Podcasting

=Podcasting=


 * Podcasting** -

There isn't much to say about what podcasts are, they speak (no pun intended) for themselves. A podcast is a video clip, or sometimes an audio clip, that gives information to the user who downloads it or views it. Thanks to [|iTunes] podcasting has become one of the most popular things to do on the web. Podcasts range from what is new in sports to news about the war in Iraq. Podcasts are a great way of finding out information and it is another way to find out news instead of TV or the newspaper. Podcasts have also become a good tool for learning in the sense that today's generation is more audio/visual as opposed reading to a book.

When it comes to education it is always helpful to have an audio or visual source to be able to fully understand the concept of what ever is in the lesson plan. That can explain why there are still teachers around opposed to just reading the information out of a book or reading it off the Internet. This reason alone makes a solid reason why podcasts are more usable in the classroom. Podcasts are an excellent way for people to learn because the the way people present the information can cause a great influence in the memory for the moment and allow the student to understand it a little easier.

There is a lot of information available about podcasting and many, many podcasts available on any subject. All you have to do is search the Internet, go to the library, or ask a teacher and you will find what you are looking for.

Creating a podcast is easy, all you need is a computer, a headset, and software. At Millis High we use [|GarageBand]. Another great tool, available free, is [|Audacity].

Audacity
[|Audacity] is a program that you can download for free from the Internet. Its easy to use. One way to use it is to import a song from your computer into the program. You then use the program to alter it in nearly any way possible. You could change the words in the song and have yourself sing, or you can simply alter the speed of the song and make it sound pretty funny almost like Alvin and the Chipmunks. It is designed for people generally unskilled with computers. It's a great way to learn how to use programs designed for recording sounds and messing with stuff already made. The video below explains how to use [|Audacity].

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Audacity vs. GarageBand
[|Audacity]is easier to use than [|GarageBand], but [|GarageBand]can use beats that are programmed into the software. You can't do that in [|Audacity]. You can also use both [|Audacity] and [|GarageBand] to make podcasts, but with [|Audacity] it's so much easier because there aren't so many unidentifiable buttons all over the program, they are all familiar symbols.

[|GarageBand] is good for those who have already done it in the past and are already comfortable with the software. [|Audacity] is a perfect software to teach students the ropes and basics creating podcasts or mixing music. Teachers would do well to use this as a beginner's software, while even using it later on because its still an effective tool. In conclusion, these two programs allow you to mix music and voice. This is an excellent way to learn because it provides the student with a very real opportunity to create a rip of song to the material that they need to learn which provides them with an excellent chance to learn it, and not just memorize it just for the test and forget it a day and a half later. If you want to add video you could use [|I/Movie], [|MovieMaker], or other applications that can be found on the Internet. For all things podcast, check out this [|site].

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 * Gcast**

Gcast, is a free website, and it is a place to create and stores podcasts. It allows people to make a podcast on the website. It also allows the user to call Gcast from a phone, and make a podcast on the go. It also allows people to subscribe to your podcasts with RSS readers. You can also upload previous podcasts that you have created. Gcast is simply a website that allows you to post and create podcasts, that has a great feature that allows you to post podcasts from your cell phone.

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