16 ✨Your Essay and the Larger Conversation – AI Enhanced Activity

This activity will help you understand how your essay participates in a larger academic conversation. You will use NotebookLM to create and interact with podcasts of your essay, exploring your contribution to the ongoing discussion of your topic.

Instructions:

1. Prepare Your Essay: Ensure your essay is finalized and saved as a PDF file. NotebookLM does not support .docx files.

2. Using NotebookLM:

   • Access and Setup: Go to [NotebookLM website link]. If you don’t have an account, follow the instructions to create one.
   • Creating a New Notebook: Click “+ Notebook” to start a new notebook for each part of this activity.

3. Podcast 1: Your Essay Alone:

   • Upload: In your first notebook, upload your essay PDF.
   • Generate Podcast: Create a podcast of your essay within NotebookLM. Listen to the podcast carefully. Pay attention to the messages and interpretations NotebookLM picks up on. Do they align with your intentions? How does it feel to hear your writing discussed aloud?
   • Share: Click the share icon above the podcast. Toggle “public access” to “on.” Copy the share link and paste it into the designated space in the assignment.
   • Reflection 1: In the provided space, reflect on your experience of hearing other voices discuss your essay. Did they capture the intended messages? Were there any unexpected interpretations?

4. Podcast 2: Your Essay and Sources (Passive Listening):

   • New Notebook: Start a new notebook.
   • Upload: Upload all your sources (as PDFs) and your essay PDF to this new notebook.
   • Generate Podcast: Create and listen to a podcast using your sources combined with your essay. Notice how your essay is discussed alongside your sources as part of a larger conversation.
   • Share: Click the share icon above the podcast. Toggle “public access” to “on.” Copy the share link and paste it into the designated space in the assignment.
   • Reflection 2: In the provided space, share your takeaways from hearing a discussion of your essay paired with your sources.

5. Podcast 3: Your Essay and Sources (Interactive Participation):

   • Third Notebook: Open a third notebook, using the same sources (your essay + your three library sources) as in Podcast 2.
   • Join the Conversation: Click “Interactive Mode” below the Audio Overview. You’ll hear the same two voices discussing the texts, but now you have the option to “join” the conversation.
   • Participate: Near the beginning of the podcast, click “join” and introduce yourself (name) and state that you are the author of one of the sources (your essay). Find at least three additional opportunities during the podcast to join in. Offer your thoughts, insights, clarify your intentions, point out something from the sources, etc.
   • Reflection 3: In the provided space, reflect on your experience of participating in the podcast. What new perspectives did it provide? How did it feel to be part of the conversation about your writing?
6. Overall Reflection (2-3 paragraphs): Write 2-3 paragraphs reflecting on the overall experience and the concept of your writing being part of a larger conversation. How has this activity changed your view of the writing experience?

7. Submission: Submit the share links for all three podcasts and the reflections as instructed in the assignment.