Lesson 13: Podcasts Using Audacity
"Podcast" was named the "2005 Word of the Year" by New Oxford American Dictionary. There’s a podcast out there for just about every interest area and the best part about this technology is that you don’t have to have an iPod or a MP3 player to access them. Since podcasts use the MP3 file format, a popular compressed format for audio files, you really just need a PC (or portal device) with headphones or a speaker.
Photo courtesy of Colleen AF Venable at Flickr.com.
iTunes, the free downloadable application created by Apple is the directory finding service most associated with podcasts, but if you don’t have iTunes installed there are still plenty of options.
For this activity, you are asked to take a look at some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you. Podfeed.net is an excellent podcast site. You can also explore podcastdirectory.com. One last excellent site is cbc radio podcasts where you will find previous radio shows on almost every topic! Once found, you can easily pull the RSS feed into your Google reader account, so that when new casts become available, you’ll be automatically notified of their existence.
Podcasting Activity #1
1. There are many, many podcast directories out there. This is one of the most popular ones that, unlike iTunes, doesn't require a software download: Podcastalley.com.
2. Choose three different podcasts to listen to. At least ONE of the podcasts needs to relate to your goal at the ALC (Education, Employment, Personal).
3. Make a post in your blog about your experience. What did you choose to listen to and why? What did you learn from the various podcasts? Which one was your favorite and why?
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