HISD Podcasting

District:

HISD Photo Gallery

Bluebonnet:
Visit the BLUJ Radio page for content

Hereford High School:
Visit the HERD Radio page for more content
Visit the CTE Podcasting page for more content

Northwest:
Visit the Northwest Podcasting page for content

Aikman:
Visit the NEST Radio page for content

Tierra Blanca:
Visit the Tierra Blanca Radio page for content

Career & Technology:
CT&E Tour - Pinnacle - (Cindy Peters)

Hereford Junior High:
Visit the KMOO Whiteface Radio page for content
Stanton:
Visit the Stanton Podcasting page for content

(note: Photo Story requires Windows Media Player 10.0 or higher )

What is RSS and podcasting?

How do I get started with podcasting?

How can I contribute content to podcasting?

How can podcasting be used in curriculum?

Preparing for and Creating a Podcast

Submitting a Podcast for Publication

Podcasting in Education (Power Point)

Download Audacity (audio recording and editing)
Download MP3 Add-on for Audacity

Download Propaganda (audio recording and editing)
Note: Password is required to install - Contact Us for information

Podcasting Links - See what others are doing with podcasting

iTunes Podcast Tips

Terms of Use

RSS is an acronym for "Really Simple Syndication", "Rich Site Summary", "RDF Site Summary", and others.

RSS is a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites, including major news sites like Wired or CNN, news-oriented community sites like Slashdot, and personal weblogs. But it is not just for news. Pretty much anything that can be broken down into discrete items can be syndicated via RSS: the "recent changes" page of a wiki, a "blog", a change log of any form of data check-ins, even the revision history of a book. Once information about each item is in RSS format, an RSS-aware program can check the feed for changes and react to the changes in an appropriate way. RSS content can be in any format: audio, video, web page URL, PDF document, text document, and various types of multi-media presentations.

Podcasting is a term coined in 2004 when the use of RSS syndication technologies became popular for distributing audio content for listening on mobile devices and personal computers. A podcast is a web feed of audio or video files placed on the Internet for anyone to subscribe to. Podcasting websites also may offer direct download of their files, but the subscription feed of automatically delivered new content is what distinguishes a podcast from a simple download or real-time streaming. "Podcasting" combines two words: "iPod" and "broadcasting."

Neither podcasting nor listening to podcasts requires an iPod or other portable player, and no over-the-air broadcasting is required. The name association came about simply because Apple Computer's iPod was the best-selling portable digital audio player when podcasting began and was used by early practitioners.

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The first thing you will need to do is downloand and install an RSS Reader (client). These are typically referred to as an "aggregator". There are many different RSS clients available, but here are a selected few that you may find useful:

RSSReader
GreatTechnology
NewsGator
SharpReader
FeedReader
AmphetaDesk
Pluck (this is an add-on for Microsoft Internet Explorer)

When you see these icons , on a web page it is a link to an RSS feed that you can subscribe to via your RSS client. HISD will be using our own icon for podcasting . Other common RSS icons are:
and many others.

You can subscribe to a feed by looking for these icons on a web page, right clicking on the icon and selecting "Subscribe in Default RSS Reader". This will open a Subscribe Wizzard in your RSS client and create the subscription. You can also right click on the icon, select "Copy Shortcut" and paste the address into your RSS reader to add a new feed channel.

You can also enter a website URL (example: http://www.herefordisd.net or http://www.cnn.com) into your RSS client to add a new subscription. If the website is set up for auto-discovery the content from the website will be loaded into your client. The HISD website is set up for auto-discovery.

RSS Clients can be configured to update the content automatically at selected time intervals or manually by selecting a menu option. This will load any new content from the RSS feeds you have subscribed to. The content can be categorized for organizational purposes (example: News, Politics, Education, Sports, etc.).

If you have an iPod and you are accustomed to the operation, you can even download a "skin" that will present you with an iPod on your computer. This computer iPod will use a mouse for the same thumb technology operation of an actual iPod. These "skins" can be downloaded here: iPod G4 Skin or iPod Nano Skin .

Bloglines.com offers an internet based RSS Reader. It requires no software download and operates in much the same way as the RSS clients listed above but also offers the convenience of accessing your RSS feeds from home or when you are traveling via the internet.

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How can I contribute content to HISD podcasting?

Simple! Send us the content that you want to include in podcasting. You can send the files on a CD via school mail or you can email the files to us at: podcasting@herefordisd.net . This can include various types of Microsoft documents, a web page address, a text file, an audio file (.mp3 format), video files (preferably in .mpg or .wmv format), and PowerPoint, Movie Maker or Photo Story presentations.

To create an audio file for podcasting you will need a microphone that can be plugged in to your computer and audio editing software. We recommend Audacity. Download a copy by clicking HERE. Install Audacity and you are then ready to record. Open Audacity, click the Record button. When you are finished save your audio file as type .mp3.

If you have a staff web page, please post the file or files on your web page. You can then notify us that you wish to make it available for podcasting. We will be able to transfer the content from your web page.

As the year progresses, we will be featuring exciting interviews with various teachers and administrators as well as staff from other school districts! We also encourage all teachers to get students involved with podcasting by creating audio or video programs. There will be a major emphasis on podcasting during the 2006-2007 school year.

Please visit the other sections on this page for more detailed infomation about procedures for creating and submitting a podcast.

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The uses for podcasting in educational curriculum are limited only my your imagination! Podcasts can deliver educational content for listening or viewing on your computer and iPod, freeing learning from the constraints of the physical classroom.
A podcast is audio or visual content that is automatically delivered over a network via free subscription. Once subscribed to, podcasts can be regularly distributed over the Internet or within your school’s network and accessed with an iPod, laptop, or desktop computer (both Macs and PCs).
A podcast’s content can be anything conveyed by an audio, video file, text file or Microsoft documents, a recorded lecture, a foreign language lesson, a demonstration of biology principles, etc.. Instructors can easily create a podcast of daily assignments and lectures from class, and publish it for all of their students. Students can likewise create and publish content and deliver it to their teachers or to other students.
There is a wide-range of educational content being developed for and delivered by podcasting. These can be anything from curriculum-related presentations to professional development communities, where educators distribute content and best practices between members.

Examples: Creating a Photo Story presentation of classroom activities or documentaries
                  Student created presentations (Power Point, Photo Story, Movie Maker, video or audio)
                Video and/or photos of an educational field trip
                  Web links, audio or video used in a lesson plan or presentation
                  Educational discussions by teachers and administrators
                  Student discussions on various classroom subjects
                  Audio of vocabulary words, pronunciations, use in sentences, etc.
                  Audio and/or video of a meeting, discussion, seminar

Location:

Depending upon the content of your podcast, ambient sounds can be a desired feature of your program. In most cases, however, you will need to find a location that is quiet and free from interruptions or external sounds.

What hardware will I need?

A desktop computer or a laptop with audio input.

A microphone or a headset with a microphone (there are many headsets available at each campus). For a podcast involving more than one person you will need a microphone that can be placed in a central location, preferably a multi-directional microphone.

Audio editing software. We recommend Audacity - free software that can be downloaded HERE. If you use Audacity, you also need to download this MP3 Add-on. We have also purchased Podcasting software called Propaganda that should be available at each campus. If you would like more information about Propaganda e-mail us at podcasting@herefordisd.net . You may also call us at 363-7600 ext 1032 (Sam Curtsinger) ext 1015 (Joe Mendez) ext 1046 (Eve Delgado) ext 1013 (Irene Morales).

Content:

Generally, a podcast is more interesting if the content is unscripted. We do recommend that you have have notes, a general outline, or cue cards for your podcast to be sure you cover all of the intended subject matter. To stand out, pick an interesting topic. Just make sure the topic interests both you and your listeners. Involve students whenever possible. Otherwise, you won't have fun podcasting and eventually will lose interest.

Note: If students are involved in your podcast PLEASE BE SURE that no identifying information is given. It is fine to give first names, but DO NOT give last names or any other personal information.

Make your podcast jazzier and more professional by adding loops, snippets of music used for everything from opening the show to introducing specific segments. Find thousands of freely available loops at Flash Kit or by searching for "free sound loops" in Google.

Adjusting Volume:

When you are ready to record, plug your microphone into your soundcard's mike input and open up Windows's Volume Control. In Windows here's how:

Click: Start
Navigate to: Programs|Accessories|Entertainment|Volume Control
On Volume Control in the upper left hand corner Click: Options and highlight Properties
Select: Recording
Press: OK
Make sure you put a check in the Select box under where it says Microphone
The Volume switch can be adjusted using the slider control as you begin to do your recording

Start a new recording using Audacity, check your levels and begin your program. Edit test audio or other glitches when you are finished.

Note: Additional sound volume controls can be used in both Audacity and Propaganda.

To save your podcast file when using Audacity:

Click File.....Export as MP3. If this is the 1st time you saved a MP3 file you will be prompted to browse to the MP3 add-on file that can be downloaded above (simply browse to the add-on file that you have downloaded. It is named lame_enc.dll).

When your audio is finished and saved, you will need to remember to write down:

1. Where you saved it so you can upload it later or attach it to an e-mail, etc.
2. What the approximate file size is.

To ascertain that, just:

1. Right click on the .mp3 file you created
2. Click “properties” and note the size. As an example, it will look like this:

Size: 4.61 MB (4,834,743 bytes)

What you want to write down is 4834743 without the commas

There are several ways to submit your podcast to HISD Technology for publication:

(1) If you have a staff website, create a link to your podcast file on one of your web pages. E-mail the address of your web page and the name and size of the file to: podcasting@herefordisd.net .

(2) Create a folder on your I: drive called Podcasting. Save your file to this folder. E-mail us at podcasting@herefordisd.net and include the name of the file.

(3) IF your file is less than 100 MB (approximately 1 hour) you can e-mail us at podcasting@herefordisd.net and attach the file. Be sure to tell us the name of the Podcast, persons involved and any other information relevant to your podcast.

(4) IF your file exceeds 100 MB please do not email it. You can choose options (1) or (2) above, or you can burn a copy of your podcast on a CD and send it to us in school mail or bring it by our offices. Be sure to tell us the name of the Podcast, persons involved and any other information relevant to your podcast.

(5) IF you have audio files that are rough and unedited, you can submit the podcast by any of the methods above, but you will also need to print and complete the HISD Podcasting Submittal Form (pdf format) and send it to us. The Technology department will then complete the editing of the podcast and complete the publishing process.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please contact us at podcasting@herefordisd.net . Also, feel free to drop by our offices at the HISD Administration Building. You can reach us by phone at 363-7600 ext. 1032 (Sam Curtsinger).

All podcast content will be placed on the HISD Podcasting web page and will be included in the RSS feeds that will make your podcast available to others who subscribe to HISD podcast content.