Monday, April 20, 2009

Creating Your Own Review Podcast on Voicethread.com

Creating Your Podcast- –Planning Stage

Now it is time for you to create a review. You may work alone or with one other person. You have a wide range of types of review you can do:
• Review a group of songs from a band/artist;
• Review a genre of music/art/film (such as punk rock, pop rock…)
• A list and review of the top ____ songs/films of 2008;
• A list and review of the songs/films that represent your generation;
• A list and review of ten songs you should listen to before you die,
• A list and review of ten movies everyone should see;
• A review of the history of a band and how it has changed over the years;
• A review of a film maker/actor and how their films have changed throughout their career;
• A review and history of a certain type of automobile;
• A review and critique of the history of a sports team/star.

• And so on – you get the idea. If you have an idea that is not on the list, see me for approval before you begin.

How many songs/ movies/ artists/ performers/ models/ makes do I need in my review?
If you work by yourself you must have at least four items in your review.
If you work with a partner you must have at least eight items in your review.

Important Things to Consider When Choosing Your Topic:
• Is your topic broad enough that you will have enough items to review?
• Is your topic appropriate for school?
• Can you find enough visuals to go with your audio? (You will need at least one per item.)
• If you select a topic that might have images that are blocked at school, will you be able to find time and internet access outside of school to get the images you will need? (For example, if you want to do a history and review of Metallica you would have to get many of the images outside of school.)
• Do you know enough about your topic to be able to talk about and review/critique it?

What Needs to Be Present in Your Review:

Here’s where your work on the deconstruction of a review graphic comes into play. You did that assignment in order to raise your awareness of how a professional review is constructed. Refer back to the graphic and the outline you made. Use it as a guide, but also feel free to deviate from it.

 A title slide that introduces your topic and includes your name(s);
 At least 4 (working alone) or 8 (working in pairs) of images related to your topic;
 Audio, usually music;
 Your spoken commentary –
 Introduce yourself/yourselves;
 Personal story connections;
 Personal Response and/or connection to review item or time period;
 Personal analysis;
 Clear transitions;
 Criteria for selection and/or inclusion;
 Introduction to genre / style / musical movement/classification, etc…
 Elements of style comments
 Background on band / song/film/actor/model, etc.
 History of band / song/ film/actor/model, etc.
 Transitional comments to the next segment
 Excerpt of song/ film still/ image of item, etc…
 Concluding comments
 A works cited page that documents all of your sources for research, images, reference, etc.

Creating a Review- Planning & Scripting
To do this assignment you can either:
1. Choose to plan and write out your entire script. The advantage of this option is that you might feel less nervous about recording your voice since you already know what you are going to say. The down side is that it may take you a while.

2. Choose to create a basic plan of what you will say. The advantage of this one is that you do not feel tied to a script. However, it can result in a lower quality podcast since there will most likely be a lot of pauses, “Uhms,” “ya’knows,” and so on. You can fix this by recording in Audacity.com. This is a free audio recording site that you can use to clean up your sound.

How to do this:
Get several copies of the StoryBoard Planning template (you'll need to get this from me. I could not make it upload correctly here) and begin to fill them in. Feel free to make your own if you prefer to type instead of write, or you need more room than I have included on the form.

1. If you are working alone you should have at least six images. A title slide, four images related to your content and a works cited page. Feel free to have more.

2. If you are working with a partner you should have at least ten images. A title slide, eight images related to your content and a works cited page. More images is always good.

 Go to Voicethread.com and sign up for an account.
 Watch the short video on all of the things you can do on Voicethread.
 Watch a few samples by clicking on the “browse” button and selecting three or more that look interesting to you.
 Now you need to load your images into VoiceThread. Remember, if you need to access images outside of school you can save them directly to your VoiceThread and not have to worry about saving them somewhere else.

 You can create your title and works cited slides in PowerPoint and post them in your VoiceThread.

 Once you have the images loaded take time to practice a bit before actually trying to record.

 I suggest that you figure out your content then look for images. As you find the right images add them to your VoiceThread. Be sure to put the works cited information on the last slide!

 Practice with your script, and your partner, if you have one.

 Be sure to save your VoiceThread before you add the audio. That way if you screw up the audio you can start from that point, instead of starting over.

 Once your happy you can turn it in. I will have you upload it to the class blog. You will need to let me know when you are ready to do this part.

Deconstruction Music Reviews

Deconstructing Music Reviews

The goal with this assignment is for you to become very aware of what elements are present in a quality music review. Later you will have an opportunity to create a music review of your own based on what you find.

Process Overview:
1. You will select a music review from the NPR All Songs Considered Podcast Archives;
2. You will listen to at least 30 minutes of music review(s).
3. You will create a graphic flowchart that reveals the components of that/those review(s)
4. You will view the flowcharts others create
5. You may create your own music review in a multimedia format.

Step One – Listen to a Music Review Podcast

There are a number of wonderful music review podcasts offered by National Public Radio (NPR). You can download and listen to these from either the NPR.org website or the Itunes website. I also uploaded a few into the student shared folder. Go to either site and select a few podcasts to listen to.

Listening to them on NPR.org.
1. Go to npr.org.
2. From the program list select “All Songs Considered.”
3. From this site you can select one of the programs offered by scrolling down the webpage. You can see more by selecting “Past Stories by Date.”
4. Select a podcast by clicking on the title. That will bring up a new screen. Click on Listen Now. This will bring up another box where you can listen to the podcast.
5. I would like you to listen to at least two podcasts for at least 15 minutes each.

OR You Can…

Listen to them on Itunes:
1. This will bring up another box where you can listen to the podcast.
2. I would like you to listen to at least two podcasts for at least 15 minutes each (for a total of 30 minutes minimum of listening to the podcasts.

Step Two- Deconstruct a Review and Make a Graphic of the Elements of a Review

Go to Microsoft Word and make sure your drawing tools are available. If you do not see them on the bottom of your screen you may need to load them. You do this by selecting “View” from the tool bar at the top. Then select “toolbar” from the drop down menu. From there check “drawing.” This will make them available. From here you can get the shapes you need by clicking on “autoshapes” at the bottom of the screen. This will give you a flyout menu. You will pick “basic shapes” and then the shape you need.

Once you have figured out how to use the program, you will listen to very small bits of the podcast(s) and make a graphic that represents what kinds of things you are hearing. There are four general types of things you will hear in a podcast review:
 Speaker’s personal comments;
 Comments about the genre and/or elements of style;
 Comments dealing specifically with the band/band members/band history/music;
 Transitions between songs/albums/topics.

Make a graphic representation of the elements of the musical review.
Code the elements by using consistent shapes and shades of colors.

Personal Comments are done in squares and rectangles: (done in shades of green)
Personal story connection
Speaker introduction
Personal Response and/or connection to self or time period
Personal analysis

Musical / Genre Comments are in rounded rectangles and squares in shades of yellow:
Criteria for selection and/or inclusion
Introduction to genre / style / musical movement
Elements of style comments

Music Related Comments are in circles
And ovals with shades of pink:
Background on band / song
History of band / song
Transitional comments to song
Excerpt of song

Here’s what needs to be on your “Deconstructing a Review Podcast” document:
 Your name
 The title of the assignment
 The title(s) of the podcast(s) you listened to and made a graphic of.
 Be sure to use the shapes and colors as dictated in the assignment sheet.
 Instead of generic comments in the shapes, write a very brief indication of what the speaker said or what audio was used. This includes things like song titles, band member names, summary of comments, etc.
 Take particular note of how the speaker indicates that what they are saying is their personal opinion.
 Take special note of how the speaker transitions from one segment of the review to another.
 A print out of the graphic. (You will need to create the graphic in such a way that it will print out on one sheet of paper and still be legible. That is why I began wrapping around my boxes in the screen shoot above.)
 I made my sample in Webspiration, a program that is no longer available. You can make a document that looks the same in Microsoft Word using the auotshapes available with the drawing tool.

Tips for Creating Your Graphic of the Review Podcast:

• Listen to the podcast that you are graphic at least one time without interrupting it.
• Open Microsoft Word. Make sure your drawing tools are available and get started.
• Open a second browser and listen to a very small bit of the podcast.
• Go to the Word screen and make the first few boxes. You will see a crosshair symbol on the screen.
• To create a box simply select a shape from the autoshape menu on the bottom of the screen. This will produce a shape. Resize it by dragging from the handles on the corners of the shape.
• Color the fill color by clicking on the symbol that looks like a bucket with a colored line below it. This is located on the bottom of your tool bar. Clicking on this will pull up a color menu. Select an appropriate color. It will be filled in with the same color that your shape is filled in with. Click on this to bring up a color palette. Select the color you like and check to see that your shape fill color is the same. You can get more choices by selecting “More Fill Choices” from that menu.
• To pick the font/type color look for the shape in the bottom toolbar that looks like rainbow in a box. Clicking on this will produce a set of colors to choose from.
• You will need to use the arrows that shows the flow of the comments. You can produce these by clicking on the diamond shapes found at the center points of the shapes. Clicking on the diamond shape and dragging will bring out the arrow.
• To print it go to document and select page set up. Next, select fit to page and okay. Then select print from the document menu.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Acts IV-V Visualizing the Play

Visualizing the Play IV-V

My goal with this assignment is to have you consider what has happened in the middle section of the play and put it all together. I want you to demonstrate that you understand what is happening and why some actions carry heavy consequences.
You are to make a visual that represents what has happened from IV i to V iii. You have several ways to do this:
- Make a comic book style illustration from the play. Feel free to use stick figures, but make sure we can tell whose who.
- Make a graphic organizer or flow chart that shows the action. You can organize it by:

Act IV i
 An old man leads Gloucester to the countryside where Edgar agrees to walk him to Dover.

Act IV ii
 Goneril and Albany fight. Goneril becomes interested in Edmund.

Act IV iii
 Kent and Gentlemen talk about Cordelia.

Act IV iv
 Cordelia describes her crazy father and talks of the upcoming war.

Act IV v
 Oswald refuses to give Regan the letter from Goneril to Edmund. She commissions the murder of Gloucester.

Act IV vi
 Edgar takes Gloucester to Dover where Gloucester thinks he survives his suicide attempt.
 Edgar kills Oswald and get the letter from Goneril to Edmund.

Act IV vii
 Cordelia visits with Lear and he begins to regain his sanity.

Act V i
 Regan and Goneril both want Edmund. They begin to fight.
 Edgar delivers Goneril’s letter to Albany.

Act V ii
The British troops win so Lear and Cordelia are taken prisoner.
Act V iii
 Goneril and Regan die because of Edmund.
 Edgar and Edmund fight.
 Edmund dies.
 Lear and Cordelia die.
 Kent reveals himself to Lear, takes the dead family away to then kill himself.

Acts IV -V Interactive Journal

Interactive Journal

The interactive active journal is designed to help you understand and respond to the context of the play. You have four types of journal entries to choose from. Use the format that best fits the scene:

#1 Event Response Analysis
Event - Describe the event that happened in the story
Response - How do you feel about the particular event
Analysis - Why do you think this event occurred?
Why is it important to the storyline?
Why did Shakespeare include it?

#2 Observation Reflection Prediction
Observation - What observations have you made from this section?
Reflection - Why do you think this observation is significant?
Prediction - What do you think will happen next?

#3 Action Analysis Result
Action - Describe the action that was taken by a character that
surprised, shocked or impressed you?
Analysis - Why do you think this action occurred? How is it important
is it to the storyline? Why is it included in the play?
Result - What is the result of this action? How does it influence the plot or impact the other characters? Why?

#4 Problem Reflection Solution
Problem - What is the problem that the character(s) is/are facing?
Reflection - Why is this problem significant to the storyline? Why?
Solution - How do you think the character(s) will solve this problem?

Act IV i
 An old man leads Gloucester to the countryside where Edgar agrees to walk him to Dover.

Act IV ii
 Goneril and Albany fight. Goneril becomes interested in Edmund.

Act IV iii
 Kent and Gentlemen talk about Cordelia.

Act IV iv
 Cordelia describes her crazy father and talks of the upcoming war.

Act IV v
 Oswald refuses to give Regan the letter from Goneril to Edmund. She commissions the murder of Gloucester.

Act IV vi
 Edgar takes Gloucester to Dover where Gloucester thinks he survives his suicide attempt.
 Edgar kills Oswald and get the letter from Goneril to Edmund.

Act IV vii
 Cordelia visits with Lear and he begins to regain his sanity.

Act V i
 Regan and Goneril both want Edmund. They begin to fight.
 Edgar delivers Goneril’s letter to Albany.

Act V ii
The British troops win so Lear and Cordelia are taken prisoner.
Act V iii
 Goneril and Regan die because of Edmund.
 Edgar and Edmund fight.
 Edmund dies.
 Lear and Cordelia die.
 Kent reveals himself to Lear, takes the dead family away to then kill himself.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

King Lear Act V Scene iii Study Guide

King Lear Act V Scene iii
Study Guide

1. In the beginning of this scene Lear does not mind going to prison with Cordelia. Look at Vii 7-18 and summarize how Lear thinks it will be.

2. Explain what is meant when Regan says to Edmund, “ Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine.” Viii 81-82.

3. Why does Albany challenge Edmund?

4. Goneril has poisoned Regan. Why?

5. How do you think Edmund feels when he finds that his brother, Edgar, is the challenger?

6. Look at Edgar’s speeches on V iii(“By nursing them…”) 182-199, as well as V iii (“This would have seemed…”) 205-219 and summarize them.

Gloucester –

Kent –

7. Why does Edmund have a change of heart concerning Lear and Cordelia? What does he mean to do?

8. Why do you think Lear finally recognizes Kent in the end?

- How do you think Lear feels when he finds out that Kent was with him almost the entire time?

9. Please fill in the chart below:

How does their life end? What was the person feeling when s/he died? Why?

Regan

Gloucester

Goneril

Edmund

Cordelia

Lear

Kent

10. Make a prediction about what will happen next –

For Edgar –

Explain why you think that –

For Albany –

King Lear Act V Scene i-ii Study Guide

King Lear Act V Scene i-ii


1. Why is Regan so insistent that Goneril leave with her instead of staying behind with Edmund?

2. In Edmund’s soliloquy (Vi 55-69) he speaks of many things. Take a look at it and explain what he intends to do about:

Goneril and Regan –

Albany –

Lear and Cordelia –

3. What is Edgar’s function in this scene?

V ii

4. What is Edgar’s function in this scene?

5. At the end of the battle, who has won?

King Lear Act IV Scene vii Study Guide

King Lear Act IV Scene vii
Study Guide

1. As Lear sleeps, Cordelia speaks to him and says, “…Mine enemy’s dog, though he had bit me, should have stood that night against my fire…” IV vii 36-39.

What does she mean when she says this?

Why does she say it?

2. Lear says,
Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray weep not.
If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
I know you do not love me; for your sisters
have, as I do remember, done me wrong.
You have some cause, they have not. IV vii

Explain how Lear is feeling now…

About himself…

About Goneril and Regan…

About Cordelia…

3. By the end of this scene there is a change that has come about in Lear. Explain what that change is and how or why you think it occurred.

4. According to the discussion in this scene, who is in charge of Cornwall’s army?