Hick's+Presentation-+Meghan+and+Sophia

Hi Everyone!! We have posted our Discussion Questions... Please Respond **NO LATER THAN TUESDAY (March 1st) AT NOON** :) Thanks for your cooperation!

Below, you will see we have included a number links to the websites Hicks notes in Chapter 4.

During Reading/While Reading:  As you read the chapter, please take the time to visit these links.

[|www.flickr.com] [|www.picasa.google.com] [] [] [|www.bobsprankle.com/blog/] net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7021.pdf [] [|www.youtube.com] http://chippewariverwp.wikispaces.com/Digital_Storytelling http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryTools []

After Reading: Click on the Edit Button to respond to the Following Questions after visiting []

What is your initial reaction to the "This I Believe" website? How would you utilize "This I Believe" as a personal resource? How could your students use "This I Believe" and Podcasts as a learning tool? What could be some potential pitfalls with Podcasts as an instructional tool?

Class Understandings and Reactions to "This I Believe":

__Heather's Response: __

My initial reaction as I explored the "This I Believe" website was "Wow!" This website seems so powerful because it is presented in a very professional manner, yet is open to anyone. It really creates a unique audience for anyone to write who chooses to do so. As a result, it creates a diverse display of peoples thoughts and demonstrates the true art of crafting and communicating a thoughtful written piece. I also think that hearing the other person's voice is an added bonus to listening to a podcast rather than just reading it. When we read we get a sense of a person's voice, but when we listen to a voice it adds a whole different element. Some people have really soothing and comforting voices to listen too, while others present a more stern, straightforward tone because they want to make a point. I think this a valuable skill for students to see and learn because it shows how you can alter your voice based on your purpose for writing. In addition, it is quite interesting to notice the topics that people have chosen to write about under this general umbrella of discussing what they believe. It really shows how people can become connected based on similar interests and thoughts. Also, each story depicts something that is of interest and clearly meaningful to that individual, which obviously caused them to write. I think this is an extremely authentic example of how podcasts can express so much more than just posting a written piece on the internet.

I think I would utilize this website as a personal resource by listening to some of the podcasts just out of curiosity, especially ones that I am particularly interested in. It is a nice break to listen to something rather than read constantly. I think I would like to connect this website to my RSS because I became intrigued by it while I was browsing. Eventually, I might want to publish a piece on the website if I wrote something that applied to the general theme and I was confident enough to do so. However, at this point I do not feel comfortable enough to do something like that. I have made podcasts before and they still make me feel a little uncomfortable because I do not like hearing my voice! :)

I think students could use this website as a learning tool by listening to specific podcasts as a whole class and then discussing their reactions to it or they could search for podcasts that are of interest to them and then listen. This serves as an excellent model for students when they compose their own essays or speeches. Of course, students could also compose a piece to be published on this website. It seems like the site is very connected to education so it would be an awesome way to present students with a truly diverse audience. I think that this would be a good way to have them experiment with their voice in order to set the tone of their piece. This assignment could also be highly motivating to some students who like to speak and share their work. I noticed that they have added essays from the 1950s, which I thought would be a neat way to incorporate podcasts into the classroom. It reminded me of Franklin Roosevelt's fire side chats. That used to be their source of entertainment so why have we lost that sense of enjoyment that is focused solely on listening? Maybe podcasts are a way to inspire listening for enjoyment once again.

Some potential pitfalls I can see include students being intimidated by the technology and not feeling comfortable enough to record their written work through a podcast. Students might have to record their written piece several times to get it just right and that could prove to be frustrating. Lastly, some students may be better at speaking and reading than writing and vice versa. This task could be exciting to some and daunting to others, however in the end I think it is beneficial for all because it makes them step out of their comfort zone and truly has them practice both speaking, reading and writing.

-Heather, Do you think that Podcasts would be just as beneficial for Elementary Classrooms as they are for Secondary Classrooms?-Meghan === --Heather, thank you for your response. You've brought up some good points for discussion. I was also impressed with this site. It is user-friendly and teacher-friendly. There are many links just for educators, including links to "how to make a podcast" sites and other learning tools. === === This site provides students with an opportunity to see that everyone has dreams and everyone's dreams deserve to be acknowledged. It provides students with an outlet and a new audience for their writing. --Sophia === Carrie's Response

<span style="color: #bc2a2a; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">I have used and seen "This I Believe" model in previous courses and I find it to be a wonderful site. I really enjoy how multicultural the website really is and this was one of my first reactions when I first discovered this website. I love how different the people are who read the essays. I think that this would speak to many different students in our classrooms. I had a hard time navigating the website, due to the fact I didn't want to download anything, but I did find some clips and listen to a couple. I really enjoyed them.

<span style="color: #bc2a2a; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">I think I would use this similar to Heather. I found myself looking for podcasts that held my interest. I haven't really gotten into podcasts at all. I have trouble finding the time to actually listen to them.

<span style="color: #bc2a2a; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">As a learning tool students and ourselves can see what a good podcast is. It also can be used in a lesson. There are many different 'casts about history and they could easily could be used in a social studies classroom.

<span style="color: #bc2a2a; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">This I Believe would be a great instructional model to show students what a good podcast looks like. Students can use it to see and find the writing process with in it.

-Carrie: Where were you searching?? Did you click under the "Explore" tab?? -Meghan

==﻿ --Carrie, It is difficult to listen to the essays without downloading them. I have downloaded some to my Google Reader and others to my itunes account. I also find it hard to find the time to listen but I try to get some in during the weekend. ==

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Dr. Jones's Reflections
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">﻿ <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">What is your initial reaction to the "This I Believe" website? <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">It's interesting because if I hadn't already read Hicks' chapter and known that it was a site NPR had originally created, I would have thought it was a sort of spirituality website since a number of the summaries I quickly read while scanning through the list all seemed to have some sort of religious undertone/theme connected with the individual's answer to the question "This I Believe." <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">How would you utilize "This I Believe" as a personal resource? <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I suppose, now that I have a clearer understanding of the range of topics and stories that these podcasts offer the listener, I suppose if I wanted to find a podcast dedicated to a particular topic that I needed help believing in, then I might think to do a google search with the title This I Believe in the message. I did add the RSS to my Google Reader so I have noticed that the last two times I checked my Reader for updates I did look to see what new posts, if any were added to This I Believe. Thinking more about your question, probably as long as I keep the RSS feed live in my Google Reader I will at least glance at the topics. But I'm still not sure if I would see this as a personal resource or as simply a source of information that I may or may not choose to read on any given day -- like I would an article in the newspaper or in my //Entertainment Weekly.//

-What a great idea... I didn't even think to Connect this site to my RSS. Thanks :) -Meghan

== --Dr. Jones...this site does offer other topics in podcasts but the majority of the content on this site is geared toward the spiritual aspect of what people believe to be true in life. Some podcasts have been inspirational while others have been plain boring, so I'm not sure that this would be a site I'd visit often as a teacher but maybe once in a while when I need a smile. I have also subscribed to the RSS feed, so we'll see what happens. ==

Sophia
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">How could your students use "This I Believe" and Podcasts as a learning tool? What could be some potential pitfalls with Podcasts as an instructional tool? <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I would certainly recommend to my LTED 618 students to see if there are any podcasts on this site (or others) that are related to their own Genre Pieces Project topic. In additional to being a tool for learning, students might decide they want to create a Podcast as a component to their collection so the readers/audience could hear the author read the works aloud as well as read them. I am not sure of any pitfall or drawback for encouraging my students to consider creating a podcast. In fact, I think if they seriously considered the "sound" of the words/text they create -- which, of course, is a fundamental component of creating a successful podcast -- students might be more careful in composing their written work.

Sophia
<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Sophia, thanks so much for asking me this question. I would not consider these podcasts on This I Believe as examples of a "new" genre. Many of the podcasts on "This I Believe" are great examples of "personal narratives" (see Tompkins' chapter on the biography genre). Some may be better characterized as multi-genre or as a blending of narrative and expository genre elements. However, I still would be reluctant to call a podcast a new genre. Even though a podcast is a much more advanced form of technology, it still is used in the same way a tape recorder would be used. The difference though is in the ways the text can be disseminated. With the Web, one can immediately share his/her recorded thoughts, ideas, stories, and so on with a limitless number of individuals. It is this element of being able to reach a truly world-wide audience that is "new." --Dr. Jones

Dr. Jones...I agree with you that podcasts wouldn't be considered a "new" genre. I asked the question because of another question that was rolling around my brain while going through all of these websites. Now that we can hear the author's voice, tone, expression, passion, or any other number of emotions, doesn't this aspect diminish our ability to interpret the author's emotions. It's as if in a podcast, the author is not only composing her work, but also letting the reader/listener know what emotion lies behind the words. That's why I asked about the genre. This aspect of podcasts doesn't seem to "fit." Sophia

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Emily's Response:
<span style="color: #df729f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">My first impression of the website is sheer awe. Before even listening to any of the essays, I thought the concept of “This I believe” is fundamental to any human growth as a society. We must have “public conversations,” furthermore, these conversations should be authentic and purposeful. The beauty of “This I believe” is that each person’s essay is valued, as it can be about any and everything, from love to racism. I first listened to a couple of essays, including “What we tried to do,” which nearly brought me to tears. Then, I explored the other contents of the website. I found the guidelines for the essays were explicit and would lead to a concise essay.

<span style="color: #df729f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In terms of a resource, this is a fantastic way to connect with real people in a purposeful manner. As referred to in the history of the site, the concept was originally a radio conversation and the new internet technology has enabled more voices to be heard in this conversation. I find that a purposeful way to incorporate technology in the classroom. I also noticed the content in the essays was developed in a very particular way, likely due to the particular mode (Hicks, 2009). For this reason, I do believe “This I believe” is a perfect instructional tool for teachers. The audio essay is a distinct mode of expression that has a specific set of criteria. It seems as though it is between a speech and an essay. This could lead to deeper discussions with students about each type of piece, further demonstrating student understanding. Students would be able to explore a new media and think similarly about their piece as a traditional written essay. Students could also compare poetry performances with the audio essay when they are creating their own, as they have similar but different characteristics. In addition, students would actively think of events that have shaped them. As a learning tool, students could gain a ton of knowledge from this site. Students could listen to the older radio casts and audio essays to explore content from a different angle. For instance, students could listen and read-along to an essay by Helen Keller.

<span style="color: #df729f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I am greatly impressed with this website and I am so happy we were asked to respond to it!

Emily: Did you have a favorite podcast??? If so, please share on Thursday?? -Meghan

== Emily...if anything, this site is inspirational. Throughout history it is the stories of regular, everyday people that make up that history. This site is a great way for people to share their stories with other people. When collaboration like this is possible, we can dare to believe that anything is possible. According to Friedman, the world is getting flatter and flatter...and these are the tools that people use to accomplish that. ==

Sophia
Thanks So Much Everyone for your great responses!!! We will navigate this particular website together in class on Thursday!! Please bring any questions with you for discussion. -Meghan