• Advantages: uses Quicktime audio
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Based in Maine, this "youth-oriented" radio program uses only teenage producers and narrators. |
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Available as a podcast. |
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Content is somewhat inconsistent -- some pieces are pithy self-oriented journals, while others contain interviews with peers. | |
Disadvantages:
It takes a lot of searching to find a usable audio piece. |
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Recommendations: "Teen Motherhood " and "The Cost of War". | |
Disadvantages:
Most
archives have been deleted and recently the focus is off inner-city
youth and on "safer" topics. |
• Advantages: uses Shockwave-Flash (About.com) and RealPlayer (New York Times)
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About.com
is known as a (commercial) resource for many topics. The site now offers
a directory of videos created by About.com site authors and also links
to videos on the New York Times (NYT) website; though the NYT requires
registration to view its articles, it is NOT required to view videos.
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The videos are professional grade and are about
2 - 3 minutes long. Ms. Gross' videos
for About.com are mostly "talking head"; she is clear and easy
to understand -- her rate of speech is slightly slower than normal and
is good for intermediate learners. Vocabulary is fairly accessible (though
she says "HR" instead of "Human Resources"). The NYT videos are a bit more challenging because they employ voiceovers (i.e., the speaker isn't visible). The rate of speech and vocabulary level is good for intermediate/advanced learners. These videos are also more creative, informative and engaging than those at About.com. |
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Currently less than 20 videos created by About.com are posted, and the best are by Kim Johnson Gross about Style. There are links to an additional 40 more videos at the NYT with reviews of movies, music, electronics, & cars. The NYT videos range from "broadcast news"-style (with an Op-Ed) twist to comedic entertainment. The NYT videos required more time to download. | |
Technical
Problems with About.com videos:
(Note:These problems may have been caused by my Macintosh setup.)
I had a lot of difficulty getting the About.com videos to play (no difficulty
with the NYT videos) and the site doesn't offer techinical support.
1) my Norton Firewall needed to be disconnected and 2) I needed to alter
Internet Explorer's (IE) preferences (under
"Preferences" choose "File Helpers" and click on
Shockwave and "Change". Select Quicktime as the application
for .dxr extensions). |
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Recommendations: "What to Wear to a Job Interview". David Pogue is technology journalist for the New York Times with a comedic twist and he offers very entertaining videos -- here is a list of David Pogue's videos. |
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Disadvantages: Once inside a "topic" there is no link back to the main video directory -- you must know the URL. Sometimes (though not always) commercials precede the video. |
Advantages: uses RealPlayer audio
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A small special for Women's History Month (March), these clips offer a delightful range of quirky and humorous sides to US life from the female perspective. |
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Topics range from light and humorous (Tupperware party) to serious (a Peace Corps experience, Breast Cancer). All offer commentary of the role of women in US society. |
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Disadvantages: The main site, "Hearing Voices", offers a real mixture of audio pieces ranging wildly in length and subject matter. Difficult to find something for the classroom. | |
Recommended:
The "Tupperware Party" is very funny
and "kitch". |
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Source:
http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/tdugas/ids3305/
Advantages: uses Quicktime video
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Lectures by Prof. Dugas (Univ. of Nebraska, revised Dec. 2003) re: the
effect of mass media on the individual. |
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Course teaches students to identify influence, distinguish emotional reactions, and identify how our behavior is shaped by mass media. |
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Enrolled students have a CD-ROM, but disk is not necessary to use online material, which is very comprehensive. Module 1 offers good overview of tech. aspects of site and course navigation. | |
Navigation is clear and, in addition to the legend, ‘previous’ and ‘next’ modules are linked to each page. Key points are highlighted in written overview of module on each web page. |
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Modules are broken into sub units and each audio lecture is approx. 7 min. There are 7 Modules: topics include: “What is Culture?”, “Media & Culture”, and “Advertising Literacy”. | |
Lectures open in Quicktime movie player; use illustrated text slides that progress with audio lecture and support oral content. Prof. Dumas speaks very clearly, in a slow and careful manner. |
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Content of lectures is often written-out in slides and web page; for true listening practice students should NOT view text in Quicktime window -- only listen and take notes, allowing for note-taking practice. | |
Readings and Assignments accompany each lectures/module: Readings link to topic-related articles. This course could also be used by a reading teacher looking for interactive activities. |
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The Assignments usually link to the course Web Board; non-enrolled students can gain ‘guest’ access, and read the old postings, but cannot post new messages. Other assignments contain links to online questionnaires, etc. | |
Disadvantages:
Quicktime opens in a separate window:
to view BOTH web page and lecture --resize browser window and move QT window.
Also, clicking on a link will take a student off the course site: must use ‘Back’ button to return to course. |
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Advantages: uses Quicktime audio and video
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Breast Cancer Stories by survivors and their families. 16 interviews
created in 1999 by Michigan State University: includes women of many
races, one husband, and children of survivor. |
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“Stories Index” offers brief audio clip of each speaker; click the link to view web pages with 1 video and additional audio from same speaker. All clips are less than 1 min. |
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Video offers a brief text introduction but no transcript; all audio clips are accompanied by always visible transcripts. | |
Interviews divided into: Introduction, Diagnosis, Treatment, & Recovery and are further divided into as many as 10 additional audio clips. Clips can be controlled by tool bar. |
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Material uses some highly medical vocabulary (malignant, mastectomy, chemotherapy, lymph nodes, etc,) but most speech is easy and conversational. | |
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Disadvantages: Full transcript appears immediately with each audio; students will have to ‘look away’ to practice listening skills. | |
Advantage:
Good for nurses and medical students. |
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Source:
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome.htm
Advantages: uses MP3 files and RealPlayer audio
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Text-driven site uses short (34 sec.) recordings by woman’s clear voice as she reads text descriptions for each image. Text is fully visible at all times. |
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Subject-specific vocabulary is highlighted; click on the link to be taken to the glossary definition of that item. |
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Colorful images support text and material covers planets, rockets, satellites, shuttles, and areas of geography such as Australia & Mississippi River -- seen from outer space. | |
Clicking icon
on toolbar (planet with ?) brings up a “Planet Profile”; clicking satellite
icon offers satellite images and more text descriptions with audio clips.
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Advantages:
While not a great listening tool, this site is very helpful for ESL/EFL
learners in astronomy classes, where it is often difficult to guess
correct pronunciation of vocabulary. Additionally, the site can be
support tool for science/astronomy students. |
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Source:
http://www.teachtsp2.com/cdonline/
Advantages: uses Quicktime video
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Great conversation starters!!! 6 topics to “Watch”: Appearance, Ecotourism, Education, Land, Medicine and Technology; each video is introduced with a text question for debate. |
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All videos are embedded into the web page and focus on “issues affecting cultures across the world through the case study of a single rainforest tribe in Indonesia”. |
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Videos are approx. 1 min and supply overview of topic as it relates to the Mentawai tribe now, and questions how the tribe would be affected if things were to change. Narration is female in clear voice with good sound quality. | |
After viewing video click “Consider”, where four different scenarios are offered; students can then vote for their opinion (“Vote”) and click to see how other site visitors have voted in the past. |
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“Write” offers students an opportunity to support their opinions via text and send the message to the web site. | |
The best written responses are posted under “Read”, where students can read opinions from others around the world who have accessed the same materials. |
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Disadvantages: There is also a “Teacher’s Talkboard”, with postings from other teachers who have used the materials. Unfortunately, that’s really the limit of teacher support materials. | |
Advantages:
Great way to start a conversation or debate and then expand it
with further activities related to other cultures or more global issues. |
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Source:
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/video/index.asp
Advantages: uses RealPlayer Video or WindowsMedia Player Video
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Lectures by visiting speakers to the Univ. of San Diego, expressing
views on range of topics: the Human Genome, Stem Cells, Bioethics,
Terrorism today. |
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Lectures are generally less than one hour. Created by Lawrence M. Hinmann of the University of San Diego. |
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This “Update” page displays the videos in the most recent to oldest date order. Click the “Videos” tab (at top) for all videos listed in alphabetical order by speaker (with title, but no date). | |
“Search” the video database, or choose to see all videos related to certain topics (Bioethics, Kant, Academic Integrity, End of Life, etc.). |
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Once you have chosen a video to view, click on either the RealVideo or WindowsMedia Video link to start the video. No transcripts or overview text, though there are links to the speakers’ universities and some home sites. | |
Advantage:
Great for note-taking practice: these authentic lectures, recorded
in front of a live audience, include natural pauses and interaction
with the audience. |
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Source:
http://www.natca.net/about/gatetogatemedia.msp
Advantages: uses Quicktime video
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Series of short videos created by NASA and the FAA to teach travelers
about the behindthe-scenes workings of Air Traffic Control. |
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Web page becomes Quicktime Video window Be sure to click the “BACK” button or you will lose the web page! |
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While some are technical in nature, all videos are easy to listen to and simply narrated. Each video is less than 1 min. and quite clear; one on-screen narrator acts as a host through the series. | |
Viewing only the “intro” videos for each section supplies a taste of traveling the “American airways” (see the "Preflight Intro") without too much tech info. |
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Advantage:
This series would be helpful to those in the tourism, travel,
and business industries, as well as those planning extensive trips
within the US. |
