A+-+Audacity

When you get ready to podcast with your students there is a free program that you can use called Audacity. You will need to download the program at []. Also download an additional program (LAME encoder) to export your podcasts into MP3 files so people can hear your podcasts without having the Audacity program loaded onto their computers.

To begin podcasting make sure that all the mic settings are set correctly. Go to edit, preferences, audio IO should open up. Next, make sure your playback device is set to Microsoft Sound Mapper. You may have to change the recording device.

For example if you have a USB Logitech mic, you will need to click the pull down menu and make sure it is selected. You may begin recording your podcasts by pressing the red - record button. You will be able to save and edit files just like you save and edit in Microsoft Word using CTRL-C and CTRL-V to cut and paste audio clips you select by clicking and dragging the cursor.

Once your podcast is complete you can save your podcast as an Auacity file first, then export this same file as an MP3. The very first time you do this, the Audacity program will ask you to browse to the folder containing the LAME files. Just browse to this location and select the .enc file. The next time you export, Audacity will know where to look and you won't have to browse to the location. You will simply go to FILE, Export as, and click MP3. MP3 files are universal and are not limited to the Audacity program.

You can now upload the MP3 recordings of your podcasts to your website or to your blogger page. If you need a free webpage you can make one at [|www.weebly.com].

Happy Podcasting! media type="youtube" key="IC3VZkfdgV8" height="344" width="425"