mySF Project blog

The thirty-first podcast reviews and recommends Richard Harland’s World Shaker as well as Otomo’s anime film Steamboy as part of the study of Steampunk, a subgenre of Science Fiction.

This podcast relates to the mySF Project, created in 2005 and still growing.

This podcast is included as a script through the mySF Project Scripts section at Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

mySF Project podcast, number 31
Direct download: mysf_031_2010_04_21.mp3
length=”24968508″ type=”audio/mpeg”

The twenty-ninth podcast looks at the Young Adults novel Taronga by Victor Kelleher, as taught to Year 8, English students looking at the sub-genre of Post-Apocalyptic fiction within Science Fiction.

This podcast relates to the mySF Project, created in 2005 and still growing.

This podcast is included as a script through the mySF Project Scripts section of the mySF Project.

Podcast 29 discusses the use of Taronga for Year 8 English students, covering the use of symbols and analogies in the text.Taronga also presents motifs and backdrops well-known within the Post-Apocalyptic sub-genre and is useful for eliciting both creative and analytical responses from students to this memorable and visual text. Finally, the short novel provides a popular model for analysing other texts within the sub-genre.

The full script for this podcast including a resource list of references can be found at http://www.pataphysics.net.au/mysf_project/mysf_scripts/mysf_script_podcast29.htm. Additional materials for the focus class on Post-Apocalyptic fiction as well as the special school project to create this project can be found at http://www.pataphysics.net.au/mysf_project/mysf_scripts/taronga/mysf_script_taronga.htm

The purpose of the podcast is to join other educators to collaborate on the construction of great SF teaching resources. The podcast is 19.5M in size, in mp3 format, running for twenty minutes.

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

mySF Project podcast, number 29
Direct download:
mysf_029_2010_01_11.mp3
Length=”20371187″ type=”audio/mpeg”

The twenty-seventh podcast discussing some innovative and intriguing technological tricks and tools for teachers of secondary Science Fiction.

This podcast relates to the mySF Project, created in 2005 and still growing.

This podcast is not included as a script but there are links to Thea van Os’ suggestions and solutions, found through the mySF Project Scripts section of the mySF Project.

Podcast 27 talks with Thea van Os, a past English teacher and SF buff and currently a coordinator of learning technologies, about the sort of learning technologies that are well suited to teachers of secondary Science Fiction.

The purpose of the podcast is to join other educators to collaborate on the construction of great SF teaching resources. The podcast is 10.2M in size, in mp3 format, running for twenty-four minutes.

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

mySF Project podcast, number 27
Direct download: mysf_027_2009_06_27.mp3
length=”10710457″ type=”audio/mpeg”

The twenty-sixth podcast for teachers of secondary students studying Science Fiction, discussing Speculative Fiction with teacher and rising author, Conor Bendl.

This podcast relates to the mySF Project, created in 2005 and still growing.

This podcast is not included as a script but there are links to Conor Bendl’s fictions published in anthologies by the Canberra Science Fiction Guild found through the mySF Project Scripts section of the mySF Project.

Podcast 26 talks with Conor Bendl about aspects of the Speculative Fiction unit he teaches to upper secondary students as well as his own fiction and his upcoming debut SF novel.

The purpose of the podcast is to join other educators to collaborate on the construction of great SF teaching resources. The podcast is 10M in size, in mp3 format, running for twenty-eight minutes.

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

mySF Project podcast, number 26
Direct download: mysf_026_2009_06_26.mp3
length=”10565426″ type=”audio/mpeg” /

The twenty-third podcast for teachers of secondary students studying Science Fiction, discussing the use of X Minus One dramas as ‘Ready to go’ podcasts.

This podcast relates to the mySF Project, created in 2005 and still growing!

The text of this podcast can be found in the mySF Project Scripts section of the mySF Project.

Podcast 23 discusses the use of the X Minus One series of radio dramas produced in the 1950s and now available as podcasts as ‘Good to go’ podcasts for students. Podcast original authors include Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch and others. The suitability of the adaptations of these stories as scaffolding for studies with their advantages and disadvantages is aimed at middle to upper secondary students and their teachers. The podcast includes brief ideas for assessment tasks with some use of evidence from sources to support these uses.

The purpose of the podcast is to join other educators to collaborate on the construction of great SF teaching resources. The podcast is 16M in size, in mp3 format, running for twenty-four minutes.

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

mySF Project podcast, number 23
Direct download: mysf_023_2009_04_25.mp3
length=”16178450″ type=”audio/mpeg” /

The twenty-first podcast for teachers of secondary students studying Science Fiction, discussing the film ‘Eagle Eye’.

This podcast relates to the mySF Project, created in 2005 and still growing!

The podcast discusses the use of the film Eagle Eye directed by DJ Caruso for use with secondary students studying Science Fiction in the area of artificial intelligence, within the Ghost in the Shell theme area of the mySF Project.

Before disucssing the 2008 film, the podcast looks at several texts dealing with the intrusion into privacy by modern technologies, conspiracy theories and the idea of a vastly powerful, networked computer mind choreographing human behaviour. While the film Eagle Eye is pretty weak, the podcast looks at the way some of the ideas can be used productively, including making the discussion authentic through the examination of the students’ own use of mobile technologies, or the school’s surveillance of the students … for their own good.

The text of this podcast can be found in the mySF Project Scripts section of the mySF Project.

The purpose of the podcast is to join other educators to collaborate on the construction of great SF teaching resources. The podcast is 8.4M in size, in mp3 format, running for about twelve minutes.

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

mySF Project podcast, number 21
Direct download: mysf_021_2008_12_29.mp3
length=”8828763″ type=”audio/mpeg” /

The tenth podcast for students studying in one of the five, thematic units within the mySF Project is offered here.

This podcast is the second part of the support notes as podcasts of the mySF Project, created in 2005 and still growing! This blog attaches part two of the second podcast overview of the ‘Brave New World’ theme area. This is a major theme in the study of SF at the secondary level and originally it was aimed at students in a largish high school in Canberra, Australia. If you want to read more about the mySF Project you can find an overview at the Microsoft Education website.

The podcast draws together comments on the use of SF in modern society focusing on the theme area of Brave New World, a look at genetic engineering narratives in SF, within the mySF Project. Its purpose is to excite, interest and involve students in Years 9 and 10 with the SF content they will be studying for ten learning episodes, equating flexibly to ten weeks for face-to-face students. The podcast is around 4.8M in size, in mp3 format.

This podcast discusses both Scott’s Blade Runner and Bay’s The Island accessed in learning episode nine to ten .

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

The point of the podcast here is to share resources with other educators teaching SF to secondary students and to spark discussion, criticism and collaboration. Please use and respond, if you have time.

mySF Project podcast, number 10
Direct download: mysf_010_2008_02_16.mp3
length=”4800561″ type=”audio/mpeg” /

The sixth podcast for students studying in one of the five, thematic units within the mySF Project is offered here.

This podcast is the first part of the support notes as podcasts of the mySF Project, created in 2005. This blog attaches the second podcast overview of the ‘Fate & Predestination’ theme area. This is a major theme in the study of SF at the secondary level and originally it was aimed at students in a largish high school in Canberra, Australia. If you want to read more about the mySF Project you can find an overview at the Microsoft Education website.

The podcast draws together comments on the use of SF in modern society focusing on the theme area of Fate and Predestination , a look at time travel narratives in SF, within the mySF Project. Its purpose is to excite, interest and involve students in Years 9 and 10 with the SF content they will be studying for ten learning episodes, equating flexibly to ten weeks for face-to-face students. The podcast is around 4.9M in size, in mp3 format.

This last podcast in the Fate and Predestination theme area looks in more depth at some difficult themes found in time travel narratives, including the idea of changing personal and community destiny as well as religious debate on predestination as seen in several short stories and films studied.

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

The point of the podcast here is to share resources with other educators teaching SF to secondary students and to spark discussion, criticism and collaboration. Please use and respond, if you have time.

mySF Project podcast, number 6
Direct download: mysf_006_2008_02_11.mp3
length=”5017395″ type=”audio/mpeg” /

The fifth podcast for students studying in one of the five, thematic units within the mySF Project is offered here.

This podcast is the first part of the support notes as podcasts of the mySF Project, created in 2005. This blog attaches the first podcast overview of the ‘Fate & Predestination’ theme area. This is a major theme in the study of SF at the secondary level and originally it was aimed at students in a largish high school in Canberra, Australia. If you want to read more about the mySF Project you can find an overview at the Microsoft Education website.

The podcast draws together comments on the use of SF in modern society focusing on the theme area of the Fate and Predestination theme area, a look at time travel narratives in SF, within the mySF Project. Its purpose is to excite, interest and involve students in Years 9 and 10 with the SF content they will be studying for ten learning episodes, equating flexibly to ten weeks for face-to-face students. The podcast is around 4.8M in size, in mp3 format.

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

The point of the podcast here is to share resources with other educators teaching SF to secondary students and to spark discussion, criticism and collaboration. Please use and respond, if you have time.

mySF Project podcast, number 5
Direct download: mysf_005_2008_02_06.mp3
length=”4965689″ type=”audio/mpeg” /

The fourth podcast for students studying in one of the five, thematic units within the mySF Project is offered here.

This podcast is the secondpart of the support notes as podcasts of the mySF Project, created in 2005. This blog attaches the second podcast overview of the ‘Enemy Within’ theme area. This is a major theme in the study of SF at the secondary level and originally it was aimed at students in a largish high school in Canberra, Australia. If you want to read more about the mySF Project you can find an overview at the Microsoft Education website.

The podcast draws together comments on the use of SF in modern society focusing on the theme area of the ‘Enemy Within’, a look at the use of aliens in SF, within the mySF Project. Its purpose is to excite, interest and involve students in Years 9 and 10 with the SF content they will be studying for ten learning episodes, equating flexibly to ten weeks for face-to-face students. The podcast is around 4.6M in size, in mp3 format.

The mySF Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.

The point of the podcast here is to share resources with other educators teaching SF to secondary students and to spark discussion, criticism and collaboration. Please use and respond, if you have time.

mySF Project podcast, number 4
Direct download: mysf_004_2008_01_30.mp3
length=”4902912″ type=”audio/mpeg” /