ECISD Learner's Reflections: Podcasting with Your iPad

Source: LifeHacker's the iPad Video-Editing Work Station

Having explored the idea of the iPad as a laptop replacement several times before, I'm shocked at how easily I've fallen into the, "Doggone it, video/podcast creation sure is easy! What can I podcast?" camp. And, you know when you're trying to find something to podcast or vidcast, you've stumbled upon an awesome toolset that inspires you. I regret, this attitude may come from my childhood days of playing with pencils and notepads...I'd write for hours using a new medium, whether it was a pen or a new word processor of some sort. Why shouldn't I succumb to this with media?

Ironically, my short talk to Webmasters earlier this week involved making the transition from webmastering the way it's been done in the past--the way that many school districts and campuses are entrenched in--to digital storytelling. The best example of webmastering as digital storytelling remains, IMHO, the work of Dr. Tim Tyson when he was at MabrySchools.org. I shared some of my favorite examples with the loosely packed (not) attendees at the Webmasters meeting, and found myself sharing some of my favorite podcasting tools.

When I saw Wes Fryer's post, Best iOS Apps for Audio Recording & Sharing, I had to laugh. This is EXACTLY what I've been obsessing about earlier this week, as well as today. Grateful to my team for a Boss' Day iTunes gift card, I took the plunge and purchased a few of the apps others had bragged about but I hadn't had a chance to explore.

While Wes definitely has the edge on me in terms of podcasting, an activity I regret I've only dabbled in, I'm thrilled by the possibilities. Having played with the following tools, here's my pick of tools for an iPad:

Video or Enhanced Podcasts - Pinnacle Studio ($7.99) - This is an easy to use tool that allows you to blend video, photos, and audio easily. You can't get any easier than this. However, if you don't need video, consider using Explain Everything or Educreations to create narrated slideshows. I can imagine principals, teachers and students to share what they are learning as they learn it. Some people prefer iMovie, but having played with both, I like Pinnacle Studio's multi-track approach. You'll end up with both of these, though, since iMovie's Trailer creator is just too much fun.
Audio Only Podcasts - Hokusai Audio Editor (free, ad supported) - For a few dollars, you can remove the advertising from this audio editor. While Wes says it reminds him of Audacity, it feels like a distant cousin (and not the one you want to hang out with except every once in awhile). Still, it does the job if you're not inclined to invest in Garageband for iOS, an awesome component worth putting on your iPad.
Audio Recording - AudioNote ($4.99) - Finding a simple, easy to use audio recorder for the iPad hasn't been all that easy. I thought the ad-supported iTalk Recorder would do the job, but promptly ditched it for AudioNote (that also allows you to take notes, get audio files off via WiFi and CAF files can be edited in Audacity).

Sigh. On the iPad, you're just stuck paying for apps. Of course, i didn't even mention EverNote with it's built-in Audio recording capabilities, easy to access audio, not to mention "publishability" via RSS from within an EverNote notebook (most of the audio has to be boosted or amplified but no big deal).

What are your favorite tools?

Free Podcast Tools

iPad