac only applications that allows teachers to easily record a podcast. Just drop your slide show on the Profcast window and then start recording. It will create an enhanced podcast (or you can export it to GarageBand for editing). Profcast makes it easy to then publish the podcast. The day's lecture can be published online and available in iTunes before students get home after class. (Profcast works best with a wireless mic with a receiver plugged into the computer). It's a podcast so, it can be played on a Mac or a Windows computer.

Although Apple has taken the lead in podcasting, you should know that you don't need a Mac or an iPod to participate. In fact, many podcasters are in favor of calling online media that can be downloaded through an RSS feed a netcast instead of podcast. Netcast doesn't suggest you need an Apple product to listen or create.