NECC: Podcasting 101

Alright, this one is going to be short. I’m at Warlick’s podcasting workshop. It should get started any minute now, but they seem to be experiencing network issues. Of course, the case could be made that the entire conference has been experiencing network issues due to the lack of WiFi available during workshops, but I think that point has already been made.

It’s noon right now. My flight leaves at 2:40. I’m going to be meeting my colleagues by the taxi stand in 30-45 minutes, so I’m definitely going to have leave early. Just found out about a new podcast at Drexel-coas-elearning.blogspot.com. I’ll have to check that one out later.

It’s too bad, I’ve really been looking forward to this one and instead of being able to relax and enjoy it, my heart is beating frantically from racing across the convention center and I’m staring at the clock so I don’t lose track of time.

I wasn’t sure that Dave was going to be doing during the session, but it really looks like Podcasting 101. The subtitle is “A teacher’s guide to capturing and creating podcasts.” Sounds like it just might be something real practical, which would be pretty darn impressive if it is. Doing a practical Blogging 101 in one hour is pretty challenging, a practical Podcasting 101 would be a royal pain.

I’m really glad he’s starting off by saying that there’s nothing about podcasting that is specific to Apple or to the Macintosh. Podcastiing really has very little to do with the iPod, unless you talk about the iPod as a general term representing all MP3 players (like when someone ‘Tivos’ a show or ‘Xeroxs’ a piece of paper.

He’s showing people where they can get the online handouts. I do like the fact that Dave has all of his handouts available to people from every presentation he’s done since 1996.

If you add the words podcast, session, and warlick, your blog post will automatically be added to the online handouts. I didn’t know you could do that through a Wiki. So I guess these notes are going to be part of the online materials. Maybe I should adjust my writing style accordingly… Or maybe not!

He’s showing a list of Podcast Directories and it fascinates me that he doesn’t have EPNweb.org listed first. His directory is an incredible resource for educators. He is describing it in depth though. I would have had it listed first, underlined it and bolded it. Podcast Alley could have been listed second and the rest of them could have been written in 8 point font. Alright, maybe I’m a little biased. Maybe I’m a lot biased.

He has a bunch of educational podcasts listed on this next slide, and he has mine listed first. Of course, the name of it has a typo in it (it’s listed as Teacher42 instead of Teach42) but at least the url is right. He has a pretty good sampling listed though including One Big Head, Room 208, Ed-Tech Musician, Connect Learning, and a few others.

Now we’re into RSS. The transformation from a blog, to XML file, to aggregator/podcatcher. This is the most dangerous part of these sorts of presentations. The words RSS, XML and aggregator confuse the heck out of people. That’s the single best thing about iTunes 4.9. If you use iTunes, you don’t need to ever think about RSS, XML, or feeds url’s. I’ve heard that Adam Curry’s primary plea at Nomdex was for developers to create a way to subscribe to blogs with a single click. The importance of that cannot be overstated.

Wow, there’s a bunch of people with laptops in the room and there always are. However, someone in the row behind me has a palm pilot docked into a keyboard and is typing notes that way. First time I’ve seen someone doing that at NECC! Very cool.

Someone just brought up iTunes 4.9. Warlick just blew my mind. He said that you can just drag an XML chicklet into iTunes and it will subscribe to the feed that way. I had no idea that you could do that! I have to try that one out! Too bad I don’t have wifi… Grrrr…

Dave is unable to connect to the internet as well. This is the first session I’ve seen where a presenter was unable to connect. Really too bad that it’s the podcasting session, and not something like Inspiration.

Someone mentioned NECC”s podcast and that she subscribed to it through the iTunes store. Dave said, “You mean Apple’s podcast?” Up until a half hour ago, I thought the NECC feed was Apple’s podcast as well. Turns out we’re horribly wrong! But more on that one later, it deserves a whole blog entry to itself.

He’s showing off the editing characteristics of Audacity. Personally, I wouldn’t go there. I don’t think most of the teachers in here are going to be interested in audio editing at this point. However, I should really pay attention here because I don’t know how to work the program very well at all. I should stop being critical and pay closer attention! My bad, apperantly I don’t understand the audience like Dave does. They’re loving this big time.

Tick tock tick tock. I hate having to stare at the clock. He’s playing a bit of Room 208, which is really a fun show. I’m definitely going to be using some of it as a model for what I’ll be doing next year.

He’s showing what you need to produce a podcast. He’s showing some $60 microphones, the Griffin iMic, a mixer, and so on. Now he’s showing the iPod with a Griffin iTalk. I really hope he also mentions that you can even use the built in microphone on your computer as well.

Here’s another reason why Dave is a great presenter. He’s trying to show off the iPod with the iTalk, which is way too small for someone at the back of the room to see. Instead, he hooks up his iSight, sits down in front of it and shows it to the iSight which is then shown through the projector in a much larger size. Neat, fun and effective.

Back to the iPod, he’s going through the process of how it syncs up with iTunes and what you do from there. He’s not going to say anything about using the built in mic on the laptop. I’ll have to let him know. I always like pointing out that people do NOT need to invest any dollars into this if they don’t want to. Eventually they’ll probably want to, but that shouldn’t be a barrier.

Dave is showing the html code for how you link to a file, “My podcast” I suppose you do need to show that, but most people gloss over at the first mention of code.

Well, the laptop died on me at that point so I took that as a sign that it was time to race off to the airport.

And for those of you that were concerned, no I would have made my flight even if it hadn’t been delayed for three hours.

6 Comments

hamlet
7/1/2005

hi steve ,

my first comment on your blog , from China,Shanghai.
Thanks for your great effort blogging NECC, which currently is a little far from me, I mean not only from distance.

But I would keep learning from your delicated blog, it’s great.

Sorry for my blog with most chinese, later I would consider with more english for mutual communication.

Casey Hales
7/1/2005

Great stuff from NECC. Almost like being there without having to sleep in a hotel bed, fighting crowds, eating on the run, being x-rayed at the airport, and saying bad words about the lack of WiFi…
I enjoyed your early morning podcast.
iPods need a way to take notes, however. I’m always wanting to jot a note or write a URL when I’m listening to a podcast while flipping steaks on the grill or working in the yard. Guess I ought to switch over and listen to them either my Palm or my PPC.

Charlene
7/6/2005

Hey Steve
As always, great “blow by blow” description! I was intrigued by the presentation technique, “he hooks up his iSight, sits down in front of it and shows it to the iSight which is then shown through the projector in a much larger size.” — wasn’t the image backwards? I always see a mirror image on my iSight, unless there is a setting I am missing?

Brad Niessen
4/11/2006

Steve-
I agree with you…..David Warlick is really a down to earth presenter. Our district had him come in an talk to over 200 admins and he never flinched.

Brad from TheTechTeacher Podcast

Jean
9/29/2006

Very interested in what you had to say about podcasts. Would like to have access to the handouts. Could you email them to me.
podcast, session, and warlick

Wilson
12/20/2006

Hey all.
I have Windows XP.
What are some of the video podcasting software that produces video podcasts for the PC compatible with video ipods and apple itunes?

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