Bringing Back Delivery: Integrating Podcasting into the Writing Classroom Jennifer L. Bowie ▪ Assistant Professor ▪ Georgia State University Computer Connection, CCCC ▪ March, 2009 ▪ San Francisco

Overview Podcasting 101 Podcasting in the Writing Classroom(?) Podcasting in My Writing Classroom What They Did Your choice: –Mini Audacity/ how to podcast demo? –Listen to examples? –Discuss iTunes U: the good, the bad, the ugly

Podcasting 101 Podcast: iPod + broadcast (Pod has been renamed to be “Personal On Demand” by some) Digital media files (any type!) distributed over the internet through RSS feeds—subscribe and it is delivered to you when “published” Time-shifted & location-shifted: “anytime, anywhere” Started as grassroots/independent now with many companies & organizations

Podcasting in the Writing Classroom(?) Brings us back to our oral rhetorical roots Delivery means something real again—something rather like what those ancient Greeks meant Yet another medium our students need to know Familiar to consume, but not produce Highlights certain concepts which can them be applied to writing –Audience: How do you “write” when you are in someone’s ear? –Context: How do you “write” for someone divining while listening? Running? Folding laundry? –Ethos: How do you establish authority in audio? When it is your voice? –Voice and tone: How do you write for your actual physical voice? Suddenly these concepts become literal and very real. –Arrangement: What order does an audio text need? Should you use music transitions? Where/how do you include metatext? Combines presentation skills with writing Podcasting is a natural fit

Podcasting in My Writing Classroom Rhet Comp senior seminar “Social Media, Politics, & the Rhetorical Citizen” All seniors, nice diversity Had access to MP3 players & limited technology About 1/3 regularly listened. Only 1 had ever done a podcast, and only a single cast.

You want us to What?

What they did Student-produced podcasts are “rare” especially in the research Of the six major assignments: –1 had an optional podcast component –3 had significant student-produced podcast components –1 had no podcasting –1 had some podcasting

Assignments that worked! Week in Review: –Created their own assignment and genre –~ 15 minutes –1 quote –Focus on class discussions, but also reading, podcasts, reading responses, blog content, and anything else –Go beyond/ offer something new –Music: optional –Collaborative –Highly successful, students loved listening –2 nd highest effectiveness score (behind a tie of podcasting in general and the capstone) of 16 class components

Assignments that worked! Capstone: podcasting optional –Larger project that encompasses and caps their rhet comp education –Self selected media, topic, et al. –Reflection component could also be in podcast form –Examples: Rhetorina Progymnasmodcast Troy Davis stay of execution Rhetoric of the Boondocks –Tied for 1 st in effectiveness of 16 class components

Assignments that worked! Media Analysis: one argument, two media (print & podcast) –Reflection could be either –Slight adjustments in audience and purpose okay, content changes fine –Reflected on how media changed things/what they changed for media Which argument was stronger? –4 th most effective of 16 class components

Assignments that worked! Podcast Reading Responses: –2-5 minutes of responding to the reading. –Had to do 3, the rest were text on the blog –Made it a conversation –Saw it more personal and thus more important that it be professional –3 rd most effective of 16 class components Podcast Peer Reviews: –Had to “podcast” their review including a “reading,” in-text comments, and overall review –Worked best for print or podcast projects –Loved or hated –13 th most effective of 16 class components

Overall? Highly effective –Students think so –I think so Delivery skills for both print and oral texts improved significantly Student-produced podcasts are far more effective than listening to expert- or teacher- produced podcasts

Now what? Mini Audacity/how to podcast demo? Listen to examples? Discuss iTunes U: the good, the bad, the ugly

Thank you! Want more? – Check out my ATTW PodPoster in 2, 5, & 10 minute versions Podcasting resources – My podcast, Screen Space, about users, texts, and technology. – the class site & bloghttp:// – these slides (soon)