by | Jan 10, 2016 | 01 What's New, Genealogy Gems Podcast
Looking for a fresh, motivating and FREE resource for learning to do family history? Tune in to my free, award-winning Genealogy Gems podcast. Here’s how.
Recently I heard from Alan with this question: “I am still trying to get a grip on podcasts. Can you fill me in so I can understand the process? My 86-year old brain is slow to catch on.”
I’m so glad he asked! It reminds me that not everyone knows how to listen to my free “online radio show,” the Genealogy Genealogy Gems Podcast. And some of you may not even have heard of it!
The Genealogy Gems Podcast is an award-winning monthly online show that helps you make the most of your family history research time. In each lively episode, I bring you the best websites, easy-to-use research techniques, inspiring stories and innovative ways to use top technologies for genealogy. A variety of experts, celebrities and entertainers make guest appearances on the show, including Lisa Kudrow of Who Do You Think You Are?, Mary Tedesco of Genealogy Roadshow, Tukufu Zuberi of The History Detectives, Kathy Lennon of the Lennon Sisters, Dick Eastman, CeCe Moore and many others.
How to Listen to the Genealogy Gems Podcast
First, take a few minutes to watch the welcome video on the home page of my website. This video explains the website and where to find podcasts on the website. You can always find the most recent free podcast episode on the home page of our website at www.genealogygems.com:
Next, to find all the free episodes, hover your mouse over PODCAST in the menu and click Genealogy Gems Podcast.
That will take you to the page listing all the past episodes. Here you can click the episode you want. You can also click Frequently Asked Questions and you will find instructions for using iTunes and getting the podcast on smartphones and tablets.
Clicking the episode number (above) takes you to the web page for that episode (image below). This is the “show notes” page and includes all of the information and websites we talk about in that episode for your convenience.
Here you can click the play button on the episode player to listen to that episode. In our weekly newsletter we include links to the newest episodes so that you can quickly get to this page and listen.
Click here to go to a list of all past episodes of the free Genealogy Gems podcast. Give it a try! It’s free, it’s fun and it’s all about inspiring YOUR family history research.
by Lisa Cooke | Dec 10, 2015 | 01 What's New, Adoption, Genealogy Gems Podcast, Memory Lane
Inspire your holiday season with tips on interviewing older relatives, using DNA for adoption research and more in the Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 186!
Kathy Hawkins
The free Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 186 is now live. This month, we celebrate upcoming holiday family time with relatives with a special interview. Guest expert Kathy Hawkins shares suggestions and encouragement about capturing memories from our oldest relatives. I especially appreciate her insights about understanding the memories of those who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Also in this episode, our resident genetic genealogy expert, Diahan Southard, offers her thanks for DNA connections that are helping her (and others) fill holes left by adoption in her family. Don’t miss her stories!
You’ll also hear about:
- a great new resource from MyHeritage for connecting with other researchers,
- family history poetry from two of our Gems listeners,
- letters from the Gems mailbox and
- an excerpt from our new Genealogy Gems Book Club interview, which will appear in full later this month in the next Genealogy Gems Premium podcast.
Click here to listen to Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 186! If you enjoy it, thank you for sharing it with your friends and family by email and through your social media channels. We appreciate it when you help us spread the word about the free Genealogy Gems podcast and website!
by Lisa Cooke | Oct 25, 2015 | 01 What's New, Beginner, Family History Podcast, Genealogy Gems Podcast, Listeners & Readers, Mobile
Here’s how you can listen to the Genealogy Gems podcasts when you’re not online.
Recently Lorraine sent us this question: “Can your podcasts be downloaded to listen to offline, i.e. on a cruise where internet access isn’t practical?”
Lucky Lorraine, if she’s headed on a cruise! The answer is YES, absolutely, Lorraine (and anyone else) can listen to our podcasts at sea, while out walking or running, on a camping trip, or anywhere else we find ourselves without internet access.
Here are 3 ways to listen to the Genealogy Gems podcasts offline:
1. Genealogy Gems App: If you have a smart phone or tablet, you can get the Genealogy Gems app and easily download episodes to your phone. In the app, go to Settings and turn on the feature to automatically download starred episodes. Then just tap the Star icon for any episode you wish to download to your phone.
2. iTunes: If you don’t have a mobile device, you can use iTunes (free) to download episodes to your laptop computer or iPod/mp3 player. (Click here for more specific instructions on our Frequently Asked Questions page/)
3. Website: If you don’t wish to use iTunes: On your computer or laptop, go to www.genealogygems.com. In the menu hover your mouse over Podcasts and choose which free podcast you want to listen to: the Genealogy Gems Podcast or the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast (a step-by-step show for beginners and back-to-basics). Premium Members of our Genealogy Gems website can sign in and then also hover over Premium and select Premium Podcast.
Follow the links to click the episode number you want which will take you to the show notes page.
On the show notes page for the episode, you will find the option to download the episode.
For the Genealogy Gems podcast, scroll to the bottom of the page to see the “Direct Download” link.
For Family History: Genealogy Made Easy and Genealogy Gems Premium podcasts, it’s toward the top of the page and just says “Download.”
Click to download the mp3 audio files to your computer. Enjoy on demand–wherever you are!
More Tips for Enjoying the Genealogy Gems Podcasts
5 Occasions When You Really Do Have Time to Listen to Genealogy Gems Podcasts
Here’s Why You Should Use the Genealogy Gems App
NEW to the Genealogy Gems Podcast: The Genealogy Gems Book Club
by Lisa Cooke | Oct 7, 2015 | 01 What's New, Book Club, Disaster Prevention, DNA, Genealogy Gems Podcast, Humor, Photographs
The FREE Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 184 has been published and is ready for your listening pleasure!
In this episode of the free Genealogy Gems podcast, you’ll hear about lots of fabulous and FREE online resources–including a way to harness the power of Ancestry.com for free.
You’ll also hear advice from two listeners, one on saving your genealogy from theft and another with a tip on digital preservation for photos. I share a genealogist’s poem that made me laugh. Resident DNA expert Diahan Southard joins us to respond to a common lament: when DNA doesn’t seem to be panning out for you.
In this episode we also announce our next Genealogy Gems Book Club, the last featured title of 2015. It’s a meaty new novel by a New York Times best-selling author who has also penned an Oprah Book Club Pick. Come check it out (or click here to read more about it)! Listen in iTunes, through our app (for iPhone/iPad or Android users), on our website and TuneIn (now available for Amazon Echo users).
The Genealogy Gems podcast is proud to continue its tradition as a FREE, listener-friendly show for all levels of family history researchers (beginners and beyond!). Thanks for sharing this post with your friends and genie buddies. You’re a GEM!
by Lisa Cooke | Aug 12, 2015 | 01 What's New, Book Club, Genealogy TV, images, Memory Lane, Military, United States
An incredible tale of deception during World War II. Inspiring research and storytelling techniques. Learn about the Ghost Army–and the creation of its PBS documentary–in the new, free Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 182.
In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of young GIs landed in France to conduct a secret mission. They were to create an elaborate façade of military might for an audience, the German army. These men had one goal: to fool the enemy into believing they were an American army thousands strong, and draw their attention away from the actual fighting troops.
In this podcast episode, we celebrate the Twenty-third Headquarters Special Troops–known as the Ghost Army–with my special guest Rick Beyer, author of the book The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery and director and screenplay author of the acclaimed documentary film Ghost Army, which premiered on PBS.
Rick joins us for a riveting conversation. He explains the three divisions of the Ghost Army, and how they fulfilled their duties with courage and creativity. Then he takes us behind the scenes of the book to explore research strategies and in particular, effective interviewing techniques. Finally he talks to us about putting it all together: storytelling, the integration of all the art, photos and documents, and fantastic catchy chapter titles that make you want to read.
This is a must-hear episode whether you love history, mystery, military stories, family history writing advice or just listening in on a great conversation! Thank you for sharing this episode with others who will enjoy it!
If you love author interviews, check out the Genealogy Gems Book Club. We regularly interview writers of best-selling fiction and nonfiction titles that catch the interest of family history lovers.
Looking for a fresh, motivating and FREE resource for learning to do family history? Tune in to my free, award-winning Genealogy Gems podcast. Here’s how.
