Savanna Benson

10 October 2019
EDT 180D
Communication Project Reflection
Implementation of Feedback
A lot of the feedback we received on our podcast was on the technical elements. The
reviewer said the topic and content was original, but some of the technical elements could have
been refined. Specifically, there were volume issues and background noise. I think a lot of these
critiques were due to it being all our first times doing any technical producing. It was also the
first time any of us had recorded a podcast. I tried to eliminate by any background noise by
hosting the podcast at my house where it would be quieter than the dorms or the MU, but I still
feel like there were some noises distracting the audience from the podcast. I tried to eliminate
any background noises, but it was very difficult to eliminate all of them. There might be more
technological tools available through Audacity and through outside editing software. These could
have helped the background noise and with the volume discrepancies. Because there were four
people hosting the podcast, there were large discrepancies between people’s voices. This was
just because people talk at different volumes, and I am still not entirely sure of how to remedy
this problem. Again, there are probably editing tools available either through Audacity or
through third party editing software programs.
Another critique my peer had about the podcast was that the intro and outro could have
been more refined. By this, I think he meant that there could have been a smoother transition
between the music and the talking. There should have been a fade into the podcast and a fade out
of the podcast, giving it a more formal sound and a smoother transition. I tried to make the
transitions more fluid, but I could not figure it out before the due date. Also, I was afraid of
adding too many tracks to the podcast because I thought it would somehow delete the actual
podcast and we’d be left without a project to turn in. Had I more time, the transitions would have
been more fluid because I would have had more time to play around with the Audacity program.

Learning Reflection
Had I the opportunity to do this project again, there are many changes I would have
made. First, I would have filmed the podcast in a quieter, more secure area to eliminate any
distracting background noise. The IgnitED Lab has a podcast recording studio, but there wasn’t a
time when all of us could get to the lab. This could have allowed us to talk at reasonable
volumes, and it could have eliminated any of the distracting volume discrepancies mentioned by
my peer editor. I also would have acquainted myself with the Audacity program prior to
recording the podcast. I would have played around with the technical tools, like volume control
and sound mixing. This could have eliminated some of the issues with the podcast. If I had to do
this project again, I would do much of it the same because it was a fun, engaging, and learning
experience with some of my very close friends. I thought the conversations we had about family
and love were very deep, and they helped me get to know them better. I was happy to share some
of my experiences both with Disney and with family traditions, and I want more people to
understand that many of the traditions we hold are similar—they revolve around food and family
and friends and holidays and love.
I learned a lot about how to take criticism and better myself from other’s example. I
thought my podcast was done well with a certain level of professionalism and decorum, and then
I listened to a peer’s podcast. Theirs sounded much more professional and much more thought
out than ours, and I honestly began to panic. They were talking about pop culture, like us, but
they were professional, as if giving a presentation. Our podcast was more informal, hosted more
as a conversation between friends than an in-depth analysis of the themes and motifs repeated
throughout the movie Princess and the Frog. Another friend did his podcast on traditional
English literature and common themes repeated throughout these classic stories. I suddenly felt
like my topic was childish and unimportant, but then I remembered talking about intricate topics
like representation in media and the importance of showing interracial marriages in children’s
movies. I think my topic may have been more basic and informal than other groups’, but it
covered a wide array of themes that are important to the real world. I learned to trust my basic,
gut instincts and not judge myself based on the work of others.

Alternative Uses/Future Directions

I talked briefly in my IgnitED Lab project about the potential behind podcasts in the
classroom. Podcasts allow students to talk about topics they are passionate about. It could also
allow for more in-depth conversations about ethical quandaries, like the use of stem cells.
Podcasts would also allow me to further class time and talk about any topics there was no time
for in class. As I mentioned in my IgnitED Lab report, the podcast could be used to assist in
lessons while the teacher is out on maternity leave, jury duty, or any other extended period.
Podcasts could be used outside of the classroom for talking about serious issues in the
community, like lack of funding and other school board issues. They could be used to
communicate with the school board and the state officials. Podcasts could also be used for
communication between students and teachers. Students could release podcasts with their
questions, and other students could respond. This would allow for students to ask needed
questions while learning and participating in their classroom environment.