Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Hello Goodbye Hello Goodbye

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

Listen to the show!


Final Message: Hello Goodbye Hello Goodbye


To download, right-click the title (option-click for Mac).

Click here to use iTunes. (It's a free download!)



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.