TiVo Season Pass

Here's a new way to think about explaining RSS -- RSS is like setting up a season pass to something on TiVo.

It doesn't cost anything.
It isn't a commitment.
It's easy to cancel.
It's just an easy way to get stuff delivered to your hard drive automatically.

Differentiating instruction: a big idea?

I've been thinking a lot about the challenge of differentiating instruction in the current educational environment and about the potential of applying RSS technology to curriculum and learning.

Imagine a system in which a variety of student data is fed into a managment system. This data would include not only test scores, but classroom observations, reading level, learning style preferences, native language, personal interests, etc. Then the management system generates an RSS feed that drives a customized learning plan for each student. Lessons, projects, and assignments are then given out based on each student's individual needs.

Anyone know anybody working on something like this?

Podcast observations

In producing episodes for my podcast, which is a mashup of various podcasts and other digital content of interest to educators, I've been listening to lots and lots of podcasts. As such, I have some observations and suggestions to share about podcast production.

- Production issues - The quality level of podcasts varies enormously. Many podcasts would benefit from just a little clean-up in a program like Audacity or GarageBand. Here are some easy fixes that can really help your podcast sound better: 1) Amplify audio of people who don't speak up. 2) Adjust your levels to be consistent, so that various speakers, music, and sound effects are at appropriate relative volume levels. (If you don't have the time to hand adjust each track, try the Levelator.) 3.) Try a noise removal filter to get rid of a steady hum or buzz in the background.

- Copyright issues - A lot of people are playing very fast and loose with intellectual property. Remember that when you publish a podcast online, the guidelines for classroom fair use no longer apply. Watch out for things like using copyrighted (commercial) music or reading copyrighted literature. There are many public domain, Open Source, or otherwise "shareable" resources you can use, so check them out!

- Feed issues - First, you need a feed to be a podcast. (MP3 files posted to a web site with no feed is not technically a podcast.) Secondly, test your feed with a few different podcatchers, especially iTunes and Juice. I've seen a lot of podcast feeds that don't work in one of the other or either. Also, make sure your back episodes show up in the feed for optional download if people want them.

- "Sustainability" issues - OK, here comes the rant... A podcast is a series of shows. One or two shows is not a podcast. There seem to be a lot of people out there who got enthusiastic about podcasting, produced a couple shows, and then ran out of steam. iTunes is clogged with shows that have a couple very old episodes or even nothing at all.

If you have an old podcast out there that is no longer "active," you may want to take it out of iTunes and just leave the episodes on your web site for those who want them. If you are starting a new podcast, think about whether you're ready to commit to it. If you're not sure, try just putting a few episodes on your own web site and see how it goes before you publish a feed. Another great approach is to produce a show or two for one of the podcasts that takes guest-produced episodes.

Hope these thoughts are useful. If you have your own suggestions to share with fellow podcasts, please post a comment.

AvantGo and RSS

From when I first started using handhelds years ago, one of my favorite applications has always been AvantGo. It lets me download the newspaper every morning and subscribe to numerous other publications and web sites, all free of change. Now AvantGo also supports RSS feeds, making it a great tool for keeping up on all the blogs I like to read.

RSS aggregators for handhelds

One way I keep up with news and all the web sites I read regulary is to subscribe to their RSS feeds and have them automatically downloaded to my handheld. That way I can read them whenever I have a few minutes.

One tool I use for this is MobiPocket, which is also one of my favorite FREE ebook readers. MobiPocket has a desktop tool that lets you subscribe to RSS feeds and sync them to your mobile device. (MobiPocket also has great support for multiple handheld devices.)

I also use QuickNews, which has a few additional features, like the ability to download podcasts and sync them right to your SD card. (Unlike MobiPocket, this tool is not free, but it's pretty affordable at $14.95). QuickNews supports downloading through syncing or via wireless.

If you have other RSS aggregators that you like, post a comment and let us know about them.