Students love their iPods and so do I. Music has always been a part of my life, so I was eager to buy an iPod, more popularly known to my generation as just a mini music player. Once I became familiar with iTunes, Apple’s application for organizing and playing digital audio and video content, I quickly found a variety of music that was incredibly easy to download to my computer and sync to my iPod for portability. I was hooked and began searching for podcasts to add to my iTunes library.
Podcasts are basically the creation and distribution of radio programs for playback on a computer or mobile devices such as an iPod or mp3 player. The term is derived from two words, Apple’s iPOD and broadCAST. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. You will find many professionally created podcasts and several by everyday people including teachers and students on varying topics.
iTunes is currently by far the largest repository but podcasts, audiobooks, movies, speeches, photos, slide presentations and more are readily available on the Internet. The objective of this blog is to create opportunities for personal learning, so let’s started with the iTunes basics before searching and downloading podcasts.
How to Download and Install iTunes on Your Computer:
Watch this video on:
The easiest way to get started with podcasts is through iTunes. The iTunes Store includes over 10,000 podcasts specific for education. Podcasts are available for most subject areas and grade levels, as well as for professional development. Students and teachers can use iTunes on a Mac or PC to search, subscribe, and listen to podcasts, and even sync them to an iPod for studying and learning on the go.
Watch this video on:
How to Download Free Podcasts from iTunes:
Peruse the list of websites for audio and video podcasts for the classroom:
The Education Podcast Network
A wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
http://epnweb.org/
MasteryMaze
Teachers and students contribute and use free educational review podcasts and masterycasts to master their school subjects in minutes.
http://masterymaze.com/home-page
CNN Student News
In addition to a daily podcast and/or screencast on a current news item, you will find lesson plans with topic related activities.
http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/
iPrepPress
Documents that can be downloaded to your iPod. This website includes dictionaries, encyclopedias, study guides and test preparation materials.
http://www.ipreppress.com/Pages/jrsrhigh.htm
Grammar Girl
Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. You can also download the podcast transcript. Some commercial content but definitely academic.
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/EpisodeList.aspx
Audio Book Treasury
You will find a growing collection of free Audiobooks, including Classics, Poetry and Non-Fiction. The audiobooks are broken down by chapters with online quizzes. What a great alternative to having students take turns reading out loud in the classroom.
http://www.audiobooktreasury.com/index.html
Coral Gables High School
Coral Gables High School is publishing their faculty created instructional podcasts. Their students are now able to download content such as lectures, interviews and demonstrations.
http://cghs.dadeschools.net/podcast/default.htm
Educational Podcasts for Teaching and Learning
A great website from the UK, that lists over 450 carefully selected podcast channels from around the world for educational use.
http://recap.ltd.uk/podcasting/index.php
Podcasts from PBS (Public Broad casting Service)
http://www.pbs.org/podcasts/
Biology Podcasts
Balcatta Senior High School
Rod Balcatta has produced his podcasts based on the Grade 12 Human Biology Course.
http://web.mac.com/blitto/Blittos_Stuff/Podcasts/Podcasts.html
Chemistry Podcasts
Mt Lawley Senior High School
Richard Meagher’s chemistry podcasts contain both audio and video files and are ready for downloaded to iPods.
http://www.meaghersclasses.podomatic.com/
NASA’s PlanetQuest Podcast Series
NASA’s PlanetQuest podcast series offers ongoing news, features and interviews about the search for new planets and life around other stars.
http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/pqPodCasts.cfm
Science @ NASA Feature Stories Podcast
http://science.nasa.gov/podcast.htm
Podcasting Station
A search engine for podcasts. Easily find topic specific podcasts feeds by searching or navigating Podcasting Station’s directory. (more for personal use)
http://www.podcasting-station.com/
Find a link to educational podcasts that you would like to share? Click on the comment link at the top to post.