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[marisa de dios]

What is a podcast?

You can listen to this here or click in the box

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, a podcast is "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player," but the generally accepted definition has expanded to include video as well as audio. Originally derived from a combination of "broadcasting" and "iPod.

How can I find a podcast?
There are lots of websites. The place to keep a record of these is our social marker (see enllaços). However, for today's session you may want to have a look at my favourite sites:
As usual, the BBC.
BBC podcast directory
BBC school radio
bbc 6 minute English
I also find this one very interesting because it is made for kids by kids.

You may choose to listen to these two podcasts that I have selected for the ocasion:
A Maths radio programme for 9-11 year-olds:
mathschallenge_roundnumbers.mp3
And a programme about seasons for younger children:
playtime_seasons.mp3



How do I download them?

It is not always necessary to download a podcast. You can listen to them from the web. However, as we all know, sometimes we don't have access to a computer in our school or maybe the internet connection decides not to work for us. So, downloading seems a sensible thing to do. For this purpose:
- You can suscribe to a podcast (I use ITUNES, completely free) so that you don't have to remember to download it you can have it downloaded automatically.
- You can download just a programme. I use either itunes, realplayer or audacity (with this one I record the programme while I listen and then I decide whether to make it shorter or alter it in any other way).

Once downloaded, keep the file either in your computer or in your memory stick/mp3 player.

PRACTICE: choose a podcast, download it and keep it in your MP3 player /USB

How do I play it in my class?

It's easy. All you need is a pair of speakers to plug your MP3 player to. Any computer speakers will do, but there are some good reasonably priced ones in the market.
New CD players usually have a USB plug, where you can also play your MP3 player or your memory stick. Alternatively, you can record the audio in a CD.

Podcasts can also be uploaded to a blog, for example:
PRACTICE: upload your podcast to the ning (either in add music or in a post, as upload file)

More challenging: embed your file. (See above)


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A step further: edit your podcast with AUDACITY.
audacity wiki
audacity manual

How can I use podcasts?

Apart from using them for practising listening, you can use podcasts for productive skills. How about getting your students to record and publish a podcast like the children above? And getting them to publish audio posts in the blog? And an audio magazine for the school, something like a radio programme?

VIDEOCAST/ VODCAST

Where can I find videos?
Lots of websites have videos. As with podcasts, have a look at our group in Mr Wong. For example, search for one at one of these websites :

http://www.youtube.es

http://video.google.com

http://www.dailymotion.com

vodpod

Learn English with videos

How can I download them?

From Youtube it is really easy:

http://www.bajaryoutube.com/ + add the rest of the code (for example: http://www.bajaryoutube.com/watch/?v=Ptzml1qQvZE&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div) and then save it as .flv

From other websites, I usually download with realplayer , but there are a lot other. (vlc, quicktime...)
It is quite sensible to download a video if you want to make sure that you can use it in class.

PRACTICE: download a video from youtube and save it to your USB/MP3 player

What can I do with videos?

Sample of a lesson:



animals_video.m3u

Videos can also be altered with software such as moviemaker, quicktime pro or vlc
Again, videos can also be used to practise productive skills. We can embed our own videos in our blogs with freevlog. We can also upload videos to youtube and then embed in our blog (careful with permissions, we can put a password to these videos if required)



OTHER WEB RESOURCES
There are lots of things you can use with internet in your classroom. We have already talked about quite a few, and in our social marker you have a wide list of sites. Here go a few more ideas:

WRITE A TEXT AND GET IT VOICED:

write a text and get it voiced in different accents (Maximum 500 characters, but good fun to practise )

http://www.vozme.com Nor so good quality for the moment

http://www.yakitome.com/

WRITE AND GET IT TRANSLATED AND VOICED


USE THE STORY WRITING PAGES

THE COUNTRYSIDE by mjesusra | Make your own at www.toondoo.com

USE THE MALTED MATERIAL AVAILAVABLE FROM CNICE
Order you Cd or get it here

USE THE FLASH MATERIAL AVAILABLE ON WEBS SUCH AS CNICE

CREATE EXERCISES WITH HOTPOTAOES As seen in our previous session