Project #3 Creating a Podcast

Reference This Link to Review Group's Google Doc
Access to Podcast


I am currently enrolled in a course titled R503 Instructional Media through the campus of Indiana University South Bend. This course focuses on the various tools, resources, and learning theories that are significant to understanding the use of technology and the Internet professionally as a student and an educator. Within our class, we were assigned to create and develop a podcast. This project required a series of steps for pre-planning, brainstorming, and organizing a plan to create an effective and informative podcast for others to review. The objective of a podcast is to publish information in the format of either an online audio or video that can be downloaded for others to review. The key to creating a podcast is the initial planning and organizing. Once an author's ideas are outlined and prepared, as well as the script, the developer can begin to produce his/her podcast. Once the podcast is recorded, careful editing takes place to create the podcast. The editing includes inserting music, sound clips, and removing unnecessary information. Once the editing is complete, the author can then burn and publish the finalized podcast. Within my assigned group, we were provided a topic by our instructor. Our assigned topic was to discuss 21st Century Skills and the concepts associated with the theory The Flat World, developed by Thomas Friedman.

Abstract of Podcast

The objective of our group's podcast is to discuss and share ideas and concepts that directly define the concepts associated with 21st Century Skills and the theory The Flat World, developed by Thomas Friedman. Our intended audience includes educators, administrators, and concerned parents. The podcast is delivered in the form of a radio talk show, with a main talk show host, a guest commentator/educator, and callers from various backgrounds (parents and teachers). The main objective is for the audience to understand how today's classroom can implement skills with technology to prepare students for their future place in society and the workplace. This podcast also discusses the concept of how the world is united through the use of technology and the Internet.

Personal Reflection
As a group, we were able to quickly get started with a general idea of how we wanted to deliver the podcast. Everyone was willing to take a role in researching and preparing information for the following class period. For me, I try my best to collaborate, share ideas, and respect ideas generated from others. Each member possesses different strengths that allowed us to quickly generate our FATP Proposal Analysis (form, audience,topic, purpose) and mindmap. Our progress was delayed on the second day of the project. Not all of the necessary research and preparation was completed, even with the assistance of mindmapping and Google Docs. Overall, we were able to organize our script and complete our recording into GarageBand by the end of the session which was the intended goal. Because our podcast was excessive in length, we needed to cut and remove a significant part of our recorded work. We did need to work outside of class to make sure we were meeting the requirements of the project. I feel that creating a podcast is a fairly simple process that I can easily develop on my own. Creating a FATP was simple and necessary in guiding our group. I enjoyed creating the MindMap because it allowed us as a group to brainstorm ideas with one another and develop a comfort level as we began to work together. The use of Google Docs was a convenient way of sharing and collaborating our individual work when developing the podcast. I believe it is simple enough for middle and high school students to easily use when completing group projects-definitely something I can consider using in the classroom. GarageBand is simple to use and not at all intimidating for first time users. I enjoy the edit features and capabilities offered through the software and am curious to see how it compares to Audacity. This is a tool that so many of my students, especially male students, would enjoy using when required to submit a final project for a unit in my English courses. Instead of relying on the traditional projects such as a timeline, poem, or summary of significant events within a novel, a student can create a podcast that will engage them while learning required content.

Bibliography of Hyperlink Resources

Friedman, Tom L. "Win in the Flat World."

http://www.infosys.com/flat-world/business/perspectives/documents/friedman perspective.pdf


"The World Is Flat - Book Summary & Resources." EdVibes.

http://edvibes.blogspot.com/2009/05/world-is-flat.html


Felder, Richard M. "A Whole New Mind For a Flat World."

http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:LpphyLd0U1wJ:scholar.google.com/+flat+world&hl=en&as_sdt=8000