A Podcast is a media file that you can get over the internet. They are totally free to download onto your computer or portable media players. 

The term “podcast” is derived from Apple’s portable music player, the iPod. A pod refers to a container of some sort and the idea of broadcasting to a container or pod describes the process of podcasting.

Though podcasters’ websites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically, using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS.

In general, podcast files contain audio or video, but also could be images, text, or any file type.

Uses of podcasting
Podcasting’s initial appeal was to allow individuals to distribute their own “radio shows,” but the system quickly became used in a wide variety of other ways, including distribution of school lessons, official and unofficial audio tours of museums, conference meeting alerts and updates, and by police departments to distribute public safety messages.

Podcasting is becoming increasingly popular in education. Podcasts enable students and teachers to share information with anyone anytime. If a student is absent, she can download the podcast of the recorded lesson. It can be a tool for teachers or administrators to communicate curriculum, assignments and other information with parents and the community. Teachers can record book talks, vocabulary or foreign language lessons, international pen pal letters (podcast pals!), music performance, interviews, debates. Podcasting can be a publishing tool for student oral presentations. Video podcasts can be used in all these ways as well.