In this video screencast, I will walk you through the steps needed to sign up for an account on Libsyn. I will also help you create a valid RSS feed that you can submit to either iTunes, or send to your WordPress website.

Learn how your school or school district can create it's very own podcast to support your teachers, students and create a positive brand for your community.

Learn how to create the perfect Podcast Title and Meta Data before submitting it to iTunes. For more info: @TeacherCast

Jeff sits down with Ron Drabkin and Ann Francis to discuss how OpenEd is revolutionizing the way educators provide creative lesson plans to their students using the OpenEd platform on their desktop and mobile devices.

In this screencast tutorial from TeacherCast University, we will walk you through the steps to successfully submit your podcast onto iTunes.

Rob Greenly from the New Media Show stops by the show to discuss the differences between Radio and Podcasting.

Tweet Here is how most not-so-awesome starters see podcasting: My laptop (recording equipment) +my Wi-fi + my constant jabbering = My Awesome Podcast! Sorry to pop your bubble, but that really isn’t all it takes. Well, I mean, when it comes to equipment it could be everything you need (COULD be), but to make a…

Jeff sits down with Todd Cochrane to discuss Podcasting SEO and the Blubrry Powerpress Podcasting Plugin for your WordPress website.

In this weeks episode, the TechEducators discuss Podcasting from all corners. Learn how to create, use, and distribute podcasts in your classroom today!

Tweet Blogging in the classroom was a watershed discovery for me.  I had such an acute need for a better way to manage my student’s writing, but I was wary of blogging.  There are challenges to helping students learn in an online community.  Until I met Matt Hardy from KidBlog, I viewed these risks as too big to manage on my own.  I believe that as a teacher I have to both innovate and protect my own professional reputation.  When I heard Matt talk about how he created KidBlog to support exactly the kind of connected learning I want to happen in my classroom, I realized how accessible this learning is now.  Using school specific tools like Kidblog, or  Edublogs, can give you more control and management potential than using conventional tools like Blogger, or WordPress Blogging organizes your student’s writing and makes it searchable. If you have ever tried to move 24 spiral notebooks at the same time you have to look at blogging.  When students write on the blog, or submit their work to the blog via email, the blog becomes my system to organize student work.  This got their work out of my inbox and into the blog. Blogging means it is shareable. When my student blog it is easy to allow them to read each other’s work and comment on the posts.  We teach the art of conversing in comments.  Students write about what they care about and their classmates respond.  This isn’t just writing, this is community building. Blogging means your students can write for an authentic audience Prepare your students to write public posts and share them.  I love using social media to find someone who shares my student’s passion and ask them to respond to the blog post.  There is #comments4Kids and amazing community of educators the respond to blog posts by students.  If you want ideas abut what your kids could blog about search #comments4kids and read and respond to some posts. Once I get my kids to write for a wider audience, they value their own writing more.  This is transformative for the individual and the class.  Revision becomes part of the process because a great final product actually matters.  Words are slow and often feel subjective to students, far too open to interpretation.  not like video.  So getting their words out in to the world to do real work is important.  They can see what their words have done, without the interference of grades or relationships.  Students carry this experience forward into their lives with access to a heretofore undiscovered world. Blogging means your students can write for an authentic audience by @SamPatueClick To Tweet Even if I wax poetic, I assure you that more students learned how to write in the classes I taught the used blogging, than the ones that relied on paper notebooks.  When I started blogging was when I first dreamed of my paperless classroom. Are you blogging with your students? Share your success or your struggle story with us in the comments below. Looking for an in depth guide to blogging with Kidblog? Check out this great ebook from Jeff Bradbury.

Tweet Educational Podcasting Today is a weekly podcast that celebrates podcasters and podcasting. It’s mission is to help educators learn how to create podcasts and amazing WordPress websites for their podcasts.  For more information, please visit www.EducationalPodcasting.today.   Show Topics Podcasting News Educational Podcasting Today App Creating an app to help you learn how to podcast and create an amazing website Tips Tricks Videos What would you like to see in the app? Featured Podcaster of the Day Jason Bodnar http://www.principallyspeaking.com/ Latest Episodes feature Tom Murray, Kristen Swanson, and Sharon Plante Member of the Education Podcasting Network http://www.twitter.com/APJasonBodnar Conferences and Conventions CUE Rockstar Boston! Apps University Apps University Connecticut Summit June 13-14 at Renbrook School in West Hartford Conn. ISTE TeacherCast Broadcasting LIVE from 8-12 on   About Our Guest Hi there! My name is Dustin and welcome to DustinHartzler.com. This is my personal site which highlights my other sites on the web as well as my personal blog. I’m a huge WordPress fan boy and spend my days helping users of WordPress.com sites use their websites and blogs better. I also release a weekly podcast over at YourWebsiteEngineer.com that focuses on one aspect of your WordPress website. Finally, you can follow my family’s travel adventures and keep up with the craziness that is our life with a one year old over at DustinAndMelody.com. Your Website Engineer on itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wordpress-resource-your-website/id410342775?mt=2       Share the Love If you enjoyed the show, please rate our show on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. Please join the TechEducator Podcast LIVE every Sunday night at 7:00 P.M. EST on http://www.TeacherCast.tv   Learn How To Launch Your Very Own Podcast! Are you interested in learning how to podcast? Do you want to share podcasting with your students or perhaps create a podcast from your own home?  Jeff is available for one-on-one consulting to help you learn how to bring your podcasting ideas to life.   Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail Check out our Educators Guide to Podcasting today! | Video | Slideshare Presentation     Please contact TeacherCast with any Questions or to become a guest on the show Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes   View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal) TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity   Invite TeacherCast to Speak or Broadcast at your conference Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!   Check out more TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network Shows TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/the-teachercast-app-spotlight/) Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com)

How can I record an audio podcast using SKYPE? This week I had the pleasure of working with a new podcaster to create an audio show using Skype.  There are several great ways of recording audio podcasts and the best thing for any podcaster to keep in mind is that these methods do not have to cost a ton of money. Here is what you need to do (both on Mac or Windows) to record a podcast using SKYPE audio and create a file that will be edited and produced after the interview. SKYPE In 2013, Microsoft purchased SKYPE opening the platform up to many awesome new features and advantages for podcasters.  If you are a subscriber or Office 365 you can actually sign up for SKYPE using your online username and password. If you don’t already have an account you can sign up for free at: The power and beauty of having a SKYPE account is that you can use the free application to connect with users across the world from just about any operating system or smart phone. SKYPE Call Recorder One of the best applications to have in your back pocket as a podcaster is Call Recorder for Skype.  This Windows/Mac application is simply the best and easiest way to record your SKYPE conversations.  There is a free trial of the software, but I do highly recommend the app and it’s $29.95 price.  SKYPE Call Recorder not only records your audio conversations, but if needed will record your video as well. Once recorded, Call Recorder will save your files into .MOV files that can then be edited in iMovie or Garageband. Learn The Best Way To Record Skype Audio For Your Podcast?Click To Tweet How Can I Learn More About Podcasting? Are you thinking about starting your own podcast?  Make sure you check out all of our resources on Educational Podcasting Today, the new website designed to help you create an amazing podcast and website. Follow #ClammrEDU and download the free CLAMMR app for podcasting tips, tricks, and to learn about our daily EDU.

Dear Podcasters and Web Designers TeacherCast is PROUD and EXCITED to announce the launching of our second mobile app.  Available today across all platforms, the official Educational Podcasting Today app is your one stop shop for all things Educational Podcasting and WordPress. Educational Podcasting Today is the best place for teachers to learn how to create their own podcasts. In this app, you will learn through blogs, screencasts, podcasts, and more how to create your own audio and video shows and build an amazing website using WordPress to promote your digital content. Through this app, you can subscribe to and watch LIVE all of the great podcasts in the TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network. For more information, please visit www.EducationalPodcasting.today and follow @PodcastingToday | @TeacherCast on Twitter. This app is developed with the help of MAD-Learn. What is MAD-Learn? "MAD" is short for "Mobile Application Development", and MAD-Learn is a new educational program from the Education Mobile Technology thought-leaders at Crescerance. Key features of the app include: Podcasting 101: Learn how to create your own personal or classroom podcast. This app features podcasting app reviews, equipment suggestions, and video tutorials to get you started or help you craft your podcast. WordPress 101: An Incredible collection of tips and tricks to creating the perfect digital hub for your podcast or blog including plugin reviews and design tips and tricks. LIVE Educational Programming: Watch TeacherCast LIVE Broadcasting from right inside the app Watch and Listen to more than 500 Podcasts: The entire TeacherCast back catalogue is available all under one device. Download your Educational Podcasting Today App on your favorite platform today! iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/educational-podcasting-today/id1005433782?ls=1&mt=8 iPad: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/educational-podcasting-today/id1005433782?ls=1&mt=8 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crescerance.Podcast Windows: http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/educational-podcasting/94a83040-c766-4954-b170-23c1c247f6ce/m/ROW       Acknowledgments Educational Podcasting Today would like to thank the AWESOME team at Crescerance for helping make this app possible.  For more information, please visit www.Crescerance.com today!

One of the goals for ISTE 2015 was to get the band together and do something special.  The TechEducator Podcast is a very special show created nearly 100 episodes ago with a vision to gather amazing educators from across the country and put them one one single show to demonstrate how to best use the tools we blog about in our classrooms.  I am very fortunate to be able to call Sam Patterson, Jeff Herb, David Saunders, Josh Gauthier, Chris Nesi, and Wokka Patue my friends and cohosts.  This year we were able to gather together at ISTE for our second annual LIVE podcast.  What made this show even better was that we were able to honor our audience… or in this case, celebrate the wit and genius of Peggy George. Peggy George is a friend, colleague and a wonderful person to get to know.  I met Peggy at ISTE 2 years ago in San Antonio and she instantly took me under her edu-wing and helped me tremendously.  I can’t say thank you enough to this entire group of edu-friends.  It’s been a great (almost) 100 podcasting episodes.  Here’s to another 100! Check out the TechEducator Podcast LIVE every Sunday at 7pm on TeacherCast.tv.  Share the Love If you enjoyed the show, please rate us on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. Please join the TechEducator Podcast LIVE every Sunday night at 7:00 P.M. EST on http://www.TeacherCast.tv Learn How To Launch Your Very Own Podcast! Are you interested in learning how to podcast? Do you want to share podcasting with your students or perhaps create a podcast from your own home?  Jeff is available for one-on-one consulting to help you learn how to bring your podcasting ideas to life. Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail Check out our Educators Guide to Podcasting today! | Video | Slideshare Presentation Please contact to become a guest on the show Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal) TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Invite TeacherCast to Speak or Broadcast at your conference Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE! Check out more TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network Shows TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/the-teachercast-app-spotlight/) Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com)

While many teachers embraced the idea of bringing technology in to the classroom, several otherteachers frowned upon the thought of even more technology to disrupt classroom code. Are using new and inventive ways that bad for this new generation? After all they know more about computers, mobiles, and game applications than they can ever know about libraries, slide projects, and inks. Here’s a teachers perspective on the subject.  What is Gamification? Gamification is when you choose to use the elements of a game to add flavor to the classroom environment. It works to motivate young children to reach an objective. Several organizations are making use of gamification to motivate customers. Giving badges to "first visitors", adding more data usage after "profile completion", and creating "levels" of loyalty are all examples of gamification used for company products/services.  A common misconception of Gamification is that you add video games to the classroom. Click To Tweet Using it in the classroom is no different. A common misconception is that you add video games to the classroom. This isn’t the case. Gamification in education adds the elements of a typical game and not the game itself! By creating "levels", badges, points, competition, and "lives" system, you are motivating the Gen Y’er both extrinsically and intrinsically to achieve more in the classroom.  Here are some more reasons why "Gamification" is a well-grounded concept.  Gamification Aids Cognitive Development Gamification in the classroom will enable you to encourage early cognition and cognitive development the way games do. This can also be done with the help of actual games that stimulate brain activity. There are countless products available that are intended to aid cognition by presenting the player with a set of questions or problems they are required to solve. Even if the game is not focused on "cognitive development" you can be sure that the ones that involve solving problem - which pretty much most of them do—you are aiding cognitive development.  Boosts Enthusiasm Nothing excites a child of today’s age the way games do. Unlike the past generations, today’s children have games everywhere and in possibly every device they own. These games are far more addictive andadvanced than they were back in the days when classic arcade games were the only ones available. By adding gamification in the classroom you are creating a "hook" to education that keeps them at the edge of their seats in order to "win" their game.  Simplifies Engagements and Reduces Tedious Tasks Back in the days when technology wasn’t so advanced, teachers had to craft several time-consuming techniques to drive engagement. For instance, field trips, special "days", color-based charts for grading, group activities all required heaps of work to create. Technology always aims to produce more in less. Similar to a coursework servicethat reduces the amount of work you need to do, gamification and use of technology are perfect for teachers who want to reduce the workload while still driving engagement.  Gamification Allows Students to Track their Progress With the help of badges, points, levels, and lives, you are instantly giving each student individual attention. Gamification also allows students to track their own progress in a manner they can easily comprehend. Students can directly and visually see where in the stand compared to the rest of the students—creating natural and healthy competition.  Gamification Gives Student Autonomy One of the biggest problems with weak students in the classroom is that they fail to realize the fact that they are on their own when it comes to education and learning. They depend on teachers, friends, or parents to assist the learning process. With gamification, students are bound to acknowledge the fact that it is entirely up to them. With this, they achieve autonomy and find ways to learn in their own, most preferred, ways.  Martin Berk enjoys his time exploring new trends on the topics he loves to write like blogging, Arts and education. He mostly spends his leisure hours polishing his photography skills or surfing Google+

Educational Podcasting Today is a weekly podcast that celebrates podcasters and podcasting. It’s mission is to help educators learn how to create podcasts and amazing WordPress websites for their podcasts.  For more information, please visit www.EducationalPodcasting.today. Show Topics In todays show, we are going to look at podcasting at a conference.  We are going to talk about what types of equipment you should have with you and how to walk up to a total stranger and ask them for an interview.  We will also discuss how you can properly archive those interviews using your WordPress website. Announcements Educational Podcasting App has LAUNCHED! Podcasting 101 WordPress 101 Listen LIVE Screencasts, Blog Posts, 1:1 Help from ME! ISTE Conference was AWESOME! 30+ Hours of Live Broadcasting Worked at Google Booth, WireCast Booth 5 hours with Microsoft Education LIVE Podcasters Birds of a Feather Podcasting News WTF Podcast Hits New Download Record Beginners Guide to Learning About Podcasting Podcasting on iTunes is 10 Years Old … Happy Birthday WordPress News WordPress Foundation Sues TheWordPressHelpers.com for $100,000 WordPress.TV is branching out to include beginner tutorials Upcoming Conferences CUE Rockstar Boston August 4-6, 2015 Listener Question What is the best way of attending a conference as a podcaster? The best advice for anyone attending a conference, especially a mega-conference such as ISTE is to do your homework on the sessions and presenters.  Don’t spend your time sitting a session when you can just as easily be reading a blog post or checking out the presenters notes after the conference. Know what type of content you want to record before you go in, but have enough equipment and hard drive space with you just in case you have additional interviews to do. Bring backup batteries or portable battery chargers! Call To Action Download the Educational Podcasting Today App for your mobile device and learn how to create your own podcast! About Our Guest Brent Warner is an ESL Professor at the Community College level and is a technology integration enthusiast. He is the proprietor of www.EdTech.tv and loves discussing the crossroads of education and technology. Brent is the host of the EdTechTV Podcast and you can contact him any time through twitter at @EdTechTV Twitter: @EdTechTV Instagram: @EdTechTV YouTube: EdTech.tv/youtube Facebook: Facebook.com/EdTechTV Google+: google.com/+EdtechTv101 Thank You For Your Podcast Reviews Are you enjoying Educational Podcasting Today or other shows on the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today.  I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week. Ask Me Your Podcasting or WordPress Question Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Do you need help creating an awesome WordPress website?  I am available for 1:1 consulting.  Please visit my homepage and I will help you launch your personal brand today! Contact Me Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes Check Out More TeacherCast Programming TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/appspotlight) Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com) View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal) TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Need a Presenter? Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

Are you able to navigate your way through the Google Apps for Education Administration Menu? In this podcast we take you through it step by step! The TechEducator Podcast is a weekly round table discussion about current topics in educational technology.  For more information, please visit www.techeducatorpodcast.com. Many great ways to participate in the TechEducator Podcast. TechEducatorPodcast.com Follow us Live on Video: http://www.TeacherCast.tv Leave a Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail Email: feedback@Teachercast.net Twitter: @TechEdShow (http://www.twitter.com/techedshow) Hashtag: #TechEducator Hosts: Jeff Bradbury - TeacherCast.net - @TeacherCast Jeff Herb - InstructionalTechTalk.com - @InstTechTalk Sam Patterson - MyPaperlessClassroom.com - @SamPatue Chris Nesi - Education the Nesi Way - @MrNesi David Saunders @DesignSaunders Josh Gauthier @mrgfactoftheday Show Information http://learn.googleapps.com http://admin-training/googleapps.com Thank You For Your Podcast Reviews Are you enjoying Educational Podcasting Today or other shows on the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today.  I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week. Ask Me Your Podcasting or WordPress Question Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Do you need help creating an awesome WordPress website?  I am available for 1:1 consulting.  Please visit my homepage and I will help you launch your personal brand today! Contact Me Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes Check Out More TeacherCast Programming TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/appspotlight) Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com) View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal) TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Need a Presenter? Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

Download Listen in a New Window iTunes Stitcher SoundCloud Leave a Review Clammr It Subscribe via RSS Subscribe on Android Follow @TeacherCast Leave a VoiceMail One of the hottest devices being showcased this year at the ISTE conference was Swivl.  Swivl is a complete video solution that provides presenters the ability to capture video during their lessons and create self-directed learning experiences for their students. About Swivl Video is a powerful tool but simply watching a video is a passive experience. Swivl not only makes it easy for teachers, students and administrators to capture video to share with others, we provide features to make video an interactive experience. Teacher Growth and Reflection - Improve performance through video observations and self-reflection, coaching and evaluation. Self-Directed Learning - Encourage student-ownership of learning by allowing students to create, share, and reflect individually and in small groups. Productivity and Effectiveness - Keep students engaged and informed through video playlists aligned to support materials with online note-taking and time-stamped discussions. Links of interest www.Swivl.com @GoSwivl About our Guest Scott Caulfield is the Director of Channels & Sales at Swivl. Prior to that, he worked at Promethean as an Education Consultant for 9 years. If you are a member of Promethean Planet, you may recognize Scott’s voice and quick wit as he developed and produced the ActivTips. Scott Caulfield is a former teacher at Twin Creeks Middle School in Spring ISD, Texas.  He was founder of the School Newspaper (The Echo), Head Basketball Coach and Technology Integration Mentor.  He was named 2005 Teacher of the Year Runner-Up and Intel Teach to the Future Master Teacher. Scott lives in Indianapolis with his wife and their 2 year old son, James. Follow Scott on Twitter @EdTechScott. Share the Love If you enjoyed the show, please rate us on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. Please join the TechEducator Podcast LIVE every Sunday night at 7:00 P.M. EST on http://www.TeacherCast.tv Learn How To Launch Your Very Own Podcast! Are you interested in learning how to podcast? Do you want to share podcasting with your students or perhaps create a podcast from your own home?  Jeff is available for one-on-one consulting to help you learn how to bring your podcasting ideas to life. Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail Check out our Educators Guide to Podcasting today! | Video | Slideshare Presentation Please contact to become a guest on the show Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal) TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Invite TeacherCast to Speak or Broadcast at your conference Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE! Check out more TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network Shows TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/the-teachercast-app-spotlight/) Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com)

I’m an educator and I’m new to podcasting.  I’m setting up a website for the first time and I want to choose the right domain name. Should I set up www.MyName.com or www.MyPodcast.com? So you want to start a podcast and you are interested in setting your first website up to support it?  Perhaps you are looking to create a blog for your professional career and you would like to support it by creating a podcast.  There are several things that you can do to choose the best domain name for your website and setup a support system for both your professional blog and your podcast, but first you need to make the right decision about your domain name and most importantly you need to know the reasons why you are making that decision.  Chances are, the right answer is right in front of your eyes. Lets first start by examining what it is exactly that you are selecting. Domain Names A Domain Name is your Top Level URL.  It is the name (usually) by which you will brand yourself by.  Typically, a domain name goes on your business cards, flyers, email signatures, and t-shirts.  It is the one piece of information you will be saying over and over again to everyone you meet.  It is your identity.  It is your trademark.  It is your brand.  It is essentially… you. When purchasing domains I suggest purchasing in bulk.  After all, they are cheap.  If you are getting www.MyName.com, you should also check into the .org, .net, .me and my personal favorite, .guru.  This might sound like I’m telling you to go on a shopping spree. I’m not.  I’m suggesting that you look out for your brand by securing your future.  If you don’t believe me, visit www.freetechforteachers.com and www.Freetech4teachers.com.  In the case of this website, I own TeacherCast.net, .org, .mobi, .guru, and a few other combinations. So…. Should I buy BOTH Types of Domains? If you are asking whether or not you should purchase BOTH the domain for your name and your podcast my answer is ABSOLUTELY going to be YES.  I would even suggest picking up www.MyClass.com and www.MyClassPodcast.com if you are interested in going down an extra route.  You never know where the traffic will come from. This is the reason why several companies have researched the most common ways their domains are mistyped and then go out and purchase those incorrectly spelled domains.  It sounds weird but….  if it brings a sale to an online store, or if it brings a listener typing with their thumbs to your podcast…. it might be worth a thought. But…. Which Domain Name Should Be Attached To My Website? To get back to answering the primary question, we must first take yet another tangent and understand a bit about websites and the way SEO works.  When you create your website, weather it be in WordPress, Wix, Weebly or even FrontPage, your website is coded in a language known as HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language.  Somewhere near the very top of your page is a Header code.  This identifies the website to the world.  It’s one of the first, if not THE first thing that search engines find when they crawl and index web pages.  Your domain name is not just found on the header of our main index page, it is actually found (if done correctly) on the top of EVERY one of your pages on your website.  When people randomly do a search for you or your podcast, Google will first index your site, your blog, and your podcast by the domain because that is what the header code is suggesting it does. I Think I’m Starting To Understand…. Lets say for example that you are setting up a blog for your website and you were going to be writing about things you do in your classroom.  There are two "best practices" happening in education right now.  The first example is to create a title for your blog and use that title for your domain name.  www.freetechforteachers.com is a very good example.  The second example is to simply go with your name as the blog title.  Both would look good on your business cards.  Right??? Lets say for example, that you are setting up a website for ONLY your podcast.  You are not planning on using it for anything other than podcasting show notes and a way to promote your podcast. There are also two "best practices" happening in education right now.  The first example is to create a website with your podcasts name as the domain.  A Good example of this is www.InstructionalTechTalk.com.  A second example is to again, use your name in the blog post title. A great example of this is www.ChrisNesi.com.  In both of these cases, Chris Nesi and Jeff Herb are podcasters who have set up websites to support their podcasts, but have chosen differently when it came to their domain name.  In both cases, these decisions are perfectly acceptable. But… I Now Own Two Domains…. Is there More? Lets dig a little deeper down the website rabbit hole.  One of the little gems of the internet that help improve your search rankings is something called Webmaster Tools.  Google, Bing, and many other major search companies offer a set of tools designed to help marry your website to their search engine crawlers.  This process is simple to setup, but very troublesome to master. The bottom line is… here is where our answer truly lies (for now).  In Webmaster tools, lets take Google for example.  You first introduce your website to the webmaster tools by creating a new profile to it.  This profile needs to be EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING GENERATED FROM YOUR WEBSITE.   I kinda stress this because my suggestion is to actually do this process twice.  The first time through, you need to know what your website is telling the world your domain is.  Are you sharing www.MyName.com or are you sharing simply MyName.com.   Where we all know when doing a Google search, the actual search engine knows that we are always going to refer to the MyName.com as www.MyName.com and in another reality by making your website officially leave off the www’s actually brings up your website faster (it’s true), understanding how your website has set up your official domain name is essential to setting up Webmaster tools correctly.  Where I can, and I will go into Webmaster tools in much more depth in another blog post, my suggestion is simply this.  Setup webmaster tools for your www.MyName.com and after a few days, go back in and to the entire process again, but for the non "www" version of your domain name… and yes, do them a few days apart so the search engines have time to crawl your site properly the first time. Ok, I Understand Webmaster Tools….  Are We Done Yet? What Does An IP Address Mean? Not done yet because we haven’t yet talked enough about Domain Functionality.  Each website has one and only one domain name.  This is the handshake between your domain name provider and your website.  The connection is known as DNS, or Domain Name System.  The job of the DNS is to translate your pretty name into digital code known as IP (Internet Protocol) Addresses. Each computer has a unique IP Address.  You can check yours by going to www.whatismyipaddress.com.  So… One Website … One Domain. But Domains can also be FORWARDED.  A Forwarded domain is a domain not directly attached to a website that simply acts like the mail system does when you move.  You have your mail forwarded to a different address.  You can have a domain forwarded to a different address.  Check out www.EducationalPodcasting.tips and see what happens to the address above.  In this example, I set up several domains for the various sections of TeacherCast.  Instead of telling people to go to TeacherCast.net/???/^^^/12345 I simply tell them to go to www.TechEducatorPodcast.com and it takes them to the correct page. There are two types of domain forwarding: Masked and Unmasked. Masked Domain: When You click on the Domain, it takes you to a page.  On that page and in any page you click from that part on, the original domain will still be shown on the address bar.  Essentially, the location you have been taken to is then being "masked" from you seeing it. Unmasked Domain:  When you click on the domain, the domain you think you are going to is no longer in the address bar and you then see a different url.  This is the way I have setup www.TeacherCastUniversity.com. Ok, I Understand Webmaster Tools and Domain Masking… Are We Done Yet? With all of this in mind, it is quite easy and logical to come to a conclusion on your domain choice when setting your website up for the first time.  You have the option of setting up the blog with www.MyName.com and having www.MyPodcast.com automatically forward itself to your podcasting category.  You can then register your domain with Webmaster tools and know that everything will be setup publicly and professionally the way it is best for you and for your podcast.  In my setup here, I have created TeacherCast.net to be the home for my research, my podcasts and my professional live.  Where it was once broken into 25 (yes really) different WordPress sites, it is not all contained in one single WP install.  I own 40+ domain names and they are setup to protect each of my podcasts and educational adventures.  Additionally, I also have www.JeffreyBradbury.com and www.JeffBradbury.me setup.  These sites are not blogs, and they are not for podcasts, but they are simply my digital resume.  They are linked to this page up on the top left menu but for "safety reasons" and SEO reasons, I have chosen to put my online resume outside of my TeacherCast world. In Conclusion (Still With Me?) No matter what decision you make, always remember the design and decision for all of your online adventures are totally up to you and you can simply make a decision by looking in the mirror and playing a fun game of One Person Rocks Paper Scissors.  If you do take that route, please email me and let me know who won. Here are the facts, once you make the decision, it’s very difficult to change it without literally creating a brand new website and starting from scratch.  Choose what you want people to search for you as. Choose how you want Google to search for you as.  Choose what looks best on your business cards and t-shirts.  But… all and all… my biggest suggestion beyond learning all of what I wrote about above…….  forget about all of it and go out and make great podcasts!   Ask Me Your Podcasting or WordPress Question Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Do you need help creating an awesome WordPress website?  I am available for 1:1 consulting.  Please visit my homepage and I will help you launch your personal brand today! Contact Me Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes Check Out More TeacherCast Programming TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/appspotlight) Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com) View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal) TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Need a Presenter? Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

It’s a new school year and classrooms are beginning to buzz with the noises associated with a new school year.  With each passing day, more teachers will be reading handbooks, lecturing on class rules, and asking students what they did over the summer.  Did you know however, for many classrooms around the world, their school years will be started by listening to podcasts?  Prerecorded audio and video shows that their teachers created over the summertime are being used more now than ever as a way to flip classrooms and bring in a new type of learning. TeacherCast is excited to be apart of the 2015 International Podcast Day Educational team.  Last summer, I had the privilege of interviewing Steve and David Lee, two of the founding members of last years National Podcast Day.  Due to the huge success of last years events, this year the team is taking this movement global. Over the next several weeks, TeacherCast along with several educational podcasters will be creating blogs and podcasts to support International Podcasting Day. If you are a teacher who uses podcasting in the classroom we would love to hear from you.  If you are already a podcast creator in your own home studio, we are looking to hear from you as well.  Please take a moment and fill our our Google Form below and please take a moment to share this blog post across your PLN so that we may help bring podcasting into as many classrooms as possible. Thank you for the support and lets have an amazing International Podcast Day 2015! Jeff  

As the 2015 school year begins, I’m looking forward to several major events.  I’m excited to be starting a new position as a Technology Integration Specialist in a fantastic school district in North Jersey.  I am also excited about the relocation of my family almost 120 miles north.  Due to this move, I am extremely excited to be able to create a pretty wicked podcasting studio to become the home of TeacherCast. For the next few weeks, I will be sharing my adventures in Podcast Studio Design. I am moving my workspace into an 8×10 room and will be taking photos of the journey from it’s transformation from spare bedroom to broadcasting mega studio. Choosing The Equipment That Is Right For You One of the first things you want to think about when building a podcasting studio is the equipment that will be going into it.  Having proper electrical and wiring is essential to creating a clean space for both you and your toddlers.   This is where you stop thinking in terabytes and start thinking in twist ties. Choosing the best equipment does not always mean choosing the best or most expensive equipment. What Equipment Should I Purchase? Below is a nice representation of some of the equipment I use in my studio.  I’m sure I will be adding to the list as I relocate and begin the building process.  Additional features to the studio I’m excited about are additional cameras, and camera angles.  I’m also excited to being able to create a studio where I can invite guests in for in-room interviews. Stick with me over the next few weeks as I transform one medium sized bedroom and turn it into an edupodcasters dream space.

Greenscreen technology is an inexpensive technology to support, once you already have devices in your classroom. Teachers can get started with classroom greenscreen effects without spending anything on an app and very little on supplies. Here are my rop 5 tips for getting started with greenscreen in the classroom. Mind Your Budget Do it cheap. Bright green felt will work as a backdrop and the lights in your room my be good enough to get started. Think In Bulk Many small green screens are better than 1 big one. Deploy as many as you can and let students use them often. They will discover amazing uses for this fun video technology. Keep It Clean Iron your backdrop. Wrinkles make shadows, and shadows kill the greenscreen illusion. Have an iron on hand and be sure to use it regularly to keep the backdrops smooth. Three Feet Are Better than Two Feet Tripods triple video watchability. Teachers everywhere agree, tripods really help. Lighting Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive Use the best light you can. Don’t tape your backdrop to a window, avoid shadows. If your school will support it, consider getting some inexpensive lights. In this video you can see the proper technique for ironing a greenscreen.

If you’re a teacher, chances are you were taught how to teach. You likely didn’t get training on how to be an IT guru. Which is why it’s so wonderful that some teachers are doing as much as they are when it comes to figuring out technology in their classrooms. Some technically inclined teachers are finding and configuring their own classroom management systems, for instance, or trying to make multiple apps work together that weren’t designed to. Hooray to teachers who have these skills and tenacity. But should teachers even be shouldering this burden? Learning management systems (LMSes) are possibly the worst time sinks. Should individual teachers have to assess the pros and cons for themselves of systems like Edsby, Google Classroom, Edmodo, Schoology or Moodle? Should they have to be canvassing colleagues for recommendations? Should they then have to set up their own accounts and manage their students and, in K-12, parents? Here are a handful of reasons why I think it’s time teachers got more help in choosing and setting up classroom applications: Teachers have more important things to do Teachers live to teach. Yet a good LMS, for instance, is something many individual teachers—if Twitter chatter is any indication—are investing a LOT of time comparing and configuring. Time that could be better spent on lesson planning, grading, parent communication and helping students succeed. Is professional development the answer? Should teachers be getting trained in how to find and configure LMS-like applications? That’s pretty technical stuff, and not everyone has the time and interest. Too many apps make parents unhappy A given teacher might be using a handful of apps: for learning management (Edmodo? Moodle?), parent communication (Remind?), classroom management (ClassDojo?), Google Classroom for assignment submission, Twitter for homework notification. And their kids’ other teachers might be using different things. Parents often now need whole handfuls of apps, usually with different logins, to follow their kids’ progress. Can you imagine what that’s like for parents? All these apps are likely making TEACHERS unhappy Do the apps teachers have chosen talk to each other? Do they find themselves duplicating information? How many different apps do they have to update themselves, or "codes" do they have to send home, when students enter or leave their classes? It’s a veritable jungle of apps in schools and classrooms, and it distracts from the primary purpose: teaching and learning. Parent and student management headaches Teachers shouldn’t be managing lists of students and parents and their contact info themselves. Students come and go. Parents get separated and divorced, and their relationships to their kids change over time. Occasionally, parental access needs to be revoked to students’ information. Teachers shouldn’t be expected to have to manage this. Legal exposure If parents or others get sensitive student data when they shouldn’t because of apps teachers have installed and manage themselves, they and their employers could be liable, according to CIPPA, COPPA, FERPA and other regulations. This culpability is unnecessary and easily avoided by district administrators. A digital divide between teachers hurts students If individual teachers are setting up their own apps, a disparity emerges between students whose teachers are clever and/or motivated enough to incorporate tools like these, and students whose teachers are not. If this is the case, some classes will have collaboration, standards-based assessments and modern parent communication, and some won’t. Is that fair? So What’s the Answer? I feel strongly that school districts need to lead when it comes to sourcing and rolling out complex systems like these. My business partners and I have spent more than 25 years building enterprise applications for education, and time and again we’ve seen that district-level introduction of complex communication and assessment systems makes sense. Why? Reasons include: One app, one login - for teachers, students and parents One learning management app, for instance, can function as a single point of contact for all communication between teachers, students and parents in a district. Even individual teacher websites can quietly go away when everything that needs to be shared between all stakeholders is being shared using a good education engagement system. With a good, well-used LMS that can be accessed any time from anywhere on anything, students and parents know where to go for latest information. School and district database connections manage class creation, enrollment and contact information Teachers never have to put students in classes or manage parent contact information themselves when software is connected to district systems. It’s a huge time savings. When students and parents come and go, connected systems magically update themselves. Without teachers having to do updates. The management work of free systems like Edmodo are one of the reasons teachers stop using them after a few years. Keeping them up to date is a lot of work. All teachers—not just clever ones!—benefit, as do all students When the district investigates, configures and rolls out software and ties it to its central student information system (SIS) and other district databases, all teachers get to use it. Not just the ones (like you?) willing to invest time on the bleeding technology edge. District-managed approaches put critical tools like learning management systems in the hands of EVERY teacher—and as a result every student and every parent in an area. This is key to really moving the needle. Uniform assessment and reporting When installed at the district level, an official district-wide electronic gradebook saves teachers time and hassle. Especially if it’s been configured to use the district’s official grading scheme and reports grades the way the district wants them at report card time. Bonus if it can share students’ grades, and other important information like attendance and teachers’ qualitative observations, securely with parents throughout the year without teachers having to do anything extra. Customizable to the way districts do things Some systems can be customized to use the terms and assessment schemes a district uses. If they can embrace the educational standards in your area, you can assess your students and report their progress against them. And be in compliance with state, provincial and/or federal guidelines. A generic, free product won’t have customization specific to your state, province or district. A throat to choke if needed If a school district rolls something out district wide, it’ll likely be a commercial product from a software vendor. So if the system doesn’t work as planned, the company can be held accountable to make it right. Teachers adopting tools willy-nilly don’t have any clout individually with software companies. Especially if using free products. And if their free tool goes away at some point in the future, tough luck. So, if you’re a teacher, make friends with the instructional technology people at your school district. Introduce yourself. Share your needs. Invite them to investigate systems on behalf of all the teachers in your district. The better they understand your requirements and how they might be similar or different from those of your colleagues, the high the likelihood they’ll find a district-wide solution to your needs. It lowers the probability that you’ll have to become a tech guru yourself. And by being a force for improved transparency and effectiveness, you’ll help make things better for all the teachers and students and parents in your area. Scott Welch is Co-Founder of Edsby, a learning management system for K-12 school districts. Learn more about Edsby at www.edsby.com.

Download Listen in a New Window iTunes Stitcher SoundCloud Leave a Review Clammr It Subscribe via RSS Subscribe on Android Follow @TeacherCast Leave a VoiceMail Jeff sits down with Scott Welch, Vice President of Sales from Edsby to discuss how teachers, students AND parents are using Edsby in their schools.  Edsby is a robust, cloud-based, mobile learning management system that incorporates social learning, course planning, assessment management, and much more into a simple, easy to use package for the entire school community. About Edsby Edsby is a modern, cloud-based learning management system (LMS) for K-12 school districts that uses latest web and mobile technologies to connect teachers, students and parents in exciting new ways. Among its tightly integrated features social learning, school news, group collaboration, assessment management, timetables and calendars, course planning, report cards, attendance and more. Edsby transforms how students, teachers, parents and administrators engage. Students and parents can check grades, attendance, homework and more from a web browser, tablet or mobile phone. Edsby also provides a rich experience for teachers and administrators, who can manage curriculum in Edsby and assess student progress. Unlike other LMSes, Edsby is designed specifically for K12. To make rollouts quick and to minimize ongoing administration, it integrates tightly with existing student information (SIS) and authentication systems, leveraging data and security policies that already exist. And it allows for the deep customization required district-by-district, even while being cloud-based. Links of interest Company website: http://edsby.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/edsby Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edsby LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edsby Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/edsby About Scott H.E. Scott Welch - Vice President of Sales, Edsby Scott Welch has a co-op degree in math from the University of Waterloo, which he graduated from in 1986. He worked at Nortel as a co-op student in 1984, when he became the only co-op student ever transferred from Canada to the Nortel lab in Silicon Valley. He joined full-time in 1986, becoming part of the team building Meridian Mail. Along with two partners, he left Nortel in 1989 to start SoftArc Inc. Serving as CEO until 1999, Scott provided product management and business leadership as SoftArc grew from 3 to over 100 employees and became Centrinity. Scott played a key role in Investor Relations and was instrumental in completing two successful secondary public offerings, including a $25 million self-syndicated offering. After the acquisition of Centrinity by Open Text, Scott continued his role as Chief Evangelist for FirstClass. Scott has extensive experience in the public eye, having appeared at over 500 user groups, trade shows, investor conferences and industry symposiums. With the same founding team from FirstClass, Scott started Edsby. At Edsby, Scott serves as a connection between customers and the engineering and design groups, which he believes is crucial for the long-term success of any software company.     Thank You For Your Podcast Reviews Are you enjoying Educational Podcasting Today or other shows on the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today.  I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week. Ask Me Your Podcasting or WordPress Question Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Do you need help creating an awesome WordPress website?  I am available for 1:1 consulting.  Please visit my homepage and I will help you launch your personal brand today! Contact Me Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes Check Out More TeacherCast Programming TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/appspotlight) Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com) View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal) TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Need a Presenter? Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!