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First Podcast... My Mind is Blown!
I completed my very first podcast, and all I can say is "whew!"
Downloading and learning to use Audacity wasn't that difficult, although I haven't mastered sound effects yet. I tried to wrangle some free ones online, and Googled "Free MP3 Sound Effects," which bounced back a billion hits. I didn't know how to actually download them, though, and figured that I might save actually applying them for a second entry... I think I'll start podcasting for my personal blog (yes, I have one of those, too!) and maybe I'll throw some more bells and whistles in there if I can figure it out down the road.
I attempted uploading directly to Blog-City's website by using the same protocol we used to link the Concept Maps, but it didn't work, and I'm wondering if my 4.9 megabyte file was just too large for the account here. (Terry, if you happen to know, could you advise?) Instead, I ended up heading to podomatic, which was easy to use and had a simple interface. My podcast can be found here .
It's actually a very simple reading of one of my favorite books, The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats, which I read to my kindergarten class each year and love for its strong sense of visual imagery and its simple language. Please let me know what you think! I *was* a little nervous recording, so be gentle in your critique, but know that I'm going to keep plugging away at this podcasting thing, and I'll be back with more. 
See the step by step example for uploading an MP3 to Blog City if you want
to put it on this site. -- Terry
Laura,
We listened to your podcast and here are a few comments.
Just as my students said, you seem to be a veteran at this podcasting
thing! Your voice is bright and clear, and you enunciation is exact and
easy to listen to. I like how you referred to a previous class skill as a
main component of the experience of this podcast: visualization, pictures
in your mind. You gave good "listening directions" to the kids in telling
them that you would be stopping to have them make pictures in their minds,
and this encourages active listening. Your presentation is not only an
example of good podcasting, but of good teaching. Now where *did* that
snowball go?
I had never heard that story and it is such a wonderful one! I loved
listening to your podcast. You did excellent job setting up for the story
and clearly explaining the purpose of the podcast. I feel that you spoke
clearly and slowly, though there were a couple times where you stopped
reading the book and started asking the students to visualize and it took
me a moment to get that. I thought that you were still reading the book at
first. Maybe you need to change your voice just a tiny bit to show the
difference or say something like "Okay, now why don't you all..." The
majority of the time it was very clear, though. Anyways, fantastic job! I
hope that you play it for your kids!
Hi Laura. I think you did a great job with your podcast. Your voice is
very upbeat and clear. I also liked how you really explained exactly what
you were going to do, that makes your podcast accessible as a discrete unit
with no need for directions or explanation beforehand. I didn't think of
doing that with my podcast, so I enjoyed seeing how you did that. I think
your pace was perfect for Kindergardeners (which I assume is your intended
audience), but a little slow for older children. I also agree with Jess
that it was sometimes difficult to tell when you were reading the book and
when you were asking questions. I think Jess' suggestions were great--just
making a little comment to differentiate when you are reading and when you
are talking. Great job, I can definitely see you using this in your
classroom in some cool way!
Laura,
Laura,
What a great idea...turn the assignment into a mini lesson. Very cool. I
really was able to create pictures in my mind while you were reading. I
thought it was great how you told us that you were going to pause to have
us create pictures in our minds. You read loud and clear and at the
perfect pace. I also thought it was cool how you put a picture of the book
cover with the podcast (you’re so smart). Really, great job; let me know
if you get those sound effects working. Maybe Kate can give you some
pointers.