ICE Conference Workshop

We presented Blogging and Podcasting at the ICE Indiana Conference Today.  Here are some pictures from today's workshop.

How To Submit A Podcast To ITunes (Podcasting)

Publishing Podcasts on a Blog

Using a Blog Site
For the publishing of podcasts, we recommend using the very popular blog site blogger.com. Blogger.com allows users to create posts using a combination of text, pictures, and videos. Enhanced Podcasts, podcasts that contain pictures, can be posted to a blog by uploading it to the blog as a video. Another great feature about posting podcasts on a blog is that visitors can subscribe to your blog using an RSS feed and getting updates on posts using a feed reeder such as Google Reader.

How does blogging work?

"Blogs in Plain English" - YouTube - Time: 2:58

What is a blog?

"A blog is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

 Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.[2]

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (Art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts."

- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Podcasting on Windows Computers

Planning
Successful podcasts have a structure or format that make it engaging and familiar. Following a format also helps you to select and organize the material you will cover in your podcast. Before you record your podcast consider these tips:

- Plan an intro that says who you are and what your podcast is about.
- Plan an intro for each podcast that describes the topics you’ll cover.
- Plan the content of your informative segments.
- Plan a short "outro" to sign off at the end.

Producing

Creating a podcast requires some specific equipment. To keep our process as simple as possible we are recording podcasts using a USB Headset Mic directly into Photo Story 3 for Windows.
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Equipment

USB Premium Headset - Logitech

Recording podcast with multiple microphones can be complex, and require expensive equipment to digitize the sound. For single input recording of a vocal track, it is hard to beat the simplicity of the this USB headset that you can order online in the neighborhood of $40.

Photo Story 3 for Windows

Photo Story 3 takes you through the process of podcasting step-by-step beginning with importing pictures and graphics, embedding optional screen captions and visual effects to set the mood for each slide, and the ability to record audio and add background music. When you finish, export your project as a Windows Media Video (WMV) and then post to YouTube or your classroom Blog.

Podcasting on Apple Computers

Planning
Successful podcasts have a structure or format that make it engaging and familiar. Following a format also helps you to select and organize the material you will cover in your podcast. Before you record your podcast consider these tips:

- Plan an intro that says who you are and what your podcast is about.
- Plan an intro for each podcast that describes the topics you’ll cover.
- Plan the content of your informative segments.
- Plan a short "outro" to sign off at the end.

Producing
Creating a podcast requires some specific equipment. To keep our process as simple as possible we are recording inital podcasts using a USB Headset Mic directly into GarageBand. Need to record on the go? We have had succes recording straight into our iPod using the Micromemo by XtremeMac.

Equipment
USB Premium Headset - Logitech
Recording podcast with multiple microphones can be complex, and require expensive equipment to digitize the sound. For single input recording of a vocal track, it is hard to beat the simplicity of the this USB headset that you can order online in the neighborhood of $40.

GarageBand

To begin the process of capturing sound we use GarageBand to establish an editable soundtrack, to which we can add effects, enhancements, and background music.

- Mac Users should check out the GarageBand '09 Getting Started Guide.

Polishing

Garageband is also a great tool to make your podcast go beyond audio. Episodes can be chapter marked, and include pictures and graphics that will display in video and photo iPods as well as your iTunes viewer. Professors have already tapped into this ability as a way to post PowerPoint slides on top of recorded lectures for a virtual class experience in the palm of your hand.

Podcatching

There are many podcasts already being produced to enhance classroom curriculum and teacher best practice strategies. Podcatching is searching for relevent podcasts and then using a computer program, podcatcher, to automatically download them to your computer.

Great sites for podcatching:

• Education Podcast Network, EPN-hundreds of subject specific podcasts and professional development podcasts from David Warlick and the Landmark Project.
• Educate -United Kingdom directory of over 3500 educational podcasts.
• Podcast.net - searchable directory of multi-topic podcasts from around the world.
• PodcastBlaster-large podcast directory that features alphabetical browing, category browsing and search.
• Scholastic's Top 10 Podcasts for Teachers.
• Yahoo Podcasts - large directory where you can search and listen to podcasts. You need a Yahoo ID to subscribe.
• Digg Podcasts-a one-stop destination for discovering, Digging, discussing, and sharing the podcasts and podcast episodes that you like.
• iTunes Education Podcasts- this directory is located in the iTunes store along with thousands of other podcasts. One click subscription with iTunes program.