Posting Your VoiceThread to Your Blog

1. Go back to voicethread.unc.edu and click on the “My Voice” tab. Click on the VoiceThread you wish to post.

2. Click the menu icon at the top left of the screen then click “edit.” Click the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Playback Options” and enter 0 as the time to wait between slides and check the button that says “Start playing when opened.” Click the “Save” button.

3. Click the "Export" button at the bottom of the screen, then click the "export" button in the pop-up window.

4. You will need to wait for an email from VoiceThread saying that your video is ready to be downloaded. Once you receive this email, click the link and download the "HQ" version. It should save a Quicktime file to your computer.

5. Go to youtube.com and log in with your Google account. Click the upload button at the top of the screen.

6. Point it to the quicktime file you downloaded above and wait for the file to upload and process.

7. Once your video is available on Youtube, go to the video page, then click the button just below the video that says "share," then the button that says "embed." Copy the html code provided.

8. Log in to blogger.com and create a new post. Click the "HTML" button and paste in the code from the previous step. Click the "Compose" button and add your works cited list if necessary, then give your post a title and hit "Publish."

9. Make sure to check your blog to make sure everything posted correctly, and to watch your video to make sure there are no slides missing, in the wrong order, etc. 

10. Get through your finals and have a great summer!

Screencast: Assembling Your VoiceThread

Screencast: Splitting Your Audio into Multiple WAVs

Note: when exporting your files, choose "WAV" as the format rather than mp3.

Draft Workshop: Unit 3 Project Audio

This will be an entirely make-your-own workshop. Please give your partner at least 4 questions relevant to the issues you were working through as you composed. You can copy/paste questions from previous workshops or compose your own.

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Draft Workshop: Unit 3 Project Script

1. Evaluate the author's introduction. Does it follow one of the strategies for effective introductions we talked about in class? Does it begin by telling the listener something s/he doesn't know?

2. Evaluate the author's thesis statement. Is it specific, i.e. does it focus on specific details of the artwork under analysis? Does it make a strong claim? Does it provide a road map for the rest of the script?

3. Does most of the author's script focus on the artwork at hand, or is too much time devoted to the contextual information?

Next, compose two additional questions that focus your reader's attention on issues that you have been dealing with as you composed this draft. You can copy/paste questions from previous workshops or compose your own.

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Posting Your Unit 2 Project

Once you have uploaded the final version of your podcast to SoundCloud, click the "Share" button underneath the wave form, and copy the code in the box labeled "widget code." Next, log in to blogger.com and click the orange button to create a new post. Click the button labeled "HTML" and paste the code into the large box. Then, click the "Compose" button and add a works cited list or any other pertinent into below your podcast. If you run into any problems, both I and your group members are here to help you.

Collaborative Work on Unit 3

In your groups, each person should present their work on Unit 3 so far. Show the rest of the group an image of your piece from the Ackland as well as some of the contextual images you chose for Feeder 3.3. Tell them about your general impressions of the piece and listen to any feedback they might have about alternative ways to interpret the piece.

Once everyone has presented their feeder assignments, work collaboratively on your working thesis statements.

Sample VoiceThread

http://uncquartet.blogspot.com/2010/12/bruegel-protest-through-death.html

April 10: Full Podcast Audio Workshop

1. Does the podcast meet the assignment's length requirements? If it is too long or too short, suggest what material the author might add or subtract.

2. Do you zone out or does your attention stray at any point in the podcast? If so, how might the author fix this problem?

Now add at least two more questions of your own. You can re-use questions from previous workshops or you can ask the author to evaluate a specific issue or section of the podcast that you've been focusing on.

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Draft Workshop: Results & Discussion Script

1. How has the author summarized the data that she or he collected in the experiment? Does this summary feel like an onslaught of numbers? Is it disorienting, or do can you process them all as the author is explaining them? How might he or she deal with this material more clearly?

2. Does the author restate clearly the original hypothesis and how the data proved or disproved that hypothesis? How could this information be better highlighted so that the listener will be sure not to miss it?

3. How does the podcast end? Is the ending effective? Why or why not?

4. How might the author interject another voice in a way that would make the podcast both clearer and more interesting?

5. What parts of the podcast do you think will be essential to highlight with music, sound effects, etc.? In other words, what are the most important transitional moments in the podcast? Does the author indicate how s/he will deal with these effectively? Suggest ways in which the use of music and sound effects might be improved.

Francis Bacon: Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion

Podcast Audio Workshop

Listen to your partner's podcast at least once without stopping, then answer the following questions in the Google Doc where that person kept his or her script.

1. Describe the author's implementation of the middle style. Is it a higher or lower take on the middle style? Does the author come off as a credible scientist? What aspects of the podcast contribute most to the author's voice? Be as specific as possible.

2. Do you zone out or become disoriented at any point in the podcast? At what point does the author lose your attention? Does s/he read too slowly or too quickly? Is the recording clear and easy to understand?

3. Describe how the author has implemented post-production techniques such as the addition of music, sound effects, etc. Do these help you to understand the content of the podcast or do they distract you from it?

4. Has the author done everything required for both the Introduction and Methods and Materials sections? Is this information clearly highlighted? Does the author do a good job of explaining the experiment without summarizing the results? Does the podcast sound too much or not enough like a proper scientific research report? What changes might the author make in order to enhance his or her credibility or come off as more approachable? 

Now, read these questions and then listen to the podcast again, thinking about how you will answer each question. If you need to listen again, rewind and listen to part of the podcast again. When you're done, answer these questions:

1. How does the author attempt to grab the reader's attention? Do you think the reader will be "hooked" within 10-15 seconds? Can the author's attention-getter be described as one of the more or less effective introductions we talked about? Explain your answer.

2. At what point does the author transition from the Introduction section to the Methods and Materials section? Describe how this transition takes place and how the author signals to the reader that s/he should be listening for a new idea. Identify any other transitions that are unclear or confusing. 

3. Is the hypothesis highlighted clearly? Can the author be absolutely sure that even a casual listener will understand the experiment's hypothesis? How does the author highlight this information? How might it be highlighted more clearly?

After you have answered all of these questions in the Google Doc, take 5 minutes to converse with your author, explaining both your answers to the questions as well as any more general or specific comments that didn't come up in your written feedback. Also, feel free to share any tips for using the recording software that the author might find helpful.

Homework: upload draft of your audio to soundcloud

Once your draft is completed, in Audacity go to File > Export. Choose a location for your file and choose WAV for the format. Click "OK" through any other options (the defaults should be fine), and you should have an audio file of your draft saved in the location you chose.

Go to soundcloud.com and sign up for a free account. Once you're logged in, click the "upload" button at the top of the page, then the "choose files" button and point it toward the file you saved in the step above.

Once your draft is uploaded, submit a link to it via the "Turn in Assignments" link on the course blog. Your link should look something like http://www.soundcloud.com/YOUR_SOUNDCLOUD_USERNAME/THE_NAME_OF_YOUR_PODCAST