Search for Podcasts
There are a number of search tools for locating podcasts. One is the Education Podcast Network (EPN). This site brings together a wide range of podcast programming that is exclusively related to education. It includes podcasts created by teachers, students, and by noted experts in the field of education.
Podcast Alley is another search tool for locating podcasts. Unlike EPN, however, it searches all types of podcasts on the Internet, so using it raises the possibility of coming across programs inappropriate for students. Narrow your Podcast Alley search by using the “Pick a Podcast Genre” drop-down menu at the top, left corner of the home page.
Take a little time now to explore the use of these two podcast search tools. When you’ve finished, go on to the rest of this post where you’ll learn about one more tool – iTunes.
Photo Credit – http://alicechristie.org/edtech/digital/podcast/index.html
iTunes
You’ve all heard of iTunes, but did you know it can be used to locate and manage podcasts? If you don’t already have the free program installed on your computer, you’ll need to do that first. If you need help downloading iTunes, check out this short video tutorial and then go here to download iTunes.
Once you’ve installed iTunes on your computer, you can begin using it to search for and subscribe to podcasts. This video will show you how. When you find a podcast series that you like, subscribe to it so you can listen to new episodes as they become available. The easiest way to subscribe and listen to podcasts is to use iTunes as your aggregator, but you can also subscribe using your Bloglines account. If you choose Bloglines, use one of the methods you learned in Thing #9.
iTunes U
Within iTunes you’ll find iTunes U where you can search by keyword, featured content provider, or browse by education provider. Michigan is one of the states in the country to be included in iTunes U for content upload. If you look in iTunes U at K-12, you’ll see a link to Michigan’s MI Learning. Within that area, you find resources under Curriculum, Leadership, Professional Development, and Student, and Vocational & Career Tech Categories. (FYI – a local teacher has created the podcasts for College Talks.)
Click here to watch a short video from Apple on iTunes U.
For Thing #15, you must:
- Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed above and see if you can find a podcast that interests you.
- Create a blog post about your discovery process. Did you find anything useful here? Which podcast(s) did you listen to? Which of the directories did you find easiest to use? Has this Thing inspired you to do any podcasting yourself or to subscribe to a podcast to listen to it regularly? Did you find any podcasts you might use in your teaching or suggest to teachers in your building? (Be sure to include links in your blog entry to the podcasts mentioned.)
- Post a comment on one of the other participants blogs. You can comment on anything your wish, or just encourage them!
Extension Activity
Option #1 – Create your own podcast and embed it in a blog post or upload it to iTunes. Tony Vincent’s guide is a valuable read if you’ve never try podcasting. Listen to an overview of podcasting here or by clicking here and then clicking on the link to the podcast.
Option #2 – Find one or two podcasts from “100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better“. Listen to them and write a review in a blog post.
