Monday, March 17, 2008

Thing #21 Podcasting...Can I Cast Someone Else?

I have been dreading this Thing since this whole L2P came together last semester! No, not the program, not even the material to include...it is a voice thing...my voice! I was thinking I would rope one of my kids into helping their ol' mom. Didn't happen...gee, they have lives of their own.

Podcasts (or picture-filled vidcasts) are all over the internet... I follow a book review site Just One More Book that is nothing but podcast reviews and interviews. Cool Cat Teacher includes an audio copy of her posts, but she must use a format that my computer doesn't recognize because I can't play them. There are hundreds of educational podcasts at the I-tunes store. The EPN (Education Podcast Network) brings together many sources of podcasts and arranges them buy curriculum or purpose. Many publishers include them as promotional materials for new books. Even the traditional communication tool NPR now has a podcast directory of many of its broadcasts.

Ok, a little bit of background about my podcast below. I used Photostory since I could not find a free host for an audio-only sample. The visuals you will recognize. I planned the order, wrote my scripting so I would not loose my place, unplugged my phone (no interruptions!), plugged in my headphones, took a big, deep breathe, and plunged in...and heard n-o-t-h-i-n-g. Messed around with the sound settings on my computer although all seemed right and tried it again...nothing, nada, zip, zero. Unplugged the headphones, turned up my personal volume a bit... and thank goodness, SOUND! All was good during the preview until I came to the picture where the sound ended about 30 seconds before the picture did...had about 3 of those to adjust. Whew!

Not the greatest sample I have ever produced. If I had had about 2-3 more hours and a bigger bottle of asprin (for my headache) and cotton balls for my ears so I would not have to hear it over & over & over (hey, forget the asprin, give me Pepto Bismol), I might have cleaned it up a little better.

It did scare me when it took almost as long to upload as Open Office took to download...Walked away for a bit and kept one eye on it in case the computer "blew up" from the attempt. All is well.

I will listen to podcasts. I will use podcasts as teaching tools. I will use PhotoStory to make teaching/learning tools..................................I ... will ... make ... more ... podcasts, but will line up voice sources!


Bye-bye for now!
FW

2 comments:

Terry said...

Sounds fine! At least in Photo Story you can redo it picture by picture. In Audactity before break, I had a class do their rhyme over 7 times. Maybe more, I lost track! Congratulations to you, not for finishing, (well, ok for that too) but for creating and facilitating the game. (And listening or reading the occasional rant!

Book Nook Girl said...

Wow! Great Photo Story and it sounds great! I love to hear your knowledgable voice! Thanks again for all the work you put into this! I am postponing my own Photo Story by looking at everyone else's! Okay, back to work!