At a recent staff meeting, it was revealed that our university would soon be using iTunesU. For those of you still in the dark ages, iTunes offers free programs called podcasts, which are similar to radio stations but allow you to listen to content commercial-free over the Internet. iTunes has also launched iTunesU, where universities from across the country post content online for free download and use. Places such as Stanford, Texas A&M, and Duke offer free seminars on a wide range of subjects, all available for download. My university is not public (yet), but others have been sharing content with the world since 2002.
Along with colleges and universities, organizations such as NPR, PBS, and American Public Media are posting content online through iTunesU. One category from American Public Media that caught my interest was “Environment,” which features topics such as The Ethics of Eating, Consumed: Sustainability Coverage, and Global Warming: Eco-Politics.
Each topic area contains several downloads. The Ethics of Eating, for example, has two offerings:
Ethics of Eating by Barabara Kingsolver, author of Animal, Vegetable, Mineral.
Where Does Food Come From? by Michael Pollen, author of In Defense of Food.
There are also several Podcasts in the “Food” category, such as Wine for Newbies, Epicurious: Food and Drink, and Free Culinary School.
Free Content? On food, sustainability, and the environment? Very Sweet.
