All in all, I am fairly happy with the way my podcast episode has turned out. I really feel as though I did the very best I could with the amount of help I got. I did do the majority of this projects on my own and it definitely was a big task for just one person. I wish I did have just a bit more time to complete it because that would have allowed me to edit more closely. I realized afterwards that I should have adjusted the volume of some of the recorded sections of my podcast, as they sounded lower in than others. Unfortunately I just did not have the time for this. I am however happy with the way it sounded especially in regards to how I spoke. I rehearsed my script as much as I could to ensure I could speak as naturally as possible. I think I accomplished this for the most part, so I am quite pleased with this aspect of my podcast.
One piece of advice I'd offer a student just starting this course would be to start as early as possible on each assignment so that in the end, there is plenty of time set aside for just recording and editing. I really did not realize how long this portion of the project would actually take. You especially need time to play around with whatever recording program you are using, to become comfortable with it and learn how to properly use it. I had never used Audacity before- or any recording program for the matter! I had to learn how to do everything on my own through the watching of YouTube videos- which was actually very, very time consuming and ended up taking away from recording and editing time.
I would also strongly advise them to work with someone they know for sure is reliable. This assignment requires a very great deal of time and effort and if you don't have someone to put forth that, the task just becomes more difficult and stressful! Quite often you can only really rely on yourself- so if that mean's working on your own, so be it!
Overall, I am happy I had the chance to complete a project as such. I learned a lot and I didn't expect to have as much fun as I did!
Showing posts with label Alyssia Pacheco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alyssia Pacheco. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Sunday, 16 March 2014
Recording Software
My partner
and I plan are considering to use one of our iPhones to record our podcast. We have been
researching about applications that will allow us to do so and have come across
one called Speaker Radio and Podcast Recorder. We came to know about this app
by simply researching podcast recording applications on Google, then reading a
little bit about it. We do have a few other options if anything goes wrong
while using this application for recording. I have heard that the program
Audacity is great for recording, so we are considering using this program
instead. Once we learn more about it in lecture, we will be able to decide
whether or not this will be a better and easier recording software. Audacity does
seem like the better tool to use since it will then allow us to edit our
podcast after recording, all using the same program. We have looked into
editing our podcast and came to realize that Speaker Radio does not have an
editing feature. If we do decide to record with Speaker Radio, we have research
iRig to be an easy and reliable podcast editing application, also available for
download on an iPhone.
Features of
Speaker Radio:
-mix and broadcast your voice with sound effects
-share audio updates on social media
-manage and modify your podcast
Tips for using Speaker Radio:
-must have iOS version 5.0 (or later)
-this app will unfortunately only save with uploading to iTunes, so this should be installed prior to recording
-Speaker Radio does not allow for editing, so look into apps that were designed for the purpose of editing podcast recording, to get the most editing features out of it
-for additional information, log on to official website, www.speaker.com
-mix and broadcast your voice with sound effects
-share audio updates on social media
-manage and modify your podcast
Tips for using Speaker Radio:
-must have iOS version 5.0 (or later)
-this app will unfortunately only save with uploading to iTunes, so this should be installed prior to recording
-Speaker Radio does not allow for editing, so look into apps that were designed for the purpose of editing podcast recording, to get the most editing features out of it
-for additional information, log on to official website, www.speaker.com
We have
tested out Speaker Radio and have yet to understand how to pause during
recording. This may be a problem if the app does not allow us to do this. This
may make the recording process very difficult as pausing will certainly be necessary.
Sunday, 9 March 2014
Structure
The first part of my drawing features a ‘V’ which represents a dip. This is the opening scene which tells a historical story. The dip is widened because it tells a major story which is the basis of which my topic will derive from. The story features important information and an extensive amount as well, so it is widened to capture this.
The next part is a straight line. The story very simply begins to introduce the major themes of my topic.
This part of the story is represented by a ‘V’ again, only this ‘V’ is shaped slightly differently. It is thinner to stand for the fact that this part of the story isn’t so extensive and informative. It does however include a surprise which is the reason for the sudden dip. The course of the story drastically changes as I drop the bomb on the audience, with an interesting surprise.
The next part of the story is represented by a larger drawing that persists for a longer period of time. This is to represent the biggest part of the story, where most of the information resides. The straight lines represent a very basic introduction of a theme. The slanted line deriving from that straight line represents a slight change in the story. It is the part of the story wherein I introduce various types of examples to support and explain my topic. If you turn this shape around sideways, you will see a serious of ‘V’s’ shapes. These ‘V’s’ are the historical story which we have presented in the beginning. The shape is kept the same to maintain that representation. The examples which I present basically refer back to the initial story which is told.
Another straight line stands for the next part of the story. It is wrapped up.
The last part of the story is represented by yet another ‘V’, however this one is much smaller in size.
This ‘V’ again stands for a dip and a sudden change of some kind. A surprise is offered at the end of my story, however it is not very significant to my topic, and rather is just an interesting piece of information to appeal the audience and incorporate a unique and memorable ending.
The next part is a straight line. The story very simply begins to introduce the major themes of my topic.
This part of the story is represented by a ‘V’ again, only this ‘V’ is shaped slightly differently. It is thinner to stand for the fact that this part of the story isn’t so extensive and informative. It does however include a surprise which is the reason for the sudden dip. The course of the story drastically changes as I drop the bomb on the audience, with an interesting surprise.
The next part of the story is represented by a larger drawing that persists for a longer period of time. This is to represent the biggest part of the story, where most of the information resides. The straight lines represent a very basic introduction of a theme. The slanted line deriving from that straight line represents a slight change in the story. It is the part of the story wherein I introduce various types of examples to support and explain my topic. If you turn this shape around sideways, you will see a serious of ‘V’s’ shapes. These ‘V’s’ are the historical story which we have presented in the beginning. The shape is kept the same to maintain that representation. The examples which I present basically refer back to the initial story which is told.
Another straight line stands for the next part of the story. It is wrapped up.
The last part of the story is represented by yet another ‘V’, however this one is much smaller in size.
This ‘V’ again stands for a dip and a sudden change of some kind. A surprise is offered at the end of my story, however it is not very significant to my topic, and rather is just an interesting piece of information to appeal the audience and incorporate a unique and memorable ending.
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Search Strategies
Library databases work well for me so I do prefer it over Google Scholar. Although Google Scholar is useful at times, I’ve really become comfortable with library databases. I prefer library databases because I am able to conduct my research more easily, compared to Google Scholar. Library databases are much easier to navigate through and find relevant information in. I especially like how library databases gives you the option to filter your search results. You are able to narrow down your search by selecting the field of which the topic corresponds to.
A very useful database is the York University library database. In this specific database, you select the field of study under which your topic would fall under. Fields include anything from business writing, to biology, to marketing, and so many more. This small step makes a huge difference- you’d be surprised. It significantly narrows down results that come up, eliminating irrelevant information. After selecting the appropriate field, a list of other databases come up, only these ones are specific to the field that has been selected. For example, if you select that your field is biology, approximately 38 database results appear, which you can then choose from, ultimately narrowing down your search even more so.
I love the library database- you really are able to pinpoint what information will do justice for your topic, versus what will be useless. From what I know, Google Scholar unfortunately does not offer this feature, and you may therefore be left with an overwhelming number of results- few of which may actually apply to your topic. This makes the research process extremely lengthy and very difficult.
The key difference between the two lies here. It basically comes down to how much control you have over your results, and in this case, you do with library databases. Google is used for more general searches, and library databases are more for precise ones. Google Scholar just can’t do everything that a library database can. Library databases give you the option to simplify your results to special materials also. If you are looking for a book, you can filter your results based on that. You have so many other options of course too! You can narrow your results down to magazines, videos, articles, and more.
I do suppose that Google Scholar and library databases could be used in combination when conducting research. Perhaps, you might refer to Google Scholar first to actually help with selecting a topic. The results from google tend to be more general so they might give someone ideas as to the topic to settle on. From there you might refer to a library database to refine your search and actually begin the research process.
All in all, depending on the type of research I am conducting, both Google Scholar and library databases could be great, and I will continue to use them both- maybe even in combination. Without a doubt though, library databases is still my preference and this will continue to be the foundation of my research!
A very useful database is the York University library database. In this specific database, you select the field of study under which your topic would fall under. Fields include anything from business writing, to biology, to marketing, and so many more. This small step makes a huge difference- you’d be surprised. It significantly narrows down results that come up, eliminating irrelevant information. After selecting the appropriate field, a list of other databases come up, only these ones are specific to the field that has been selected. For example, if you select that your field is biology, approximately 38 database results appear, which you can then choose from, ultimately narrowing down your search even more so.
I love the library database- you really are able to pinpoint what information will do justice for your topic, versus what will be useless. From what I know, Google Scholar unfortunately does not offer this feature, and you may therefore be left with an overwhelming number of results- few of which may actually apply to your topic. This makes the research process extremely lengthy and very difficult.
The key difference between the two lies here. It basically comes down to how much control you have over your results, and in this case, you do with library databases. Google is used for more general searches, and library databases are more for precise ones. Google Scholar just can’t do everything that a library database can. Library databases give you the option to simplify your results to special materials also. If you are looking for a book, you can filter your results based on that. You have so many other options of course too! You can narrow your results down to magazines, videos, articles, and more.
I do suppose that Google Scholar and library databases could be used in combination when conducting research. Perhaps, you might refer to Google Scholar first to actually help with selecting a topic. The results from google tend to be more general so they might give someone ideas as to the topic to settle on. From there you might refer to a library database to refine your search and actually begin the research process.
All in all, depending on the type of research I am conducting, both Google Scholar and library databases could be great, and I will continue to use them both- maybe even in combination. Without a doubt though, library databases is still my preference and this will continue to be the foundation of my research!
Sunday, 16 February 2014
Digging Deeper
As my partner and I begin to gather information on our topic for the creation of our podcast, we are overwhelmed with all kinds of information, from various sources. We began by very generally searching our topic to see what we may find. In the google search engine, we typed in something very broad that would summarize our topic in one simple question; why do we like brand names? Obviously there were many results for us to review. We read a few of them to get to know our topic a little bit better, and this actually directed us into the next step of the researching process. From reading very general things about our topic, we were able to identify recurring smaller topics in the results that came up. This gave us some ideas as to what subtopics we could possibly include in our podcast. We are still working on identifying both scholarly and popular souces and are making use of the information we have been taught in our class lectures on how to deem a source as reliable or not. We plan to use JStor for looking for scholarly articles and we also plan to take advantage of the library that is available to us on the York campus. At the library we hope to find some books that would give us some solid information on our topic, and we also plan on getting as much help as we can from the librarian to better understand how to navigate the website of the library resources.
We would like to find information on our topic in interesting business or marketing magazines, and possibly use this as popular sources. As well, we decided that finding statistics which pertain to our topic would enhance our discussion in our podcast, and make it that much stronger. We continue to look into where we can find these statistics and exactly what types would be appropriate. We look forward to learning more about our topic through the tedious research process!
We would like to find information on our topic in interesting business or marketing magazines, and possibly use this as popular sources. As well, we decided that finding statistics which pertain to our topic would enhance our discussion in our podcast, and make it that much stronger. We continue to look into where we can find these statistics and exactly what types would be appropriate. We look forward to learning more about our topic through the tedious research process!
Sunday, 9 February 2014
Topic Refinement
I’d say the pitch exercise definitely helped me to refine my topic and decide upon it. I actually ended up changing my topic completely, as I prepared for my pitch. I came to realize that my topic needed to be an issue relating to the media that has undergone some critical shift over a span of many years. This was a requirement for the episodes on the show I chose, Under the Influence. I didn’t consider this requirement and came to notice therefore that my topic wasn’t suitable for the show I would be emulating. If it wasn't for the pitch assignment, I wouldn't have researched the Under the Influence podcast show so thoroughly and to the extent that I did. By doing so, I came to learn certain things about it that would help me emulate it more closely.
I came up with a topic that I believe I can do more with. I think there is more information available out there on this topic which will be beneficial for the researching aspect of this project. As well, my new topic is so much more interesting to me which is important. I feel more excited to explore this topic, and am eager to learn more about it.
The pitch is a useful pre-writing exercise for other writing assignments. This assignment forced me to pull out the key ideas which I would present in my pitch. I was given the task to make a compelling argument in selling my pitch idea to my produces, and had a very limited time to do so- only a few minutes. This was a challenge because I had to decide what the most important information was to include in my pitch. This is often the way most writing exercises are. Essays for example, are usually assigned with a specific word count or page number to abide by and to do so, you must determine what is relevant versus what is not. The pitch assignment helped me to practice this tool.
My refined show idea is on why brand names have such an effect on people and appeal to them so greatly. This topic is incredibly interesting to me because I am so easily able to relate to it. I very much so love to shop and enjoy brand name products, like clothing and accessories, and I often don’t settle for anything less than a brand name. Why is this so? I am curious to find out how marketing companies can have such an influence on consumers, so much as to get them hooked on brand name products which are typically more costly than generic ones. Many opt for the products which have a label on them, rather than very similar ones which simply do not. This could be for many different reasons and I am excited to determine what they are! I think I will come to learn something about myself and about the world’s population in general, as I research this topic for my podcast episode.
I came up with a topic that I believe I can do more with. I think there is more information available out there on this topic which will be beneficial for the researching aspect of this project. As well, my new topic is so much more interesting to me which is important. I feel more excited to explore this topic, and am eager to learn more about it.
The pitch is a useful pre-writing exercise for other writing assignments. This assignment forced me to pull out the key ideas which I would present in my pitch. I was given the task to make a compelling argument in selling my pitch idea to my produces, and had a very limited time to do so- only a few minutes. This was a challenge because I had to decide what the most important information was to include in my pitch. This is often the way most writing exercises are. Essays for example, are usually assigned with a specific word count or page number to abide by and to do so, you must determine what is relevant versus what is not. The pitch assignment helped me to practice this tool.
My refined show idea is on why brand names have such an effect on people and appeal to them so greatly. This topic is incredibly interesting to me because I am so easily able to relate to it. I very much so love to shop and enjoy brand name products, like clothing and accessories, and I often don’t settle for anything less than a brand name. Why is this so? I am curious to find out how marketing companies can have such an influence on consumers, so much as to get them hooked on brand name products which are typically more costly than generic ones. Many opt for the products which have a label on them, rather than very similar ones which simply do not. This could be for many different reasons and I am excited to determine what they are! I think I will come to learn something about myself and about the world’s population in general, as I research this topic for my podcast episode.
Saturday, 1 February 2014
Introductions
Hello, my name is Alyssia Pacheco and I am in my second year of the Professional Writing degree program, and I hope to one day work doing magazine writing. Learning about research will be more than useful throughout my years as a student, as I have many more essays and projects to complete, which may very well require me to research a certain topic.
I often wonder what exactly makes a source’s information reliable and useful, versus what doesn’t. I find that determining this and actually find those reliable sources to be the hardest part of the research process- because that is exactly what it is. Research is a process, often consisting of several steps. It isn’t just that one simple step of pulling a book off the shelf, but rather entails much more than this.
I have always been very interested in and fascinated by media studies. I thoroughly enjoyed a media studies class I took in high school. I hope to learn more about the media as I become more familiar with research. I particularly enjoy working with advertising. Anything from analyzing an ad, to creating my own, is very exciting to me.
I am not familiar with the information management software of RefWorks or Zotero, but am open and willing to learn about these as they could be useful tools in the research process.
I haven’t done an extensive amount of research in my university years as I have yet to write my first research paper. I do however research various things on a daily basis. I consider myself to be a very curious being and thus, am always willing to learn and know things. Whenever I come across a word with an unfamiliar meaning, I look it up instantly, on my phone. I read extensively online to educate myself on mental health, more specifically, anxiety disorders. I am curious about this because my twin sister suffers from a very serious case of social anxiety which restricts her from doing many things, such as working a job, going to school and just being in a public atmosphere. I want to know why this is her reality, as I am a firm believer in knowledge being power. The more we know, the more we can do in our lives and overcome the hurdles. This is why I often enjoy researching. These are all considered forms of research since I am going beyond my own knowledge to find information on a certain topic or idea.
I don’t have any experience at all with radio or podcasting, but am definitely excited to get started on my podcast and get familiar with making one. This will be just one more things to learn that I can scratch off my list! I am feeling intimidated by creating the podcast only because I tend to not be the very computer-savvy and am worried I will have trouble with the recording aspect of this project.
I would definitely consider the Under the Influence topic since the show is based on various aspects of the media such as advertising, which I really do enjoy, as I have mentioned before. On the Media caught my eye right away as well, simply by its title. As I read about what the show is focused in, I came to realize I might be interested in it as well. Recent news stories are always informative and fun to find out about, so I assume I would enjoy this one.
I often wonder what exactly makes a source’s information reliable and useful, versus what doesn’t. I find that determining this and actually find those reliable sources to be the hardest part of the research process- because that is exactly what it is. Research is a process, often consisting of several steps. It isn’t just that one simple step of pulling a book off the shelf, but rather entails much more than this.
I have always been very interested in and fascinated by media studies. I thoroughly enjoyed a media studies class I took in high school. I hope to learn more about the media as I become more familiar with research. I particularly enjoy working with advertising. Anything from analyzing an ad, to creating my own, is very exciting to me.
I am not familiar with the information management software of RefWorks or Zotero, but am open and willing to learn about these as they could be useful tools in the research process.
I haven’t done an extensive amount of research in my university years as I have yet to write my first research paper. I do however research various things on a daily basis. I consider myself to be a very curious being and thus, am always willing to learn and know things. Whenever I come across a word with an unfamiliar meaning, I look it up instantly, on my phone. I read extensively online to educate myself on mental health, more specifically, anxiety disorders. I am curious about this because my twin sister suffers from a very serious case of social anxiety which restricts her from doing many things, such as working a job, going to school and just being in a public atmosphere. I want to know why this is her reality, as I am a firm believer in knowledge being power. The more we know, the more we can do in our lives and overcome the hurdles. This is why I often enjoy researching. These are all considered forms of research since I am going beyond my own knowledge to find information on a certain topic or idea.
I don’t have any experience at all with radio or podcasting, but am definitely excited to get started on my podcast and get familiar with making one. This will be just one more things to learn that I can scratch off my list! I am feeling intimidated by creating the podcast only because I tend to not be the very computer-savvy and am worried I will have trouble with the recording aspect of this project.
I would definitely consider the Under the Influence topic since the show is based on various aspects of the media such as advertising, which I really do enjoy, as I have mentioned before. On the Media caught my eye right away as well, simply by its title. As I read about what the show is focused in, I came to realize I might be interested in it as well. Recent news stories are always informative and fun to find out about, so I assume I would enjoy this one.
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