And better yet, I learned how to structure the rss feed so that it can be subscribed to via iTunes!

Some of you may be thinking, “so what. Big deal. I have been doing that for months or years now. He is a Directory of Academic Technology, he should have known this.” To some extent, you may be right. But it is one thing to know how to do something in theory but not have practical experience, it may be another thing to be able to go out to Google using the correct search terms and find the information, but it is another thing altogether to actually rolling up your sleeves and doing it.

This weekend, I downloaded the opening presentation that I did for our Parent Education online class, Internet 101: Gaining Digital Citizenship. I recorded this on a refurbished iRiver t30 that I helped my wife find on eBay to get me for Christmas. I opened the file in Audacity to check and edit. I noticed I have two bad habits, one is the “umm” whose sound wave looks like a lady bug (I squished those out) and also an over use of the word “piece” instead of being more descriptive. Blemishes and all, I posted the file onto the Moodle course that I have created for the interested parents in my school. I then learned the syntax to create the rss feed for the presentation, and how to make that rss feed iTunes ready. Looking at the Blogroll to the right, you will see the new link that I created so that you could subscribe to any other podcasts that I create, and I am planning on doing a few.

Once I tested by loading the feed into my iTunes, downloaded and played it, I had a real sense of accomplishment. I had set out as a goal for myself to learn how to podcast. And I am now a podcaster. Like this blog, it will be a long time until the audience reaches a critical mass. I now know that I will be able teach this to others and share the good word. It is exhilarating to be able to do something that you were not able to do. Next up, learning to record a skype conversation. Maybe next weekend.