Edtech Etchings

Session 10: Final Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 07:35:00 +0000

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SHOW NOTES: The Audio Montage - Using Audio To Evoke Emotion

For my last assignment I've included two podcasts. The first podcast I've produced is an audio montage using a collage of press conference sound bites, choral singing, natural sounds recorded in the field, a contemporary song and various sound effects.

This audio montage isn’t a political statement nor is it intended to support or condemn a particular administration’s decision-making process. The intent of this podcast montage is to demonstrate how a collage of audio produced can evoke an emotional response from the listener. Audio collages offer a challenge in the editing process by requiring a discerning use of elements such as sound, timing and story development.

PRESS CONFERENCE SOUNDBITE DATES

April 9, 2003 - Iraq will be disarmed of its weapons of mass destruction
August 26, 2002 - Dick Cheney - There is no doubt Saddam has WMD
March 20, 2003 - Donald Rumsfeld - What is the task, does it involve finding the WMD
October 7, 2002 - George W. Bush - Mushroom Cloud
June 24, 2003 - Donald Rumsfeld - Does Iraq have nuclear WMDS - fact number one
July 12, 2004 - British Anti War Demonstration
September 14, 2004 - Colin Powell - Have you found stockpiles of WMD in Iraq
October 7, 2004 - George W. Bush - There are no WMD in Iraq - confirmed
January 14, 2005 - George W. Bush interview

THE LETTER

The letter recited in the podcast was comprised from excerpts of letters from US soldiers in Iraq. These letters were published November 11, 2003, in the New York Times. The excerpts were taken from the following letters:

Excerpts of letters from Army Capt. Joshua T. Byers, 29, of Anderson, S.C., who was killed on July 23 when a bomb detonated under his vehicle.

Excerpt of a letter from Army Pvt. Robert L. Frantz, 19, of San Antonio, who was killed June 17 when he was struck by a grenade. The letter was postmarked June 15.

http://www.nytimes.com/

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In addition to the audio montage podcast I’ve included a second audio download as an example of editing sound, rhythm and tempo. To help demonstrate this process, my old friend Vox Humano, along with his backup singers the HuManiacs, perform the Clash’s hit song, Rock the Casbah. Download here!

To help you develop your own editing skills in sound, timing and story development I’ve included the following challenge. If you are interested in writing and recording your own version of the song:

• Download the instrumental midi file by clicking here!
• Use the online AT&T voice synthesizer to select the various voices found here!
• Cut and paste the Casbah lyrics found below into the voice synthesizer and edit the WAV file into a second audio track B (the midi file is on track A).

Now you, too, can Rock the Casbah with Vox Humano and the HuManiacs!

The Clash › Rock The Casbah Lyrics:
Now the king told the boogie men, you have to let that raga drop. The oil down the desert way has been shaken to the top. The sheik he drove his Cadillac, He went a cruisnin down the ville. The muezzin was a standing, on the radiator grille.

Chorus

The Shareef don’t like it. Rockin the Casbah. Rock the Casbah. The Shareef don’t like it. Rockin the Casbah. Rock the Casbah

By order of the prophet, we ban that boogie sound. Degenerate the faithful, with that crazy Casbah sound. But the beduin they brought out, the electric camel drum.

The local guitar picker, got his guitar picking thumb. As soon as the Shareef had cleared the square, they began to wail

Chorus

Now over at the temple. Oh! They really pack’m in. The in crowd say it’s cool to dig this chanting thing. But as the wind changed direction. The temple band took five. The crowd caught a whiff of that crazy Casbah jive.

Chorus

The king called up his jet fighters. He said you better earn your pay. Drop your bombs between the minarets, down the Casbah way. As soon as the Shareef was chauffeured outta there, the jet pilots tuned to the cockpit radio blare. As soon as the Shareef was outta their hair the jet pilots wailed

Chorus

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Session 9: Educational Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 04:42:00 +0000

Consider the Use of Blogs In Education...

Blogsites can provide a communication space where teachers can foster curriculum for students to develop writing skills, collaboration with students and the sharing of ideas. The student blogsite also offers the student a personal or shared learning journal to report the work being accomplished in the classroom.

In fact, I can make a modest list of possible approaches in using this Blog technology in the classroom:

a) Blogging software allows for easy peer review for students and teachers
b) Allows easy access to experts or mentors from outside the classroom
c) Audio blogs can help students work on reading and pronunciation skills. (Students’ pronunciation of words can be recorded. Posting these audio files on a blog allows students to later play the files to hear how they sound.
d) Blogs can become classroom access points where students can access archived handouts, view posted homework assignments and read additional teacher comments
e) School clubs, activities and sports teams can use blogs to post scores, meeting minutes, and links to relevant issues and topics.

I find myself asking the following question: As an educator, am I surfing the crest of this new particular wave of technology where using one web application becomes a one approach fits all purpose? Or am I surfing toward a hidden undertow that will water down, perhaps even drown, the student’s learning process? Without the student’s participation, and their involvement being more than acquiring assignments or directions, what I see is a website. That is all. There is nothing new.

Blogging can effectively become a workable classroom activity because of its functional use and easy appliance. It’s the direction of how blogging will be integrated into the curriculum that will determine whether the student creates or collaborates and utilizes the blog posting process thereby further enhancing the learning process.

The blog post is still an asynchronous format in communicating. Under this guise, I still favor the Electronic BlackBoard or Moodle applications. The direct scaffolding of comments is in unison to the same topic or created with a new post topic, unlike a blog where postings are time stamped but don’t offer a way to respond to posts set apart by topic. That would call for a new blog post entered only by the blog owner.

Blogs offer consumers of knowledge an abundance of information. The excitement of considering blogs in education lies in the use of Rich Site Summary or RSS (Really Simple Syndication). The use of a feed aggregator provides a new form of receiving desired communication from wanted sources. Teachers who assign students to create their own blogs can easily keep track of what students have posted by subscribing to their students' feeds and checking their aggregators regularly. Parents can subscribe to feeds such as their children’s homework page or the school’s activity page. A classroom teacher who wants to stay up to date on the most recent tools in educational technology can create a search at Feedster, subscribe to the retrieved results, and will be notified automatically with any newly listed reference. Educators and school districts can also use this syndication process to communicate with students, teachers and parents.

Ideally, as educators we need to recognize not only instructive methodology but the tools to improve learning, then place those tools into the students’ own hands so they can construct knowledge by developing a self-discovered process.

Session 8: Podcast Again!

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 23:06:00 +0000

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SHOW NOTES:
Adapted Physical Education:
How Using a PDA in the Field Can Make Tracking and Reporting Goals More Efficient.

This week’s Ape City’s, Ape Call podcast is a telephone interview with A.P.E. Specialist Kimberly Oliver, from Southern California’s Corona-Norco Unified School District.

It’s amazing how much paperwork is required from the Adapted Physical Education Specialist. This week’s Ape Call podcast addresses how using a PDA in the field can make tracking and reporting goals more efficient. A.P.E. Specialist Oliver also explains how she prevailed over a data merging obstacle when attempting to transfer PDA field data into the district's required I.E.P software.

The links below will allow you to download the files discussed during this podcast:

To down load a copy of the described PDA Progress Template Excel spreadsheet: Click Here!
To down load a copy of the described Progress Template on Goals Word document: Click Here!

Disclaimer: Files downloaded from the EDTECH ETCHINGS blog site are provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. Without limiting the foregoing, EDTECH ETCHINGS, APE-CITY, APE CALL PODCAST OR ANY PERSON INTERVIEWED make(s) no claim or warranty that:

the files will meet your requirements
the files will be uninterrupted, timely, secure or error-free
the results that may be obtained from the use of the files will be effective, accurate or reliable
the quality of the files will meet your expectations
any errors in the files obtained from the EDTECH ETCHINGS web site will be corrected.

DOWNLOAD FILES AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK.

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Session 7: A Good Educational Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:07:00 +0000

TO BE OR NOT TO BE, A GOOD EDUCATIONAL PODCAST

Since the start of this class I’ve been in search of how the podcast/Blog site could be effectively incorporated into curriculum outside of recording a traditional lecture. After all, a lecture is still a lecture, albeit, a podcast is convenient. When reviewing a majority of educational Blog sites and podcasts, I investigated if the technology promoted an enrichment of learning and facilitated an already good course. In many cases the use of the technology was very keul Dude, and hip Mann, but proved to be academically void.

There are exceptions, such as the Radio Willow Web - For Kids, By Kids. This podcast series is created by kindergarten through 5th grade students at the Willowdale Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska.

PODCAST REVIEW - Radio Willow Web - For Kids, By Kids

The podcast provides an oratory of the researched works posted on the classes’ web pages. Each podcast is hosted by a student and several reporters. In this episode, fifth grade student Shelby narrates what life was like in the 13 American colonies. The various segments are researched and then narrated for the podcast by several fellow students. Each segment written and narrated by the student offers the listener and reader a sense of what life was like as American colonist.

Segments include titles such as:

• Did You Know - three interesting facts on colonial times: stealing, corn, and social manners
• Vocabulary Theater - this title hyperlinks to a website where a number of Maryland students contribute information and pictures on colonial tools and instruments.
• The Punishment Times - this hyperlink is introduced as a fictious newspaper titled Colonial
Crimes and Punishment. The "Times" explains how the English-American colonies were autocratic and theocratic, with a patriarchal system of justice.
• Wonderful Website - this website on early America was selected by a student as the podcast’s
spotlighted website. The site contains information that includes a map of the colonies before and at the end of the American Revolution, the Hargrett’s Rare Library Map Collection on colonial America and an animated map showing the boundaries of the contiguous United States.
• Do It Differently - A commentary on colonial punishment from one student.

This presentation offers an example of how to integrate podcasting and Blog note publishing into curriculum with a multidisciplinary subject approach. Use of podcasting technology will require educators to rethink their approach to course objectives and reestablish student learning outcomes influenced by the innovative pedagogical opportunity that this new technology provides.

In viewing the majority educational oriented podcasts, there is a feeling of disappointment. A sound all too familiar that has reverberated from the past once again echoes how a new fangled technology by itself will somehow magically change an approach to teaching, increase student learning and establish a fulfilling pedagogical revolution from teacher to student.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

PRODUCTION VALUES
Radio Willow Web - For Kids, By Kids, Willowcast #14, (Dec. 21, 2005) is 11 minutes 45 seconds long, measuring 10.9 MB. The WillowWeb MP3 is posted on the webpage with an embedded player for listener easy access and offers an RSS subscription for podcast.

It is important to note that the podcast production occurs within a learning environment that uses guided discovery. Fifth grade students research, write content and then undertake the creation of a podcast and webpage while maintaining a professional quality that is distinctly impressive:

• Audio was recorded at a good level.
• The voicing was friendly and pleasant to listen to.

The podcast opens with a student hostess announcing who she is and the title of the podcast.

• Upbeat music begins for 5 seconds. (The hostess returns to discuss the 13 stripes on the Betsy Ross flag which segues into the podcast topic of the American colonies).

To help the hostess announce transitions in and out of each segment:

• 5 second audio segues are used to transition in and out of the various segments
• Different types of audio were used as segment segues
• Each segment is 40 - 60 seconds in length
• Sound effects were used during the Holiday Spotlight and Bad Joke, Good Joke segments
• A bad edit occurred after the announcement of Poetry Corner by Hannah. The recording track was stopped in order to cue the background audio of wind
• During Adam’s announcement of the Wonderful Website, he loudly sniffles
• During Joseph’s reading of Do It Differently, he exhales heavily into the microphone twice
• Using a slight delay effect, the last segment is a reading of the first
sentence of the Declaration of Independence. The hostess concludes the podcast by reviewing the signing of the Declaration of Independence, statehood of the 13 colonies and the 50 stars on the American flag
• The hostess announces who made the podcast, where the podcast was made and thanks the listener for listening, all of which is recorded over a music bed
• Music bed pots up and continues to play for 20 seconds - music fades out

The production value that this podcast presents also provides an example of how the educator can use technology standards and goals as part of a multidisciplinary approach within curricula. Radio Willow Web - For Kids, By Kids certainly provides relevant application in grade school education, but it also indicates how this approach can be carefully integrated into the curriculum in a thoughtful way.

OTHER PODCASTS

Radio WillowWeb was one of the premier podcasts by elementary students. The following programs have used Radio WillowWeb as an example for their own Internet audio shows:

Coley Cast - ColeyCast is the brand new radio broadcast created by the students of Room 34 in Murrieta, California.

Mr. Jaffe's 6th Grade - Audio program by sixth graders at Mills Creek Elementary School.

Radio Cambridge - Podcast by elementary students at Cambridge Elementary in San Antonio, Texas.

Radio Gateway - A radio show podcast by Grade 5 and 6 students in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada.

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Session 6: A Podcast Interview

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 18:43:00 +0000

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SHOW NOTES:
Adapted Physical Education:
How to Interact with the Visually Impaired Student

This interview is with A.P.E. Specialist Catharine Downey, from Southern California’s Corona-Norco Unified School District.

Today’s topic is on Adapted Physical Education and how educators should interact with visually impaired students and the role of technology used as part of that interaction. Today’s discussion will highlight a parents answer to include their visually impaired child into regular P.E. classes with the use of a Beeping Egg. For those of you who are unfamiliar with a beeping egg, this podcast will describe what it is, how it can be used when interacting with your student and how to build one.

Beeping Egg Pictures and Directions: Click Here!

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Podcast References:

Fredricks, B. (1996, Spring). Reflections, comments, and suggestion, deaf-blind perspectives. Retrieved July 2, 2006 from http://tr.wou.edu/tr/dbp/pdf/may96.pdf

Letcher, K. (2006). Adapted physical education for the blind and visually impaired. Retrieved July 1, 2006 from http://www.s118134197.onlinehome.us/page.php?ITEM=39

Lieberman, L. J. (1996). Adapting games, sports, and recreation for children and adults. Deaf-Blind Perspectives, 3(3), 5-8.

Lieberman, L. & Taule, J. (1997-98). Ways to incorporate physical fitness into the lives of individuals who are deaf-blind. Deaf-Blind Perspectives, 5(2), 6-10.

Lieberman, L.J., Houston-Wilson, C. (1999). Overcoming the barriers to including students with visual impairment and deaf-blindness in physical education. RE:View, 31(3), 129-139.

McInnes, J. (Ed.). (1999). A guide to planning and support for individuals who are deaf-blind. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

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Session 5: Listen to Podcast Interviews

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 04:52:00 +0000

Interview Podcast 1 - Podcast for Teachers
WEBSITE LOCATION: Click Here!

FORDHAM UNIVERSITY REGIONAL ED-TECH CENTER

PODCAST DESCRIPTION: Dr. Kathy King and Mark Geroul continue their ongoing weekly educational debate. This week’s podcast discusses whether the Video Revolution has truly gone mainstream, asking the question, “Why aren't there more examples in education?” Podcast for Teachers Episode 41 (June 5, 2006), debuts its first virtual interview titled, “From Buadpest to the Bronx and Beyond”.

PODCAST DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK: Click Here!

This interview with John Steinmetz from Nation Master and Statemaster.com reviews these two websites that list statistical data on all fifty states and introduces the listener to free educational resources found on the two sites. The discussion continues on how these websites can be used across grades and content areas within curricula. Free lesson plans are offered to the listener. These lesson plans deal with current events and statistics of items in the news today and can be used with a mapping application called GeoLab and a site resource titled Stats in the News. Other instructional materials include an online community posting of student perspectives about statistics. There are also searchable and illustrated ways for both the student and teacher to search for national flags, demographics, economics, and populations of the world.

State Master Website
Nation Master Website

PODCAST REVIEW: The Interview At the beginning of the podcast, both hosts introduced themselves and outlined what the podcast would include. Then again, at the interview open, both hosts introduced themselves, the interview subject and the reason for the interview.

The interview was conducted via the internet (voice over IP) so there was no face to face presence for the host and hostess to visualize physical cues from the interview subject. In this type of location scenario the hosts’ attempts to establish a natural connection to the audience through the subject’s personal interests came halfway through the interview and didn’t work.

The interviewers did encourage the subject to share his story and experience with the topic as well as anticipating the listeners’ questions. At the initial part of the interview, simple questions were asked. Most questions started with “how”, “where”, “why”, and “what kind of” in order to acquire more than a yes or no answer. Most questions were short and clear. The hosts asked questions that were open-ended and didn't provide choices for the respondent. This forced a natural response from the interview subject to explain something and not answer yes or no.

It seemed that a small amount of research was conducted by the interview team on the subject matter. The hosts effectively listened to the subject but inconsistently used follow-up questions. The interviewers did relate personal experience as educators byasking how the software could help them in their own teaching. The interview was focused and at times provided a detailed connection for the listener. For example: the interviewers reviewed features of the websites and asked about the development of the resource and how educators can utilize the website in their instruction. The follow up question was “how can students use the site?” This opened another area for discussion on how student portion of the site offers the student direction in seeking and finding statistical information.

During the interview there was annoying audible feedback from the hosts (ahs, hums and o.k.). The podcast concluded with a quick review of the interview content and a thank you to the interview subject for being interviewed on the podcast. The hosts promoted the next podcast, identified themselves, and said goodbye. The podcast music played for 5 seconds and concluded.

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Interview Podcast 2 - J. Merrow Education Podcast
WEBSITE LOCATION: Click Here!

PODCAST DESCRIPTION: John Merrow, an education reporter for over 30 years and correspondent for The News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS, profiles significant issues in k-12 and higher education. This podcast episode titled “Expecting Less...and Getting It”, Podcast #33 (Time 35:57) is a conversation with a college professor who seems to accept student mediocrity as inevitable. Political science professor Paulette Kurzer, at the University of Arizona discusses how she deals with students who don't pay attention or do the work. She states that only 10-15% of an average 225 students do the work.

PODCAST DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK: Click Here!

PODCAST REVIEW: The Interview A produced program opener is used that contains intro music - 5 seconds strong then fades under the announcer’s voice for 2 seconds, then fades out. After the interviewer introduces himself he reviews the subject matter of the interview and a short excerpt from the interview is heard. Music begins which cues the listener that the interview is about to begin.

Once the interview begins, it is noticeable that the interview takes place out of the studio because of the differences in production quality between the produced introduction and the locale where the interview was recorded.

The interviewer carefully controls the dialogue with a particular pace and direction. The interviewer had specific groups of questions. This seems to allow for a smoother transition between subjects or related issues. This also allows the interview subject to identify that a transition was about to occur and for the subject to react accordingly. This is followed with probing follow-up questions which provided additional information. For example: the interviewer continues to provoke responses by delivering pointed accusations by introducing the word maybe:

• Maybe some of this is your fault.
• Maybe you’re not stimulating them enough.
• Maybe you’re not challenging them.
• Maybe you’re not making it real enough.
• Do you ever question yourself?

The interview subject responds in a non-threatening manner by reviewing her approach aloud about reconsidering students’ perspective on the amount of time to complete the assignment.

When the discussion leads to students being passive about their course work grades the interviewer provides excellent follow-up questions that relate to the content of the interviewers answer. Also, the interviewer provokes a response from the interview subject by accusing the professor of being boring when teaching students.

Research prior to the formal interview is obvious as the interview countered some of the subject’s statements. The interviewer uses his eye-witness accounts of what he saw and experienced to pin the subject down and counter the subjects answer. This negative approach is effective and produced energetic responses from the professor. For example: the interviewer conducted pre-interview research by sitting in and listening to several University professors’ lectures. The interviewer used this research to bridge back to the way the professor teaches, stating that he didn’t hear any of the professors whom he sat and listened lectures from, ask students if what was taught was clear, or if the students had any questions? In this scenario the interview subject gave an ample amount of time to respond. A short moment of silence is allowed, giving the subject time to think and answer the pointed question and accusation. The subject answers, at which time the interviewer calmed some of the interviewing tension by restating what the professor stated.

The interview concludes with a 10 second music cue. Then a pre-produced program closer is heard. The interviewer voices over with identifying the name and title of who was interviewed. The interviewer then bridges the interview with a promo of his book titled, “Declining by Degrees; Higher Education at Risk". The listener is then informed of a website to visit in order to purchase the book. He then spells out the website address. The producer of the podcast is announced by name. The interviewer announces “We’ll be back next week with another podcast. I’m John Merrow. Thanks for listening”. There’s 10 Seconds of music and audio ends.

This podcast reveals that it has a good script, threaded with effective presentation. The interviewer displays an understanding of his podcast audience and uses his voice in fluctuation to command productive interview techniques.

LINKS:
Recent Reports and Publications
PBS Website: Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

BOOK: Declining by Degrees; Higher Education at Risk

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Session 4: No Class!

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 21:35:00 +0000

OK... I'm smiling, e-mailing Dr. Newberry in the midst of a cookout, while waiting for nightfall, so I can watch multicolored fireworks.

Happy 4th of July!

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Missing Comments ...Many Apologies!

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 21:26:00 +0000

You know...

All I wanted to do was eliminate spam, ...so I enabled the show word verification for comments feature.

Somehow the comment moderation feature was enabled. I’m wondering if this is a default setting.

No Harm, No Foul! ...ALL BLOGGING WELCOME!

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Session 3: Envision and Actualize Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 02:02:00 +0000

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SHOW NOTES: Assistive Technology Podcast

This week’s podcast is hosted by VOX Humano, cousin to virtual TV announcer, MAX Headroom. VOX Humano informs the podcast listener about the different types of accessibility software for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. VOX Humano also speaks out on which assistive technology software is compatible in the Windows and Novel Network environments. He also provides examples of stand alone text-to-speech tools such as Quick Link Pens, internal software synthesizers, and also where to obtain free software.

The Disabilities Act of 1988 was designed in part to enhance the availability and quality of assistive technology devices for students. This type of technology is integral in allowing handicapped students to access their surroundings. The following information provides educators with information to help promote the use of advanced technology to meet the needs of handicapped students.

WINDOWS BASED SOFTWARE FORMAT
Freedom Scientifics’ Jaws for Windows
Cool Speech 5.0
CrazyTalk 4.1
WriteAway 2000
WinSpeech

FREE SOFTWARE
Help Read
Read Please 2000

MACINTOSH BASED SOFTWARE FORMAT
textHELP! by Lorien Systems
Cepstral's Text-to-Speech Software
VoiceOver

STAND ALONE TEXT-TO-SPEECH TOOLS
WizCom Technologies
Quick Link Pen
Quick Link Pen Elite
The D. E. C. Access 32, Internal Software Synthesizer

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Dyslexic.com - reference page for books and software tools.
The LD Resources website - repository of learning disability resources.
Speaking to Write
Text-to-Speech Software for Helping Struggling Readers

Session 2: Podcasting Mechanics

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:17:00 +0000

---Test Podcast---
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SHOW NOTES: Test... Test.... This is a test.

I thought it would be fun to use the test mp3 assignment as an opportunity to polish some old skills in audio insert editing for voice, background and sound effects.

My first intent was to use Sound Forge software. I quickly realized it was overkill for this assignment. So I used a nifty piece of software called Podcast Station that allows the user to record, edit, mix and publish audio files.

Even with proficient software like Podcast Station I soon realized that this software still wasn’t a one stop production suite. Most of my mp3 audio files (Licensed, free music and sound effects) needed to be converted into WAV files. In turn, these lengthy WAV files needed to be shortened in order to be more manageable for production. I used Audacity to convert audio files and the Microsoft Sound Recorder for WAV editing, minor effects and volume control.

The intro to my test mp3 has 7 audio overlays edited with the MS Sound Recorder. This intro was then edited to an audio soundbed. The 22 sound effects were insert-edited into the voiceover audio track. The pitch and tempo change which occur in the voiceover track was accomplished in Podcast Station by using a rate change effect. I segmented the portion of the voice track that I wanted to change into incremental assigned rate changes. For instance, every 3-5 seconds the rate would increase the pitch and tempo by using a 5.5 setting. Then I took the entire audio section and increased the rate by 10.5. The intro-sound bed was then crossfaded to the voiceover audio, leaving a 10-20% portion of audio as a background soundbed. Prerecorded audio level mixes were recorded at different levels and needed to be adjusted by tweaking the individual audio files and then the overall master volume using a -30 and +30 db volume controller.

The microphone I’m using for this assignment is the original headset mic that came with a 10 year old copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software. For this class I’ve decided to use what a teacher might find in the classroom or media center.

I’m certainly not a happy camper with anything outside of low impedance audio equipment. That means broadcasting grade which is very expensive. But there is decent broadband equipment designed with the podcaster in mind. It’s not broadcast quality but darn close. The price is reasonable, too. Here is a podcast about podcasting equipment that I found useful. It is located at: http://reelreviewsradio.com/archives/2004/12/27/podcast-about-the-podcast/ .

Maybe these highend items should go on the wish list for Santa Claus... ###

Session 1: Course Intro and Orientation

noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 06:05:00 +0000

Podcast 1 - PODICTIONARY; the Podcast for Word Lovers
Website location: http://podictionary.libsyn.com/

PODCAST DESCRIPTION: Each daily Podcast offers an audio word-for-the-day. For example: Monday, June 19, 2006 the word is vodka (Podictionary reference #275).

Podcast Direct Download Link: Click Here

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Wikipedia
Encarta

PODCAST REVIEW: At my first reading the description of a themed daily Podcast that centered on the definition of words I immediately recalled the pain from an eager dentist drilling into my tooth without Novocaine. For me to listen to someone with a raspy, voice attempting to be a slick disk jockey, reading from a dictionary did not seem interesting or fulfilling as an educator.

What I did find was to the contrary. The interesting points of the words in English were not the number of definitions for the word but their derivatives and history. The anecdotes were also enjoyable and interesting. This podcast could most certainly be used for educational purposes.

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Podcast 2 - Fundamentals of Digital Audio Podcast
Website location: http://digiaudio.blogspot.com/

PODCAST DESCRIPTION: The Fundamentals of Digital Audio is a podcast covering the basics of creating digital audio for podcasting. The podcasts are informative and consistent in reviewing both audio equipment and recording techniques for the podcaster. For example: Sunday, May 21, 2006, this particular podcast addressed listener questions e-mailed to the producer.

Podcast Direct Download Link: http://www.archive.org/download/Listener-Questions/FDA-15-Listener-Questions.mp3

Listener questions are the focus of this podcast. Listener questions included how to monitor your voice in Audacity, USB interfaces, recording a meeting in a classroom, and recording levels with the Blue Snowball microphone. There’s also a guest interview segment with Pete Sneekes from www.Sneaker.fm discusses his podcast gear.

PODCAST REVIEW: Newbie’s, Wanna-Bes and those who just want to know the latest news about Digital Audio should browse this Blog and listen to a few of these informative podcasts. The dialogue is not too technical for the novice and can help direct educators in a direction to improve their podcast audio.

Audio breaks were used to provide a cue to the listener that the next question was about to be addressed.

On a negative aspect of the podcast: when a lot of equipment serial numbers and various types of equipment were being discussed, I felt completely disconnected. There’s no mention of a manufacturer’s website, where I could find additional information or even information/pictures/diagrams on the “Fundamentals of Digital Audio Podcast” Blog for reference. In addition, the problem of monitoring through Audacity was problematic because the delay in the headset was never resolved.

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Podcast 3 - Insta Spanish Lessons
Website location: http://www.instaspanish.com/

PODCAST DESCRIPTION: This is an interactive weekly podcast that contains Spanish listening comprehension exercises and grammar lessons for students of all levels. The website has the Spanish vocabulary words as well as reading and listening comprehension exercises referenced in the podcast. For example: the Sunday, May 21, 2006, podcast titled Edition 2: Imperfect vs. Preterite, contains a Spanish guided reading with imperfect and preterite verbs grammar pointer for beginning to intermediate Spanish students.

Podcast Direct Download Link: http://www.instadownload.com/podcast/76-combined.mp3

PODCAST REVIEW: The interactive features between the podcast, the website and a Spanish-speaking Pen Pal are well done. The podcast provides the described content and offers a review of the lesson, a quiz, and a final evaluation of the answers.

The learner achieves a cultural experience listening to the Podcast and using the resources located on the website. What I found quite impressive were the support materials that included the following:

To find a Spanish speaking PenPal, the website provides a link titled Pen Pal Finder on the http://www.instaspanish.com/classifieds/

Spanish Music - Musical learning and songs that promote learning Spanish; a ten selections ranging from La Bamba to La Adelita.

eDocuments and eBooks - which include words, pronunciation, and translation for the songs posted on the site.

Mexican Recipes - Thirteen authentic recipes are posted that will bring about an appetite for south of the border cuisine.

One note of disappointment seems to be common among most language learning exercises. The readings and word pronunciations are too fast for what is described as a podcast for beginning to intermediate Spanish learners.

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noreply@blogger.com (EdTech Etchings) — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 23:35:00 +0000

Warning: If you haven't blogged by now, I'm told you're about to miss the revolution. These on-line journals covering everything from knot tying to the inner workings of Wall Street provide a place where insiders and outsiders meet to volley words back and forth over the latest issue.

Blogging is addictive, perhaps becoming an epodemic. Just ask the 2:00 am web warriors tapping their keyboards by the glow of their computer screens. Blogs do offer a constant rush of opinion: the cheering, the jeering, and certain verbal strikes which weaken the posture of those that stood unwavering. But not everyone thinks bringing punditry to the people is a good thing. New Yorker writer George Packer argues that blogging is blurring the line between journalism and pure rant. Packer believes that blogs may not be the best thing for democracy. Should this also be a concern in using blogs with education?

In that case, over the next few weeks I'll try and not to bloviate throughout this blog.