Introduction:

Long Middle School is dedicated to disseminating information to its parents and the community at large using as many available resources as possible.  Podcasting utilizes newly developed technology and is an easy and efficient way of meeting this goal.

Podcasting enables us to deliver audio/video files automatically to your computer.  You can then listen to these files directly on your computer or transfer them to your iPod or other mp3 player.

Getting Started:

Don't worry it is really a simple process once you get going.  The first thing you will need to get started is an RSS Reader or Aggregator (software you will use to subscribe to our feed).  See below for detailed instructions on downloading Apple's iTunes, a free and easily available application that incorporates an aggregator component designed specifically for Podcasts.  Next, you will subscribe to any of our feed using your newly installed software. See below for detailed instructions on subscribing to the FBN podcast using Apple's iTunes. Finally, open iTunes daily in order to allow the software to download the latest episode of any of the school's podcasts (or any other podcast you might find that catches your interest)...and enjoy.

Instructions: (in pdf format)

• Downloading and Installing iTunes - iTunesDownloadinstruct.pdf  (Note: many people already have iTunes loaded on their computer but it is recommended that you download and install the latest version.  Older versions may not include the Podcast feature.)

• Subscribe to the FBN podcast using iTunes - iTunesSubscribeinstruct.pdf

FAQ's

• What if I just want to listen to the FBN or other school Podcasts without downloading it to my computer? 
  By clicking on the streaming FBN button you can access the FBN blog where you may stream the daily announcements without downloading them to your computer. You can all subscribe to the podcast here and read the blog.

• What is the difference between the three buttons on the Long Homepage?

- This button allows you to simply click on the link and subscribe to a podcast in iTunes. Use this button only if you are using iTunes as your podcast aggregator.

- This button is a traditional podcast subscription button.  By right-clicking and selecting "Copy Shortcut" you can subscribe to a podcast using any podcast aggregator. (e.g. iPodder, Voxlite, iTunes, etc.)

- This button is used to subscribe to a podcast using software that is formatted for Atom code instead of RSS code.  It is slightly different while accomplishing the same goal.

• What is that crazy Code I see sometimes when I just left click on those orange buttons ?  
  The code is actually the information that the RSS reader or Aggregator uses when you subscribe to a podcast or blog. You as the user, do not need to understand or even ever deal with the code.  All you ever need is the URL of that page in order to subscribe to the podcast.

• What is the difference between a Podcast and just downloading an audio/video files from the Internet?
  There is no difference in the file itself, the difference lies in the process.  When you subscribe to a Podcast you are telling your software (e.g. iTunes) to look for new audio or video files each time you open the software, where as when you download an audio/video file from the internet you are doing all the work to make sure you have received the most current file.

Additional Resources:

• CFBISD Podcasting Resource Page: See an instructional video and more information on RSS and XML.