Be part of Sierra College on iTunes U!
Sierra College’s iTunes U site is experiencing roughly 800 downloads each week! What will be the topic of your podcast…your class, your program, your department, conversations about a hot topic, student clubs? Use your imagination! Get started with your podcast debut this semester by enrolling in podcasting workshops in the iTech Lab!

It’s easy to design your own podcasting training path! Just select at least one workshop that fulfills each of the three basic podcasting steps:
Step 1: Getting Started, Step 2: Content Creation, Step 3: Go Live! Look for the iTunes Logo to select your classes.
Need FERC Credit?? 1 unit of FERC is available for faculty attending all 5 podcasting workshops.

Workshop Descriptions

What’s a Podcast? – 3 hours
This introductory workshop demystifies podcasting. You will learn the basic components of podcasting, explore how podcasts are being used in education around the nation, and gain hands-on experience locating, downloading and subscribing to podcasts in iTunes.
Podcasting Step 1: Getting Started


Camtasia (Windows Only) – 4 hours
Create your own videos (screencasts, lecture movies or video tutorials) using this powerful program! You will learn the basics of recording and editing your movie and export your finished product into a variety of file types (including an iPod movie for your podcast on iTunes U).
Podcasting Step 2: Content Creation


Creating an Audio Podcast – 4 hours
Welcome to the wonderful world of audio! Personalize your students’ learning experience with your own voice, create a radio show with your colleagues or students, interview guest speakers, the opportunities are endless! In this workshop you will learn to record and edit your own audio files using Audacity, a free software program for PC and Mac users, and export these files into an mp3 file formatted for a podcast episode.
Podcasting Step 2: Content Creation


Creating a Video Podcast - 4 hours
This isn’t your parents’ video! Welcome to the video revolution! Experience a simple way to use a handheld digital camera to record a video perfectly formatted for a podcast episode or to be uploaded to YouTube!


Using iTunes U for Podcasting – 4 hours
This workshop is for participants who have developed podcasting content (audio or video files) and are ready to host these files on Sierra College’s iTunes U site! You will learn to add metadata to your files, log-in to your employee iTunes U account, customize your podcast page and upload/manage your episodes.
Podcasting Step 3: Go Live!


Social Networking Using Ning – 3 hours
Social Networking & Course Design...the Mashup!
The power of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook can be seen all around us. Learn how to apply the power of social networking to your classes. You will create a social networking site for a course and learn the basics of how you can use it to create community and engage students with the course content and one another.


VoiceThreads – 3 hours
“What’s a VoiceThread,” you ask? It's an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (Powerpoints, PDFs, images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or webcam. These visual conversations can be shared with one person, a group of people or the whole world...the choice is yours. In this workshop, you will explore effective applications of VoiceThread in your role at Sierra College, participate in a VoiceThread discussion and, in exchange for your commitment to use VoiceThread at Sierra College, you will receive a free PRO VoiceThread account (a $59.99 value!!). Oh, and they can be exported and used as a podcast episode!
Podcasting Step 2: Content Creation

Jing – 1.5 hours A free application for PCs and Macs for creating video screencasts of your computer screen that are instantly uploaded to the web. Make videos in minutes and share them with your students or colleagues to visually answer their questions! This will rock your world! Preview Jing on your own!

Animoto – 1.5 hours Produce your own MTV style videos with your own photos. Create videos in minutes that are as quality as the stuff you see on TV. Preview Animoto on your own!

Echo360 - 2 hours
Using the Echo360 Blackboard Building Block you can automatically publish rich media educational materials to you Blackboard course shell. Record lectures using this application allowing students gain unbounded access to their educational content and the opportunity to relive their classroom experience for improved comprehension and satisfaction. Bring a PowerPoint presentation with you on a flash drive to this workshop.

CCC Confer - 3 hours
In this workshop learn how to use CCC Confer and explore its application including office hours, virtual lectures, meetings and more. The CCC Confer project is funded from a grant from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. CCC Confer was designed to allow communication and collaboration, using the latest Web conferencing technology, for all staff, faculty and administrators in the California Community Colleges system. It is ADA and Section 508 accessible.

Blackboard 9 Module I - 2 hours
Acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively utilize Blackboard in an online and web-enhanced class. All primary functions of Blackboard will be covered including the course environment, setup, content and tools.

Blackboard 9 Module II - 2 hours
Learn to use journals, blogs, peer assessment and groups in Blackboard.

Blackboard 9 Module III - 2 hours
Learn to use assessments and the grade center in Blackboard.