Hello Goodbye Hello Goodbye

This is not an actual podcast episode. This is more of an introduction and a goodbye rolled into one.

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Final Message: Hello Goodbye Hello Goodbye


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If you just discovered this podcast on iTunes and you're like me, then you'll listen to this last episode first, and this will be your introduction to the podcast.

If you've been listening all along, then this is me signing off, reminding you of a few related resources you might want to check out.

Program Room Podcast Episodes

Here's a quick rundown of the seven Program Room Podcast episodes and interviews:

Episode 1 - Be Creative at Your Library - You can skip or listen to this one last - it focuses on the activities suggested in the 2009 summer reading manual.

Episode 2 - Making a Music Video. I talk to Steve McLinn who runs video making workshops with kids, and I talk to a young brother and sister team about how they make animated videos using lego sets.

Episode 3 - Booking a Performer. I talk to librarian Sue Busch, plus a panel of performers about things to keep in mind when booking for a library. If you book entertainment for your school or library, this is a good one to listen to.

Episode 4 - Using Music With Young Children. I speak with educators Carole Peterson and Betsy Zahniser in this episode about the benefits and methods for using music with preschoolers. If you work with preschool aged kids at all, this one is a must!

Episode 5 - Theater Games. I talk with Rozz Grigsby about how to play theater games with kids. This is awesome for almost any age, and we played these games during my librarian workshops and had a blast.

Episode 6 - Storytelling. Interviews with Dianne de Las Casas and none other than Bill Harley. If you are interested in storytelling at all, or if you work with elementary age kids, this episode is a must.

Episode 7 - Dance. Interviews with Peter and Mary Alice Amidon and with my daughter's P.E. teacher about how to play dance games and throw a dance party.

Unedited Interviews

There were three additional interviews that did not get put into a podcast episode. However they are available as unedited interviews, and they are very much worth checking out.

Additional Interview 1
Dr. Michael Bitz has worked to establish creativity at the core of academic learning. He speaks about his projects that have children creating comic books and running record labels!

Additional Interview 2
Professional storyteller, teaching artist, and author Karen Chace produces a yearly festival with her a student storytelling troupe. She speaks about how you can build a storytelling club at your library or school!

Additional Interview 3
Storyteller Eric Wolf speaks about the importance of storytelling and about his amazing resource, The Art of Storytelling With Children podcast.

Also available are the entire uncut interviews with Dianne de Las Casas, Rozz Grigsby, and Carole Peterson, as well as the panel discussion on how to book a performer.

Future Plans

You'll find this page here at www.TheProgramRoom.com until 8/26/2010.

After that you'll still be able to find all the podcast episodes at www.ReadingSongs.com, just go there and click on The Program Room.

I have no plan at the moment to continue the Program Room Podcast in its current form. However, I will keep all the episodes available for as long as I can. I think the content is too fantastic and important to just let it disappear!

If you find these episodes and interviews to be helpful and inspiring, let me know by posting a comment. If I hear from enough listeners, I'll consider reworking the podcast in a shorter format for a more general audience.

Creativity Workshop

This podcast was part of my research for a series of 13 workshops I presented in Spring 2009 for children's librarians in Kansas and Oklahoma. In the workshops, I taught that anyone can inspire kids to learn an art form, and I gave a practical framework for how to go about it. That framework was derived largely from the interviews in this podcast.

I do still offer the workshop on teaching creativity through the arts, and I can adapt it to the needs of your group. Just shoot me an email if you want to know more - monty at montyharper.com.

Be Creative Video

Check out this video using music from the "Let's Get Creative" CD. Mr. Billy and I encourage you to use our music in this way. If you or your kids make a video using our music, please let us know!

Workshop Resources

Today's workshop in Topeka was fantastic. Thanks to all my participants for their wonderful creativity.

By popular demand, here is the list of theater games. Many thanks to Rozz Grigsby who provide most of this information.

For more workshop resources, see the previous post below.

News and a Few Helpful Resources

Howdy Listeners,

I'm blogging to you from a hotel room in Topeka, KS, where I was born (not in the hotel room - in the city). Tomorrow I present the first of my librarian workshops, which was the motivation for me to create The Program Room podcast. There are three workshops this week. I'll let you know how they go!

The other thing that has taken up my time as of late is a new CD called "Let's Get Creative," which I'm recording with my friend Mr. Billy. We are on the home stretch, and I'll be able to let you hear some of it soon.

Thank you for your patience on waiting for new episodes to come out. I have three great interviews in the can, and now that the workshops are underway and the new CD nearly complete, I'll be able to turn some attention back to continuing the podcast. I hope to post new episodes in March!

In the meantime, I've uploaded four new files for my workshop participants, which I hope you will find helpful as well.

1. Encouraging Kids Creatively - this is a .pdf version of my slide presentation for the workshops. It is a work in progress, and I'm not sure how much of it will make without the narration, but it is here for workshop attendees to reference, and maybe you'll find it useful too. There is some good information about how to encourage kids to be creative, which can be applied to any and all arts activities. If you're going to be in my workshop, no fair peaking ahead of time!!

2. Create a Comic Book Character - feel free to adapt this activity as needed and try it out with your kids. Use the characters they create in all kinds of other activities, such as storytelling, drama, or movie making. They could even make a comic book! Check out my interview with Michael Bitz for more information on how to make comic books.

3. Songwriting With Kids - this is a fairly detailed outline of what I do with kids in my songwriting workshops, when there's time. Specific tactics are suggested for older, younger, and middle grades.

4. The Art of Critique - It's important for kids to get feedback on their work if they are to grow as artists in whatever field. This critique method puts the artist in charge and allows them to receive useful feedback from a group without ever feeling they are being criticized.

Let me know what you think!

Join Us For These Live Conversations!

Howdy, listeners! 

I'm still cranking out podcasts; I've just been delayed in posting them. Please look for more new episodes in February. In the meantime, please enjoy the currently available episodes, and join us for these upcoming live interviews:

1/15/09, 3:00 PM Eastern - Karen Chace on building a storytelling club.

1/20/09, 3:00 PM Eastern - Dr. Michael Bitz on the Comic Book Project.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Eric Wolf interview January 8!