Podcasting

           A podcast is an audio file that can be subscribed to by listeners in order for them to play the files on their computer or download them to their MP3 players. The use of podcasts and the ability to download them onto MP3 players, such as an iPod, make it a great resource to be used amongst students in classrooms. Duke University distributed iPods to their incoming freshman in 2004 to be used academically to listen to recorded lectures and discussions for their courses. The students were able to keep these iPods and were expected to use them throughout the rest of their collegiate experience. This audio tool is very beneficial to students, allowing them to listen to lectures at their convenience and enabling them to go back and repeat sections they may have found confusing. Apple has now created enhanced podcasting in which listeners can see photos and vodcasting, which allows listeners to see video clips. These two enhancements to podcasts are even more beneficial to students who use them to learn course material and it serves as a cost efficient way to study. Podcasting is a new and rapidly developing technology and is proving itself as a great resource for the classroom.

           As a telecommunications major I feel as though podcasts would be a unique way to keep constant news flowing to viewers. News reports could be recorded and an uploaded on to the station’s website immediately for the public to listen too. This would be extremely convenient for those people who like to stay up to date on the news but work in offices all day with no TV access. With podcasts they would be able to go onto the website, download the podcast, and listen to the report as they continue to work. That’s another great advantage to the podcast for my field, it allows people to continue whatever they are doing while just listening rather than having to sit and read through an entire article which can sometimes be mundane. Podcasting is a very innovative new technology and I think it would be beneficial to the telecommunications field to find creative ways, such as the one I suggested above, to incorporate it into everyday news.

In class we watched a couple videos that explained how to use certain technological tools in plain English. I really enjoyed these videos because they did make using each tool a lot clearer and easier, so when I found Podcasting in Plain English, I had to share it in my blog post. It explains how Podcasting lessens our dependency on traditional media and we don’t have to sit around the television at a certain time to watch our favorite TV show. All because podcasting allows us to download these shows off the Internet and have them on our computer, which in turn allows us to download them onto our MP3 players and listen to them whenever we want, wherever we want. Also, it is possible for pretty much anyone to create their own podcast to share on the web and anyone who may be interested in their podcast can subscribe and enjoy. Podcasting allows everyone to have a voice.