About the Program

What are podcasts and vodcasts? (officially)

A podcast is an episodic program delivered via the Internet using an XML protocol called RSS. Podcast episodes can be audio files, video files, documents, or any combination of the three. The publisher or broadcaster podcasts the program by posting the episodes and the XML document to a Web server.   www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcastsfaq.html

(Unofficially)

Podcasts are broadcasts to which you may subscribe, download to your computer (or other device) or listen to on a host site.  Remember RSS from Topic 1?  Text is not the only format available for subscription.  Audio broadcasts (podcasts) and video broadcasts (vodcasts) are also available through subscription.  These broadcasts may be from producers you already know, such as CNN or NPR, or from any organization, such as a library, institution or individual.   Like blogs and wikis, podcasts about virtually every subject exist because anyone can produce one.  Once downloaded, podcasts may be listened to or watched at your convenience on either your computer or another device such as an MP3 player. Note: Although, the term podcast was originally derived from Apple's iPod, an iPod is not necessary to subscribe to or listen/view.   

What is downloading? (officially)

To download is to receive data from a remote or central system, such as a webserver, FTP server, mail server, or other similar systems.

Unofficially

Downloading is saving any data - photos, images, documents, music etc.- to a computer or other device from an online source such as an email or a website. You need to have the correct software on your computer to use or view the data.  The Library offers downloadable books and audiobooks through Tumblebooks (for Youth) and MyMediaMall. 

View this video to learn even more about podcasting!

Video "Podcasting in Plain English" by Common Craft

 Now let's use this technology!

First 

Explore the world of Podcasts. 

1. Go to Sarah Long's Longshots and choose a podcast (or if you know how, find a podcast you are interested in elsewhere.  You can find lots of them at iTunes, Podcast Alley, or even your favorite radio station's web site. 
2. If you listen to a Longshots podcast, simply click on  and the podcast you have chosen will play.  You'll notice that there is also a option under the "About Longshots" section.
3. If you listen to a podcast from another site you may have to subscribe. You will need a "reader" in order to do this.  Readers or Aggregators are described in Topic One, Blogs and RSS.

Second

Download a book from MyMediaMall.

1. Click here to go to MPPL's Downloadable Books and Video page.
2. Click on MyMediaMall, this will take you the MMM site
3. Check out any book you find interesting. Note: You will need a MPPL Library Card number to check out your book.  If you do not have one, please email Michelle V. for a list of MPPL Library card numbers you can use.)
4. Click Download. If your computer does not have the OverDrive Media Console, you will need to download and install it before you can download your book.
5. Follow all of the prompts.
6. Notice how you can download "parts" of the book.  For this exercise you need only to download one part.
7. Try listening to your book part once it is finished downloading.

You may use any of the computers in the Training Room, as well as the Special My Media Mall Download computer in Fiction/AV (eNet 256 -- Please note you will need to make a reservation to use this computer), each of these computers already have the OverDrive Media Console installed.

Third

Post to your blog about your experiences with podcasting and downloading from MyMediaMall.

Now that you have finished this topic, you have earned your 1 GB flash drive.  Please bring the email you receive from L2T to the Registration Desk, your flash drive is waiting there for you!