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First: Plan, plan, plan
- Pick a topic: Pick a topic you already know about (best bet -- a lecture you know cold) and plan what you're going to say. The less you have to worry about the topic, the more you can focus on the steps.
- Decide on a speaker: Plan who is going to speak, you or your students. Is this a lecture on transcendentalism? Or are students giving podcast reports on their trip to a local animal sanctuary?
- Practice: Doing one yourself first will give you a better idea of how everything works. (Does the microphone pick up the sound of the air conditioner turning on?).
- Start small: Start with a basic (audio only) podcast and then build up to an enhanced podcast (in which you add slides,
as in a PowerPoint presentation) and finally, gulp, a vodcast (audio and video). See What
is a Podcast? for more information on the three types of podcasts.
Second: Can we talk? (Recording the podcast)
- The software: If you've got Windows XP, you simply can use Sound Recorder (Start > Programs > Accessories)
to record and save your podcast. Apple users can choose from Quick Time Pro or Garage Band (cost varies).
Or, try Audacity as this author did. It's
cross-platform, easy-to-use and -- most importantly -- free.
- The hardware: Okay, lots of folks say you need a fancy microphone. Do you really? That depends on your computer's internal
microphone. All the podcasts you heard in What
is a Podcast? were done with internal microphones on laptops. You can spend lots of money on a mic, but
first check to see if you really need to.
- The process: This is pretty simple. Open the software program, click the record button, and speak clearly. Press the stop button, and save your file. (Different programs save work differently.)
That's it. If possible, save your file as a WAV file. If you can't, don't worry. We'll change it later.
Next: Convert the format.
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