Voices in the Air

Yesterday, the podcast that I had recorded with Sarah Lalonde last Friday, went on the air. The conversation was tweeted out to my students and several took time to listen. Some connected conversation happened in class today as a followup. Episode 35: Digital and Media Literacies

Today, as part of my class time, some students who wanted to try podcasting, were given the opportunity to do so. During this time, one student made the decision to also participate - confirming my believe that, given a safe and supportive environment, students will engage in using technologies and media that they may not have tried otherwise. I'm modelling and my students are engaging, moving into the open.

Moving mountains

I've used this title as the hook to my conference proposal for the Creative Commons Global Summit.

It's also been trickling through my mind in connection to podcasting and teaching the media class. Last night I had set up a google hangout with a teacher candidate, Sarah L. in Ottawa, to talk to my class about podcasting. Since it connected to the topic of participatory culture and new media, it was timely. She spoke for about ten minutes and then the questions started - as posted in a backchannel in Todays Meet, which everyone could see from their laptops. This talk went longer than anticipated, but it was student centered and focused on their participation in new media spaces.

A few students had also created a short sound file, or radio bumper, for VoiceEd.ca which I took, imported and worked with a music track to enhance the clip, and returned to them, as well as sending off to Stephen Hurley to use with his radio shows. Participation in action.

A few students have created a blog post for their making media assignment that they are tweeting out to other Ontario educators through the #OneWordONT project. One has also added their blog post to the Google Plus community set up for this activity. Again, participation in media spaces where other professionals and educators are engaging in conversations together.

It's not a push or pull action for the students or myself, more of an invitation to play. I set up the 'sandbox' and invite others to join WITH me as we try these media making opportunities together. The benefits is that they (the students) will leave at the end of this term with a connected network in participatory spaces where they can continue to chose to engage - in the open!

Voices Echoing in the Open

Yesterday, there were many interconnecting waves (sound waves, twitter streams) where voices echoed outward into the open. The 'tens of listeners' who may have heard the echo, may have gained insight or had an idea resonate for them. These voices certainly were opportunities to share my work, teaching, learning and experiences in the OPEN. Now I'll take a critical look and listen to see what I'm saying.

The Getting Air radio podcast that I had recorded with Terry Greene was published and shared on VoiceEd.ca while on the same day, I had agreed to be interviewed by Sarah Lalonde for her VoiceEd podcast show Que Sera Sarah? When networks and PLNs overlap, I thought to myself.

The podcast was mentioned in the OEORangers (#OEORangers) online meeting (using Zoom) right after Terry sent out some tweets about the episode. Sarah saw this tweet and made a connection. This enriched our conversation about the courses I teach at the Faculty of Education.

Love listening to this podcast as I get ready to speak with @hj_dewaard on #QueSeraSarah tonight ! Thanks for sharing Terry. https://t.co/I3TnmysEQW

— Sarah Anne Lalonde (@sarahlalondee) January 12, 2018

So, my next step is to transcribe these two conversations to see and hear what I really did say and how I said it..... as part of my action research. The hope is that I can reflect deeper by listening deeply. I've done this in reverse where I've written a blog post (Why I Listen, Your Voice is Compelling), then recorded it in order to think more deeply and write more accurately, as a reflective practice.

In terms of critical digital literacy, this falls into many categories:

• code breaking - figuring out how audio recording tools and devices create podcasts (Zencastr, Audacity, file formats, microphone inputs, settings on computer and software, editing options
• meaning making - relating, interpersonal, tone, voice, context, expressing, multi-authored, modes of communication, translate
• use & understand - creating, artefacts, confidence, explore, networks, audience, applying tools
• analyzing - deconstructing messages, analyzing authorship, questioning impact
• persona - building identity, multiple facets, participating asynchronous and synchronous, managing reputation, community (within open eduators), language and content