Q2 Podcast
Briefing
In this Quest you will learn about, listen to, and evaluate an audio/video media resource called a podcast, or vodcast if it has video. What is a podcast? It is a series of audio recordings that are shared online for others to listen to and subscribe to. Some schools, classrooms, students, teachers and principals are creating podcasts.
What is a vodcast? The same thing as a podcast, but with video, a series of media files that you can subscribe to.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Podcasts and Vodcasts?View this linked resource for some ideas.
What is iTunes? It is a program and also an app created by Apple, Inc. which you can download free. It lets you listen to or watch different types of media, access a library to build your own collection, access iTunesU, and visit their store. You can use it to find and play a variety of music, videos, files, and apps. There are a variety of very helpful fun and educational media in iTunes.
Headphones are recommended for this Quest. If you have access to iTunes, follow the steps in Part 1. If you do not have iTunes then go to part 2. If you are a high school student, click this link for a modified assignment.
In this Quest you will learn about, listen to, and evaluate an audio/video media resource called a podcast, or vodcast if it has video. What is a podcast? It is a series of audio recordings that are shared online for others to listen to and subscribe to. Some schools, classrooms, students, teachers and principals are creating podcasts.
What is a vodcast? The same thing as a podcast, but with video, a series of media files that you can subscribe to.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Podcasts and Vodcasts?View this linked resource for some ideas.
What is iTunes? It is a program and also an app created by Apple, Inc. which you can download free. It lets you listen to or watch different types of media, access a library to build your own collection, access iTunesU, and visit their store. You can use it to find and play a variety of music, videos, files, and apps. There are a variety of very helpful fun and educational media in iTunes.
Headphones are recommended for this Quest. If you have access to iTunes, follow the steps in Part 1. If you do not have iTunes then go to part 2. If you are a high school student, click this link for a modified assignment.
Part One
Steps:
1. Download iTunes if you don't have it already, then install and open up the iTunes app or application. Make sure you are in the Store. If you see the word store in the top right then click on it.
2. Type storynory into the store search window at the top right.
3. Look over the different offerings from Storynory. They produce a series with a new story each week which you can subscribe to in iTunes, This is one reason they are called podcasts or vodcasts (if there is video included). An example screenshot is shown below.
4. Ask your teacher for directions on which one to listen to. Tongue Twister might be a fun one to try!
5. Clicking on one of the images will take you to a new screen like the one for Twister shown here.
6. To play the recording, put your mouse on the number in front of the name to see the play button. Click to begin listening to it. Have fun listening. If you want to subscribe to the series, click the button on the far right to subscribe and receive the new episode automatically in iTunes (if you or your class has an iTunes account).
7. Click the back arrow on the top menu bar to go back to the main Storynory guide page. Pick a podcast that tells a story and use the 10 elements of a digital story chart provided (click here to download a word doc , or click here to go to the Google doc file ) to identify the parts of the story you are listening to.
8. Reflection Assignment: Check with your teacher on writing a reflection about your experience. You may find our podcast evaluation rubric (rubric in excel, or rubric as a pdf file) helpful. Here is a sample assignment to guide your writing:
Details:
a. Identify what the two podcasts were (name of the podcast and name of the author), and then something about each one.
b. What type of audio it is: story, event, historical, scientific, mathematical, fictional or true?
c. Identify a few things you liked or didn’t like about it with specific examples.
Opinion: Was this a great podcast? Was the audio clear? Could you understand it? Did it keep your interest? Explain these with details and descriptions to support your opinion, not just a yes and no answer.
Reflection: When you think about how you learn best, would this be a good choice – why or why not?
9. Save this reflection to use when you make your own recording.
PART TWO for those without iTunes access
If you do not have access to iTunes, there are many places which you can still find great podcasts (a series you can subscribe to), or individual audio files for K-12 classrooms on the Internet.
Steps:
1. Check with your teacher to see which of the ones listed here you might visit. Listen to at least two or watch at least two different media files.
Wild Animal Chronicles : from National Geographic.
Hosted here are a variety of six-minute videos for grades 3-8.
Poetry4kids.com : Visit recordings of poems by famous other students, and subscribe.
Bookwink.com : Video booktalks by students. These help find out about exciting reading books for grades 3-8. Find books by subject, grade level, author, and title.
Books Should Be Free : Tons of audio books which are sorted by category. This link will take you to the Children’s Audio Books section which includes stories about famous characters (Alice in Wonderland, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, Swiss Family Robinson, and many more). http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/genre/Children
2. Use the 10 elements of a digital story chart provided (click here to download a word doc , or click here to go to the Google doc file ) to identify the parts of the story you are listening to. Use the second section titled "Elements of a multimedia story" for the multimedia examples, and complete the document.
3. Reflection Assignment: Here is a sample assignment to guide your writing:
Research: Now that you have done some beginning research about multimedia stories, explain in your own words what a mutimedia story is and what features make it different from a story book. How was this different? Explain your answer.
Details:
a. Identify the two media files: name of the recording, name of the author, and then something about each one.
b. What type of audio it is: story, event, historical, scientific, mathematical, fictional or true?
c. Identify a few things you liked or didn’t like about it with specific examples.
Opinion: Was this a great media file? Was the audio clear? Could you understand it? Did it keep your interest? Explain these with details and descriptions to support your opinion, not just a yes and no answer.
Reflection: When you think about how you learn best, would this be a good choice for you? Why or why not?
Save this reflection to use when you make your own recording in the next Quest.
Completing this Quest
When you have finished listening to several podcasts, you are ready for the next Quest.
Steps:
1. Download iTunes if you don't have it already, then install and open up the iTunes app or application. Make sure you are in the Store. If you see the word store in the top right then click on it.
2. Type storynory into the store search window at the top right.
3. Look over the different offerings from Storynory. They produce a series with a new story each week which you can subscribe to in iTunes, This is one reason they are called podcasts or vodcasts (if there is video included). An example screenshot is shown below.
4. Ask your teacher for directions on which one to listen to. Tongue Twister might be a fun one to try!
5. Clicking on one of the images will take you to a new screen like the one for Twister shown here.
6. To play the recording, put your mouse on the number in front of the name to see the play button. Click to begin listening to it. Have fun listening. If you want to subscribe to the series, click the button on the far right to subscribe and receive the new episode automatically in iTunes (if you or your class has an iTunes account).
7. Click the back arrow on the top menu bar to go back to the main Storynory guide page. Pick a podcast that tells a story and use the 10 elements of a digital story chart provided (click here to download a word doc , or click here to go to the Google doc file ) to identify the parts of the story you are listening to.
8. Reflection Assignment: Check with your teacher on writing a reflection about your experience. You may find our podcast evaluation rubric (rubric in excel, or rubric as a pdf file) helpful. Here is a sample assignment to guide your writing:
Details:
a. Identify what the two podcasts were (name of the podcast and name of the author), and then something about each one.
b. What type of audio it is: story, event, historical, scientific, mathematical, fictional or true?
c. Identify a few things you liked or didn’t like about it with specific examples.
Opinion: Was this a great podcast? Was the audio clear? Could you understand it? Did it keep your interest? Explain these with details and descriptions to support your opinion, not just a yes and no answer.
Reflection: When you think about how you learn best, would this be a good choice – why or why not?
9. Save this reflection to use when you make your own recording.
PART TWO for those without iTunes access
If you do not have access to iTunes, there are many places which you can still find great podcasts (a series you can subscribe to), or individual audio files for K-12 classrooms on the Internet.
Steps:
1. Check with your teacher to see which of the ones listed here you might visit. Listen to at least two or watch at least two different media files.
Wild Animal Chronicles : from National Geographic.
Hosted here are a variety of six-minute videos for grades 3-8.
Poetry4kids.com : Visit recordings of poems by famous other students, and subscribe.
Bookwink.com : Video booktalks by students. These help find out about exciting reading books for grades 3-8. Find books by subject, grade level, author, and title.
Books Should Be Free : Tons of audio books which are sorted by category. This link will take you to the Children’s Audio Books section which includes stories about famous characters (Alice in Wonderland, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, Swiss Family Robinson, and many more). http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/genre/Children
2. Use the 10 elements of a digital story chart provided (click here to download a word doc , or click here to go to the Google doc file ) to identify the parts of the story you are listening to. Use the second section titled "Elements of a multimedia story" for the multimedia examples, and complete the document.
3. Reflection Assignment: Here is a sample assignment to guide your writing:
Research: Now that you have done some beginning research about multimedia stories, explain in your own words what a mutimedia story is and what features make it different from a story book. How was this different? Explain your answer.
Details:
a. Identify the two media files: name of the recording, name of the author, and then something about each one.
b. What type of audio it is: story, event, historical, scientific, mathematical, fictional or true?
c. Identify a few things you liked or didn’t like about it with specific examples.
Opinion: Was this a great media file? Was the audio clear? Could you understand it? Did it keep your interest? Explain these with details and descriptions to support your opinion, not just a yes and no answer.
Reflection: When you think about how you learn best, would this be a good choice for you? Why or why not?
Save this reflection to use when you make your own recording in the next Quest.
Completing this Quest
When you have finished listening to several podcasts, you are ready for the next Quest.