The college has more roughly 35-40 courses using podcasts every semester. Academic Technology was considering an event where podcasters can share with each other (and interested others) what it is they are doing, how it has effected student learning and engagement, and what practices they feel work best.
We’d like it keep it somewhat informal and will provide food. What do you think? We’d like at least 4 podcasters from different disciplines to present.
Please call us at extention X2002 and let us know you’re interested, or send an email to casedtech at gmail dot com.
[Update: Now iPhones have voice recording built it with the latest software update! See the tutorials on converting and naming audio files to create podcasts. But AudioBoo, the service works from other devices and has some really cool features, like hosting and embed codes, so it's still worth checking out!!]
AudioBoo is a new service that allows iPhone podcasting. You can download the free application from the iTunes Store, and begin recording, sharing, and publishing podcasts on the fly right from your iPhone. It’s easy and simple to use, sort of like a twitter-type service for quick and easy podcasts.
One of the things I like best about this app is that the podcasts published to AudioBoo’s servers are returned with an embed code, so you can easily embed the player and podcast to any blog or website. (See AudioBoo’s website and click any podcast to see the share codes.)
It also offers Twitter and Facebook updates if you’re so inclined, and the founders have reported that they are working on a Wordpress Widget which will pull your latest “boo’s” (podcasts) right into your blog.
The interface for recording is minimal and intuitive, as is the audio player returned with the recorded podcast. Below is a short video walkthrough of recording and publishing a podcast using this app:
We’ve just updated our online tutorials for using iTunes U and Blackboard. Go on and head over to learn more! (Note that these tutorials relate to using Blackboard with the iTunes Building Block written by and released from Vanderbilt University).
The Flip Video Ultra has been a big hit among faculty, staff, and students who have used it this semester. The video and sound quality are impressive for such a small, easy to operate, uncomplicated device. So far it has been used to record short student presentations, capture video of projects, and to video short student-related events. I promised to write a little something about using the Flip Video Ultra camera for video podcasting, so here’s a brief overview of what to do and what to keep in mind when using it.
Shooting:
The camera runs on double AA batteries, and video recording uses a lot of power, so buy rechargeables and keep some handy.
It can record 60 minutes of video clips before it is full (this is the Ultra series only, prior models only record for 30 minutes).
The Flip software will put your videos into separate clips based on when you start and stop the camera, so use this to your advantage.
To capture decent audio, make sure the camera is not too far away from speakers.
Digital zoom can become pixelated, so it’s best to move closer to the subject rather than relying too much on this feature.
A small, portable, 10″ tripod is available for the Flip for $29 to avoid shaking and moving, and it also can be mounted to almost any other larger tripod.
iTunes can easily convert audio files that were recorded with portable devices such as iPods or other recorders to podcast formats such as AAC or mp3 (see post on The Difference to learn more about these formats). The following video covers converting files with iTunes and adding information such as titles and artist:
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Here is a step by step for converting files to AAC or mp3 format:
Convert to AAC (m4a)
Drag the file to iTunes.
While the file is highlighted click the Advanced menu at the top.
Choose Convert Selection to AAC (for MP3 conversion see below)
iTunes makes a duplicate copy of it in the new format. To check the file type (since you now have the original WAV file and an AAC file with the same name, right click your file and choose Get Info. There you will see the file type and be sure you choose the converted one). You can also add information to the track, as well as podcast artwork that you have designed. Drag converted the file out of iTunes to your desktop for easy uploading.
or Convert to MP3
Follow the directions above using the Advanced menu, but prior to doing so, go to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > Importing
There, change the Import Using: AAC to Import Using: MP3 Encoder
Now when you highlight the track and choose Advanced on the top menu, you will see Convert Selection to MP3 rather than AAC.
Thanks Doug Seidler over at NESAD for pointing this out to me!
[Update: This device works with previous versions of the iPod Nano and Classic and is no longer needed with the latest versions of these devices]
Faculty and staff have been using the Griffin iTalk Pro this semester with much success to record lectures and presentations. A group of students took one to El Paso, Texas, for Alternative Spring Break to record a series of interviews with Habitat for Humanity staff, local residents, and the students in the group.
While there are a couple of posts here about using an iPod with the Griffin iTalk for audio capturing, below are a few things to keep in mind to avoid snafus and to cut down or eliminate editing after you’ve recorded (although in some instances, and for more refined productions, editing will be unavoidable).
Recording:
Be sure the iPod is fully charged and has sufficient space before using it to record.
When the iTalk is connected, use the highest quality settings for recording so you get the highest sound quality possible.
Be sure the device is as close as possible to the speaker.
The iTalk captures your audio segments in clips depending on when the device is started and stopped. Use this to your advantage depending on what you are trying to capture (more below).
Lectures:
If you are recording a lecture or class in its entirety, try not to stop and restart the device during the lecture or class. (Doing so will give you separate audio clips that you will have to connect later using an audio editing program.)
Keep the device near-by the speaker at all times
If there is a long introduction for a guest speaker, you may want to start the recording when the introduction ends and the speaker begins talking. Alternatively, you could record the introduction and the speaker in two separate clips just in case the introduction is something you may not want in the final production.
Interviews:
Be sure the interviewee knows when the recording begins
Have a list of questions ready (you may want to share these first before the interview begins). Also, engage with responses with further questions for elaboration. And let the interviewee do more of the talking.
Make sure that the interviewer and the interviewee are in close proximity to each other and the device (for interviews on the fly and not in a formal setting, you may hold the device like a microphone and move it back and forth between persons speaking).
If you are doing a series of interviews with different speakers that could be separate productions, stop and restart the recording so you have separate audio clips for each interviewee.
Editing and Producing:
Editing of clips can be done in Audacity on Windows and Garageband on Macs (both free programs).
If no editing is required, renaming, compression, conversion and adding the proper metadata to these tracks can all be done in iTunes.
Keep in mind that all files from the iTalk recordings are large and must be compressed and converted for delivery in podcasts.
(Click the tags on the right for more posts and information on using the iTalk or for any of the topics mentioned here.)
GarageBand and Audacity are both free programs that allow you to create, record, edit, and compress audio podcasts. GarageBand comes free on the Mac and Audacity is a free software program that you can download for Windows. (Links to these programs found in the right column of this blog.)
Penn State’s Educational Technology Division has created some excellent, short video screencasts detailing how to use each program. These screencasts are available as podcasts on Penn State’s iTunes U page.
To visit this page and view these screencasts, click the link below (requires iTunes installed on your computer). Screencasts are about 3 minutes in length and are enough to get you up, running and creating podcasts in no time!
Apple’s QuickTime Pro is $29 and allows to you to record audio and video, and also enables you to compress and export these and other media files to various web-ready and iPod-ready formats, and works on Macs or PCs (internal or external microphone and/or internal or external webcam needed for capture). QuickTime Player is free and required to upgrade to the Pro version. The Player comes on every Mac, and on a PC when you download iTunes. If for some reason you don’t have the Player on your computer, you can download it free.
Apple has some tutorials for QuickTime Pro posted on their website:
This short 90 second clip covers how to use the Griffin iTalk to record audio on your iPod, which you can later convert to podcast ready formats. Use it to capture lectures, record interviews, discussions, forums, guest speakers, etc.
…This next 3 minute video covers what to do with the voice memo files that the iTalk puts into iTunes:
Easily Convert Voice Memos & WAV files to Podcast-ready Formats in iTunes
Cell or landline, you can create a podcast on-the-go without access to a computer or other equipment. First, you visit http://drop.io to set up your account, or “drop”, as they call it.
Next, you choose a url name and a password. You are then given a unique phone number and extension to call. When you call, you are prompted to record. Later, you visit your site and there is your MP3 file, ready to listen, share, embed, or download. Very cool, and free! I have attached instructions with my sample test. Try it out!
If you are using Blackboard (or not) and you would like to request that an iTunes U page be created for your course, log in to Blackboard and choose the course you are teaching.
Once in the course, find and click Control Panel on the lower left navigation box.
In the Course Tools content box, find and click CAS iTunes U
A message that your course has not been set up yet will appear. Hit the Submit button to make a request.
After your request has been sent, you should receive an email within 48 hours letting you know that your course has been set up. (Further instructions on what to do to add content will follow).
If you are using Audacity and can’t export your project to the MP3 format, you can export it as a WAV file. WAV files are extremely large. This is fine, but if you want to upload that file to iTunes or Blackboard, you will want it to be smaller and compressed, in either AAC (m4a) or MP3 format. Here’s how you can use iTunes to accomplish this:
Convert to AAC (m4a)
Drag the file to iTunes.
While the file is highlighted click the Advanced menu at the top.
Choose Convert Selection to AAC (for MP3 conversion see below)
iTunes makes a duplicate copy of it in the new format. To check the file type (since you now have the original WAV file and an AAC file with the same name, right click your file and choose Get Info. There you will see the file type and be sure you choose the converted one). You can also add information to the track, as well as podcast artwork that you have designed. Drag converted the file out of iTunes to your desktop for easy uploading.
or Convert to MP3
Follow the directions above using the Advanced menu, but prior to doing so, go to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > Importing
There, change the Import Using: AAC to Import Using: MP3 Encoder
Now when you highlight the track and choose Advanced on the top menu, you will see Convert Selection to MP3 rather than AAC.
Thanks Doug Seidler over at NESAD for pointing this out to me!
Most troubles you may encounter here are usually browser related. If you experience any issues accessing or viewing the content or videos found here, or if you feel that they do not display properly in your browser, try using Firefox.
The college has more roughly 35-40 courses using podcasts every semester. Academic Technology was considering an event where podcasters can share with each other (and interested others) what it is they are doing, how it has effected student learning and engagement, and what practices they feel work best.
[Update: Now iPhones have voice recording built it with the latest software update! See the tutorials on converting and naming audio files to create podcasts. But AudioBoo, the service works from other devices and has some really cool features, like hosting and embed codes, so it's still worth checking out!!]
The Flip Video Ultra has been a big hit among faculty, staff, and students who have used it this semester. The video and sound quality are impressive for such a small, easy to operate, uncomplicated device. So far it has been used to record short student presentations, capture video of projects, and to video short student-related events. I promised to write a little something about using the Flip Video Ultra camera for video podcasting, so here’s a brief overview of what to do and what to keep in mind when using it.
[Update: This device works with previous versions of the iPod Nano and Classic and is no longer needed with the latest versions of these devices]
GarageBand and Audacity are both free programs that allow you to create, record, edit, and compress audio podcasts. GarageBand comes free on the Mac and Audacity is a free software program that you can download for Windows. (Links to these programs found in the right column of this blog.)
Cell or landline, you can create a podcast on-the-go without access to a computer or other equipment. First, you visit 
Most troubles you may encounter here are usually browser related. If you experience any issues accessing or viewing the content or videos found here, or if you feel that they do not display properly in your browser, try using Firefox.
