Benjamin L. Stewart

BLS_98: Employing a Strategy for Creating a (Student) Podcast

Weekly podcasts will continue as we've done the past semester with a few changes (in bold): Update the Excel file in your respective classes in Teams to reflect where your podcast episodes (audio or video files) will reside. Each week, you have from Wednesday to Sunday (midnight) to complete your podcast episode assignment in Canvas. To receive credit for completing the assignment, you must submit the URL to the podcast episode in Canvas (as explained in class). To receive full credit, you must submit URL to Canvas Sunday (by midnight). I suggest not to wait until Sunday night to complete your weekly podcast, which is why you have from Wednesday to Sunday to complete this task. After Tuesday following the due date for each week (Sunday), late submissions will not be accepted. Late submissions on Monday will receive a 10% grade reduction, and late submissions on Tuesday will receive a 20% grade reduction. Weekly Podcast Instructions Speak a minimum of 8-10 minutes per weekly podcast episode and no longer than 60 minutes. No interviews and each podcast should be done individually. Choose any topic that you wish to discuss the entire semester. It must be a topic you will not get tired of discussing each week over the 16-week semester. Include a hook, introduction (podcast name, tagline (slogan), your name, date, and key points of the episode), body (choose two-four key points), and conclusion (thank the audience, closing statement and/or what to expect in future episodes). Find an example of a podcast that serves as a model in how you present your intro and outro. Submit URL to podcast episode. Each of your episodes should draw on information (content) taken from other podcasts. The information taken from these sources should be included in your episode: 1) description of what was said, 2) your interpretation or feelings about the information (or how it relates to the key point of your episode), and 3) reference where you got the information (who said it). Avoid reading any text during your podcast episode. Using background music is optional. If you do use background music make sure to choose only music which is under the public domain (attribution not required) or a creative commons license (attribution required). Weekly Podcast TipsThis semester, you'll produce a weekly podcast. Refer to the requirements below for completing each podcast episode. Choose your favorite podcatcher: Stitcher, Apple podcasts, etc. Review podcast requirements above. Use your cell phone (or computer) to record your episode. Record yourself in the Microsoft Teams application (audio and video) or your favorite app for recording your voice, then upload to your Microsoft 365 Onedrive shared folder or public podcast site. To complete the assignment, submit the URL to Canvas to the podcast episode (as stated above). Use Audacity (https://www.audacityteam.org/) to record yourself on your computer (audio only) or your favorite application. Use OBS (https://obsproject.com/) to record yourself on your computer (audio & video). or your favorite application. Contact me immediately if you have questions related to the technology needed to complete your podcasts. **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 LUFS): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.net/; @bnleez (Twitter)

ItC 97: Writing Workshop and Sharing One’s Work

**Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 LUFS): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.net/; @bnleez (Twitter) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message

ItC 96: How podcasting will be used during spring semester of 2022

In this episode, I provide a brief overview of how podcasting will be used in the classes I'm scheduled to teach this spring semester 2022. **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 LUFS): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.org/; @bnleez (Twitter) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message

ItC 95: Leveraging Online Spaces for Educational Purposes

In this episode, I discuss leveraging this podcast with other public online spaces. Newsletter: https://www.benjaminlstewart.net/ **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 LUFS): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.org/; @bnleez (Twitter) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message

ItC 94: Why I Podcast: An Educator’s Perspective

In this epísode, I discuss the reason I podcast. Newsletter: https://www.benjaminlstewart.net/ **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 LUFS): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.org/; @bnleez (Twitter) ---  In this epísode, I discuss the reason I podcast.As an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher trainer, I enjoy taking classes to further my knowledge, understandings, and skillsets on topics that I feel are relevant to my teaching practice. This past December, I had the opportunity to take a podcasting course.One of the first exercises we were asked to complete for this podcasting course was to reflect on the purpose of having an educational podcast. In September of 2018, I started my own podcast called, “[In the classroom: Making teaching and learning more transparent](https://podcasts.apple.com/mx/podcast/in-the-classroom/id1462704393?utm_campaign=299468636&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter)”, and remember thinking at the time that I wanted to make my own teaching and learning processes as transparent as possible, but beyond that, didn’t really consider the reason or reasons for having such a podcast. Now, I feel I can state my “why”.Reasons for having an educational podcastAll of the reasons related to having an educational podcast relate to my attempt to add value to my learners in the courses they have with me. I want to create a reflective learning environment for myself that I share with others. Knowing that much of what I do as an instructor will later be shared publicly motivates me to do my best. Perhaps it’s counterintuitive, but knowing that I will share my teaching practice publicly makes me want to take more risks and try new things. Having a reflective learning environment for oneself is the basis for connecting with others. I want to model behaviors related to my teaching practice for my learners (i.e., English-as-a-foreign-language teacher trainers). As my learners are studying to be English teachers, I encourage them to pay close attention to the teaching practices of their instructors in terms of what might work well for them in the future and what might not work well. If I offer a description and explanation of what I do, this might shed light on how they might (or might not) adapt my practice given their own educational context. I want to offer a version of flipped learning so that live classes (whether in-person or online) are as engaging, effective, and efficient as possible. In other words, podcast episodes might be best served as orienting the learner before a particular class session, it might serve as an activity during a class session, or it might be part of an activity learners complete or refer to after a class session. The podcast episode might include course content in the form of a lecture or it might be an explanation of how to carry out a performance task. Podcasts that are in the target language of those learners who are learning an additional language have the added benefit of pausing and replaying the audio or video so that input becomes more comprehensible. I want to showcase learners’ work as part of an ongoing working and professional e-portfolio. As learners progress throughout the BA program in English language teaching, they are encouraged to cultivate an e-portfolio that demonstrates their knowledge and understanding, skillsets, and disposition as teacher practitioners. Offering a podcast that promotes their work is an additional component to assisting them in determining what work should and should not be included in an e-portfolio. I want my podcast to be used to orient and motivate learners to do good work. Orientation episodes might be created to help with clarifying how to use certain technology, it may be to provide learning strategies for completing certain tasks, and it may be to show empathy and perspective to help them have the proper attitude when it comes to their own learning. My gear for creating a podcastFor my main setup (home office), I use a Shure SM7B microphone that I run through a DBS 286s channel strip processor, which connects to a ZOOM Podtrack P4, 4-track podcast recorder. The Zoom P4 connects to my computer where I run Open Broadcast Software (OBS) to record audio and (1080p webcam) video for the podcast. I then use Kdenlive to make any edits to the track, which also includes normalizing the audio to 14 LUFS (loudness units full scale). Audio files get hosted to Anchor.fm, which then automatically get sent to various affiliated podcatchers like Apple Music, Spotify, among others. I provide show notes or a link to the show notes in Anchor.fm so to include complementary information to the episode.As an alternate setup that I use in my office at school, I use a Shure MV7 USB microphone that connects directly to my computer. From there, the process is similar as stated above: OBS to Kdenlive, etc.My workflow for generating ideas for a podcast episode (the “how”)To formulate ideas to be included in a podcast episode, I use Obsidian (using a Zettelkasten method) to move ideas from fleeting, to literature, to permanent notes. Podcast topics range from content delivery for courses I teach, courses that I take, and any other educational topics that relate to applied linguistics or education more generally. I typically use DuckDuckGo (Bangs) to help filter searchers that usually occur in Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, and any of the online databases available at our educational institution (e.g., EBSCO, Cambridge Journals, Comparative Education Review, Directory of Open Access Journals, Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Oxford University Press, Sage Journals, Science Direct, Springer Link, Taylor and Francis, and Wiley). Finally, I use Kindle to acquire books that I refer to in my podcasts.I’m really enjoying the podcasting course that I started last month and which I’ll be continuing until January 21, 2022. As of right now, this is the “why” and “how” of my podcasting experience.

ItC 93: Writing a Thesis Statement

In this episode, I discuss a few considerations when writing a thesis paper and more specifically when developing a literature review. https://benjaminlstewart.org/TOEFL-English-Practice-Course-3e8ca9a7b17847d89a65722bad54b259 **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 lugs): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.org/; @bnleez (Twitter) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message

ItC 92: Brief Reorientation

Getting back to podcasting. If you are in the area, I encourage you to attend the MEXTESOL regional conference, Jan. 15, 2022. I also discuss a TOEFL course I'll be giving next week. https://www.facebook.com/mextesolaguascalienteschapter https://benjaminlstewart.org/TOEFL-English-Practice-Course-3e8ca9a7b17847d89a65722bad54b259 Newsletter: https://www.benjaminlstewart.net/ **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 lugs): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.org/; @bnleez (Twitter) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message

ItC 91: Error Code List

In this episode, I discuss an error code list used to provide feedback to writers developing an academic text. Newsletter: https://www.benjaminlstewart.net/ **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 LUFS): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.org/; @bnleez (Twitter) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message

ItC 90: Introduction and Conclusion Paragraph Development

In this episode, I explain how to develop an introduction and conclusion paragraph when writing a five-paragraph (academic) essay. Newsletter: https://www.benjaminlstewart.net/ **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 lugs): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.org/; @bnleez (Twitter) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message

ItC 89: M.E.A.L. Plan - Developing a Body Paragraph

In this episode, I discuss paragraph development using the acronym, M.E.A.L. (plan). Page: https://benjaminlstewart.org/M-E-A-L-Plan-f29fd645d5e04fca871ecd3e2c67087f  Attribution: Intro/Outro music: Benjamin Tissot (also known as Bensound) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message     Paragraph Types in Academic Writing When writing a thesis paper, there are three different types of paragraphs to consider: an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph (i.e., following the M.E.A.L. Plan), a transitional paragraph, and a conclusion paragraph. When writing a typical five-paragraph essay, the same types of paragraphs apply except for the transitional paragraph. An introductory paragraph, transitional paragraph, and conclusion paragraph all include a thesis statement or the main idea of the entire thesis. Body Paragraph Development in Academic Writing Like an essay or literature review, a BP has a beginning, middle, and end. Think of a BP as a "mini essay". Each paragraph should develop one main idea, describing what, how, why, when, where, with whom, etc. about a single main idea. A section of a literature review contains a series of main ideas that is organized in a logical fashion: topical, categorical, process, etc. (See Organizing Your Argument). Thus, BPs are organized within each of the two-four sections of a (2,250-word) literature review in a way that builds an argument related to the section title (level II heading) that relates directly to the thesis statement (or the main idea of the entire essay).Consider the acronym, M.E.A.L., as in MEAL plan, when developing a body paragraph. The MEAL Plan does not apply to an introduction paragraph, transitional paragraph, or conclusion paragraph.Main Idea (Original idea-no citation): When developing a body paragraph (BP), each sentence serves a particular purpose. A BP typically begins with the main idea of the paragraph, called, "the topic sentence". A reader should be able to get the gist of the meaning of the text by reading only the topic sentence of each BP. It's common for English language learning writers to find it challenging to develop a topic sentence to begin each BP. Sometimes a topic sentence can be determined before developing the BP, while at other times, the topic sentence is unclear until the entire BP has been written. Either way, a topic sentence should begin each BP and express clearly the one idea (or claim; See Toulmin Method in Organizing Your Argument).When developing a topic sentence (the main idea of the BP), there are a few things to keep in mind. 1) Try to avoid using copula verbs, the most common being the verb "to be". As stated earlier, the topic sentence is a claim, a position, an assertion, a proposition, an opinion, etc. that represents one idea. Avoid expressing facts as a topic sentence. 2) A topic sentence should not be too general nor too specific. A topic sentence should be more specific than the thesis statement and section title (level II heading) and more general than the evidence sentences within the paragraph that express examples, details, facts, statistics, etc. To make a topic sentence more specific add prepositional phrases, relative (adjective) clauses, and subordinating (adverbial) clauses. 3) Avoid using personal pronouns in the topic sentence and instead (re)state its antecedent (i.e., the noun the personal pronoun represents). 4) Avoid questions and imperatives when writing a topic sentence. As a general rule, avoid all rhetorical questions throughout your text with the exception of perhaps an essential question in the Introductory Paragraph. 5) Avoid transitions to begin a topic sentence: introductory phrases, sentence connectors, and beginning a sentence with a subordinating clause.Evidence (Not an original idea: citation required): When developing a literature review, the evidence (sentences) will be the citations used to support the writer's original ideas. When developing the results and discussion section of a paper, the evidence will be the findings that result from having analyzed collected data. A good rule of thumb is to present the evidence immediately after the main idea of the paragraph (i.e., the topic sentence); that is, the second sentence of the BP. After presenting the first piece of evidence in a BP, then it's at the discretion of the writer how evidence sentences and analysis sentences are to be stated.Analysis (Original idea-no citation): The role of an analysis sentence is to connect the evidence to the main idea of the BP. As the writer, ask yourself the following: What is the importance of the evidence as it relates to the topic sentence (main idea of the paragraph)? What does the evidence mean to the reader of your text? How do you as the writer interpret the evidence as it relates to the main idea? How should the reader interpret the evidence in lieu of the main idea from the topic sentence? Think of the analysis sentences as a comment, explanation, compare-and-contrast, synthesis, etc., using the writer's critical thinking skills to interpret and express the point of the evidence as it relates to the main idea of the BP. Analysis sentences can also be used to connect ideas to other parts of the thesis paper that have already been discussed. It's the writer's responsibility to express why the evidence relates back to the main idea. An analysis sentence should always come after the evidence it is mentioning. Stated another way, evidence sentences should always precede an analysis sentence.Link (Original idea-no citation): The linking sentence connects the main idea of the current paragraph (i.e., topic sentence) with the main idea of the next body paragraph and should be the last sentence of the BP. Properly including linking sentences provides flow and connects ideas throughout the section. For this reason, it's recommended to avoid transitions to begin topic sentences as stated earlier. As an alternative, the final sentence of a BP could also serve as a summary, especially in cases when a BP concludes a section. MEAL Plan (Body Paragraph) Coherence Since each BP sentence serves a particular purpose, the organization of how each sentence is stated can be the difference between a coherent and incoherent paragraph. Here are a few examples of BPs according to the MEAL plan (* indicate incoherent BPs) - click on the comments to see further explanations: MEEAAL MEEEEAL Not ok MEEAAAL ok *EMEAL Not ok *MEAAAL Not ok MEEAEAL ok MEAEAL ok *MEAEL Not ok *MEAELA Not ok Transitions Within Body Paragraphs Avoid using any one type of transition (e.g., sentence connectors). Instead, mix it up a bit and include introductory phrases and subordinating clauses to being sentences within a paragraph. Avoid transitions to begin a paragraph, however. Paragraph Length Avoid using any one type of transition (e.g., sentence connectors). Instead, mix it up a bit and include introductory phrases and subordinating clauses to being sentences within a paragraph. Avoid transitions to begin a paragraph, however. Links for Developing Body Paragraphs YouTube Videos San Antonio College Excelsior OWL Duke University Capella University Walden University KSU Writing Center **Audio Gear** - Microphone: Shure SM7B; Microphone pre-amp processor: dbx 286s; Audio interface/recorder: Zoom Podtrak4; Screen recorder/streaming software: OBS; Video/audio editor and normalization (14 lugs): Kdenlive; Music attribution - Joystock @ https://www.joystock.org/; https://www.benjaminlstewart.org/; @bnleez (Twitter)   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/benjamin-l-stewart/message