Once you have created your Voice Thread presentation and you are ready to share it with the class, please reply to this post and share your presentation’s link. At the end of your presentation, simply click on “Copy Link and Share”, then paste the link in a reply to this post.
Remember, we will be viewing and commenting on the presentations during the last three weeks of class. Be sure to watch every presentation and share your thoughts, questions, and comments during this time. Also, if you ask a question of your classmate, be sure to check his/her presentation periodically to hear/view the response. Post your questions/responses on your classmates’ Voice Thread pages.
Causes & Consequences of the Great Depression 
Here is my voicethread on the TVA. Enjoy!!
http://voicethread.com/share/756020/
Let me know if the link doesnt work or if you have issues.
By: 1soxnut on November 20, 2009
at 2:16 pm
Your voice thread is very interesting and brings out a lot of valid points about the TVA!
By: ric345 on November 20, 2009
at 9:42 pm
I did post a similiar comment on Voice Thread, sorry!
By: ric345 on November 20, 2009
at 9:53 pm
Social Consequences of the Great Depression in American Theater
http://voicethread.com/share/757792/
By: lcbaur on November 22, 2009
at 6:27 pm
Icbaur: great photos, and great narration. I commented on Voice Thread, but want you to know how much I appreciated the visual flow of your work.
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 12:09 pm
lcbaur,
I’m glad you went into more detail on each play. My topic was similar but I had to leave out so much material due to time restraints.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:03 pm
lcbaur,
I commented on Voice Thread; your presentation is well done. Your ending is especially inspiring!
By: ric345 on December 1, 2009
at 9:29 pm
Rachel,
I understand what you said about the picture of the mothers and children on the steps not matching “The Iceman Cometh”, but those people were in utter dispair. One of the pictures is modern, but the impact it had was what I was going for; the uprising, the revolt.
You also commented how the presentation was more on the playwrights than theater. Not really. I began each segment with the introduction of the writers. I feel that a picture and brief background helps to understand why they wrote the plays they did.
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:26 pm
1soxnut: thanks for taking some of the mystery out of the TVA…our textbooks gave it a lot of words, but your presentation summed it up (with helpful pictures) very nicely, and much more coherently. My comments are on VoiceThread.
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 11:56 am
I liked your presentation the best part was the distortions and myths. You brought out some very valid points.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 3:54 pm
I posted my response from Voicethread as well, but I will agree that you brought out some very valid points as well. Very good Presentation!!
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 10:51 am
1soxnut
I liked your presentation the best part was the distortions and myths. You brought out some very valid points about the TVA.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:01 pm
Very good Presentation!! Enjoyed the start with the Music- Nice Music choice as well.
By: Kim on December 6, 2009
at 6:10 pm
I like how you began your presentation with a song.
The Muscle Shoals map is a great visual.
Your visuals make your presentation easy to understand. I had no idea there were so many mistruths and oppositions to the TVA projects.
It was also cool to see you reading your presentation. You are the only one that did that.
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:17 pm
Here is Kay’s presentation. She was unable to successfully upload her PhotoStory to Voice Thread.
For her presentation only, please leave your comments and questions here. Reply to all other presentations on Voice Thread.
By: jzinn3 on November 20, 2009
at 2:22 pm
Textile manufacturing has almost disappeared due to foreign production. The impact extends far beyond the actual manufacturing company to include suppliers of material, thread, machinery, boxes, local transportation companies, and long haul trucking. The quality is not as good, deliveries are delayed, but the price is right!
By: cjm1406 on November 23, 2009
at 8:03 pm
cjm1406 – thank you. Yes you are right, textile manufacturing has almost disappeared. Even large “technology type” of companies (such as Lucent Technologies) who produce products have shifted many of their jobs overseas.
Our American auto industry is struggling significantly……..look at the Detroit, Michigan area. Many foreign car producers have moved into the U.S., built plants and are producing their cars here. For example: Toyota and Kia to name a couple (there are more). Americans are buying foreign made vehicles more than American made. Quality is a issue/concern to some and it is understandable in some cases; the American made products are not as good. Why can’t we get this back in the U.S?
We have lost our manufacturing base to “overseas”. Our exports percentages are way up…..read the labels of what we buy……a very large percentage say made in another country.
By: ric345 on November 23, 2009
at 10:34 pm
Comparative Advantage: Do what you do best and trade the rest. If other nations can produce autos and textiles more efficiently (at a lower opportunity cost), then society is better off when we allow them to do so. The theory suggests that the US should retool and focus on that in which we have a comparative advantage . . .
By: jzinn3 on November 27, 2009
at 11:52 am
ric345:
I could not agree more a very large percentage of the labels of what we buy are made in other countries. I remember when there was a recall on some of the toys made from China due it being exposed to lead. It seems that my husband and I almost every toy we had to get rid of them on check on it, and I swear it seems they “all” were made from China (well the ones w/labels)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20254745/
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 10:57 am
You’re presentation was well thought out and easy to understand. I had no idea the unemplloyment is 3.2 million worse than in the beginning of Bush’s administration. Do you think that the terrorist attacks had a bit to do with the unemployment rate increasing? I know people that lost their jobs due to the attacks on September 11th.
Although I agree that it is cost-effective for US manufacturing companies bto outsource labor internationally, I am saddened and scared of the impact it has had on our workforce.
I loved the charts you used to explain the National Debt as a Percentage of our Gross Domestic Product and the Oil Production Comparison. These really bring our isses to light and are easy to understand.
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 9:45 pm
Kay: you have such a thorough presentation (and a lovely speaking voice). Regarding the loss of manufacturing jobs: you are exactly on target.
This is from an article about American Jobs from the AFL-CIO website:
“Companies are sending well-paying manufacturing and service jobs to countries with few, if any, protections for workers and the environment. And these jobs are probably not coming back. The movement of jobs and production overseas is handcuffing the recovery,” according to Mark Xandi, chief economist at Economy.com, as quoted in the New York Times.
“With NAFTA, the World Trade Organization and other trade deals of the last decade, American corporations are now tapping into a global supply of workers who can be trained to do everything from design to production, maintenance to marketing,” says Jeff Faux, economist and founding president of the Economic Policy Institute.
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutaflcio/magazine/0903_amjobs.cfm
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 12:17 pm
Thank you!
By: ric345 on November 25, 2009
at 7:33 pm
Kay,
The sad fact is that some of theses manufacturing jobs are coming back. The Chinese are purchasing these empty manufacturing plants, and hiring back the workers at a lower wage. Is this good for the economy? I don’t think so. Then we the displaced workers are forced to go into debt to reeducation ourselves into higher level positions just to be able to find a job to support our families.
your presentation was great and gave a viewpoint seldom heard in the media.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:09 pm
Kay, I certainly agree with you that the US faces some tough issues for the future, but the fact remains that the life-cycle of a country contains a period of post-industrialization. The US is now a mostly service-oriented society, and with this change comes a massive restructuring of the country as a whole. What your presentation touches on seems to be one of the viewpoints of what could happen to us over time should our leaders choose not to get super creative about how to reinvigorate American industry. For example, is the hype over global warming something to get excited about? Absolutely, because it will generate new jobs that will come with new environmental standards of living. Will thinking that status quo will work just fine lead to a more productive society? No, and that could cause all of the things you talk about. That’s certainly something very serious to think about!
By: Rachel Easter on December 1, 2009
at 9:25 am
Rachel, you are correct. Kay’s presentation forces us to consider some very serious and stark realities. I’m glad you mentioned the economic opportunities associated with climate change. Thomas Friedman, in his book Hot, Flat and Crowded, suggests that the next great chapter of America’s economic power lies in creating the green industry that will address climate change. Here is a speech in which he summarizes his position:
Finally, here is an NBC news report on the economic success of Morgantown, West Virginia. With an economy which was once heavily dependent on coal and other industry, Morgantown could have gone the way of Detroit and the rust belt in PA. Instead, it has successfully evolved into a robust, prosperous city prepared for the 21st century.
By: jzinn3 on December 1, 2009
at 10:21 am
Rachel:
I certainly respect your comments.
By: ric345 on December 1, 2009
at 9:43 pm
Professor:
Thank you for posting the You Tube video’s regarding Mr. Friedman’s perspective!
Also the good economic news from West Virginia!
It certainly adds more information for all of us to consider and think about.
By: ric345 on December 1, 2009
at 9:47 pm
Prof Zinn,
I think more towns should follow the lead of Morgantown. What a great example they are. The lowest unemployment rate and building a multi million dollar waterfront complex.
By: catstd on December 3, 2009
at 2:06 pm
Wow! I had no idea the Morgantown was doing so well. People think West Virginia and think poor, but that is entirely not the case!
By: Rachel Easter on December 3, 2009
at 4:44 pm
Morgantown is an amazing city. Of course, it benefits from having WVU, much like Charlottesville and Lynchburg benefit from having colleges and universities in town. But the people in the city have done a GREAT job of adapting. Morgantown is far more clean and attractive than it used to be. My dad grew up there and attended WVU, so I have been visiting the area all my life.
By: jzinn3 on December 3, 2009
at 5:02 pm
Rachel:
Very good point!! You are correct it does give you something to think about.
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 11:06 am
It is very sad how many jobs are what I call “outsourced” to other countries and taking away jobs from the American people, I was not ware that there were 3.2 million fewer jobs today than when George W. Bush took office and 2.5 million fewer manufacturing jobs. In one of my previous classes we discussed jobs being sent overseas and I remember reading one story where a child was working a customer service job and she was making more money that both of her parents together. The U.S. job sent over to her country paying her less that minimum wage was more money than the two incomes of her parents. That is extremely sad!!!
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 11:03 am
Yes, unfortuneately this is a true fact. The U.S. has “lost” its manufacturing base we once had.
By: ric345 on December 5, 2009
at 7:27 pm
Kay:
Very good and you provided a lot of information!!
By: Kim on December 6, 2009
at 6:11 pm
Kay:
Very good presentation. Thorough and well thought out. Excellent job!! Where I am originally from there is a lot of manufacturing jobs being lost. The paper industry has been deeply affected and numerous paper mills have been closed leaving whole towns and communities in ruin because that was the only employer and everything else in town went to support the people who worked there.
By: 1soxnut on December 8, 2009
at 11:07 pm
Thank you -that is exactly the point I was making – I have seen this happen myself in different states.
By: ric345 on December 8, 2009
at 11:34 pm
Your presentation was interesting. While I knew that manufacturing jobs were hit hard the amount of manufacturing jobs lost in contrast to other jobs was astounding. According to your presentation 78% of the jobs lost since President George W. Bush took office were manufacturing. We can only home that the forecast for our economy will take a turn up; otherwise we will have many struggles ahead.
By: meaganrae on December 11, 2009
at 9:55 am
“Knocking on the Door”
It’s about the American farmer and how their depression experience began in the 1920s and only worsened during the 1930s based on three elements. What are the elements? Gotta go to the voice thread:
http://voicethread.com/share/755999/
By: megamuphyn on November 20, 2009
at 9:05 pm
Some follow up links for the farmer experience:
Lorentz Pare’s “The Plow that Broke the Plains” created in 1936 for the Farm Security Administration:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1119800966783091956#
Also this fabulous site, and I mean FABULOUS, is Wessels Living History Farm. It has an interactive link that compares the horse to tractor plowing on 40 acres. Use this link (http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe20s/machines_01.htm) and then click on the green one beginning with “See a comparison…”
By: megamuphyn on November 22, 2009
at 12:05 am
megamuphyn: nice nice nice…a documentary winner. You’ve done this before, yes? Anyway, I left my comments on Voice Thread, but will just say that you put a personal spin on the farmer’s plight that touched my heart. I can’t imagine how difficult it must’ve been for our ancestors who tried valiently to work the land…
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 4:07 pm
megamuphyn,
Great title, starting before the depression hit helped to understand how the problem began and that it was due to more than the stock market crash. How it affected Europe was an interesting part of the presentation.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:17 pm
megamuphn: I did post my comments on voice thread, your perspective and presentation is very good.
By: ric345 on November 29, 2009
at 8:11 pm
Megamuphyn:
Very good presentation!! I also commented on Voicethread, but can you clarify for me the Three element?
catstd:
I will agree that the Title was good and starting before thre depression did help fit to better understand how it began.
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 11:20 am
You have a very clear voice and your presentation was fluid. Great job!
All of your visuals perfectly matched your presentation.
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:18 pm
An overview of the Great Depression in Canada, with some comparisons to the United States, focusing on unemployment.
http://voicethread.com/share/757353/
By: davidmurr on November 20, 2009
at 10:50 pm
davidmurr: what a fascinating topic, and thanks for giving us some information on how our neighbor fared during this time period. I had never thought about it before, but you presented really interesting parallels as well as national differences. My comments are on Voice Thread.
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 4:30 pm
davidmurr,
Another perspective told from outside the US. I’m so glad you choose this topic we always think about how it affected our country but you showed it was hard for Canadians too.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:22 pm
davidmurr: My comments on voice thread also concur that your perspective and combination of the U.S. and Canada, makes all of us think about it!
By: ric345 on November 29, 2009
at 8:12 pm
I also commented on voice-thread, but I thought it was very nice that your presentation was on Canada and not the United States. It extended my knowledge on how others were effected as well as the U.S. Very nice and knowledgeable presentation!!!
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 12:13 pm
Really great information about the Great Depression in another country.
I like how you tied in the causes and effects of the Great Depression in the United States to the Canadian’s economic crisis.
I’m glad someone did a presentation on another country during the Great Depression. It really shows how a super power can affect the entire world’s economy.
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:21 pm
“The New Deal and the Arts”
FDR’s Works Program Administration and The Federal Arts, Theater, and Music programs rescued cultural America.
http://voicethread.com/share/750630/
By: catstd on November 21, 2009
at 9:22 am
catstd: thanks for such a fun project…some of the best comedians, actors, movies, and songs came out of this time period. Your presentation was clear, beautifully presented, and so much fun to watch. But more singing next time! 🙂
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 5:07 pm
catsd: As I talked about in voice thread; the arts topic and information you bring out puts another totally different perspective on how that industry was effected by the Great Depression.
By: ric345 on November 29, 2009
at 8:15 pm
catstd
Very good presentation as I stated on voice-thread, but I will say that the WPA information was of great interest to me. I was not aware of “everything” that WPA offered.
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 1:12 pm
Our presentations were similar but touched on different aspects of theater.
I think you did a great job relating all of the different genres and touching a little of every aspect of the Federal Theater project.
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:22 pm
Broken Land: Turmoil on the Great Plains During the Dust Bowl
My file was too large for VoiceThread, so it is posted to YouTube. Click on the link in the info box to the right of the video to go back to VoiceThread and make comments at my placeholder page.
By: racheleaster on November 21, 2009
at 10:23 am
Voice Thread link is here, actually!
http://voicethread.com/#u446855.b757277
By: racheleaster on November 21, 2009
at 10:25 am
Good job!
By: ric345 on November 22, 2009
at 9:31 pm
racheleaster: excellent use of maps and weather images…was helpful in putting the dust bowl areas into physical perspective
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 5:14 pm
racheleaster,
Great point that the farmers weren’t expecting another kind of storm. Everyone things farmers can make it through anything but when the lane doesn’t yield they are out of work and food to feed their families.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:26 pm
Very good Presentation!!
I enjoy your use of graphs, pictures, music, and a “positive” presentation on what was a very depressing time for many. You presented this in a very organized manner. Good Job!!! Sounds like you have done this before
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 1:17 pm
Rachel:
This is an excellent voicethread. The utilization of the graphics, music, and personalized accounts were very well choreographed. I really think you did a spectacular job on this presentation. The only thing I can say that isn’t 100% positive is that it sounded like a happy, upbeat presentation even though the events were tragic. Honestly that is the only thing that I would change. Everything else is superb. Great job.
By: gnoel54 on November 21, 2009
at 8:24 pm
In case you’re curious, I used iMovie on the Mac for the presentation, which I then exported to YouTube directly. It was a fairly easy program to understand, and I think it would be incredible to use for family stories and documentaries for home viewing.
By: Rachel Easter on December 4, 2009
at 9:59 am
I agree withthe need for people to be more positive when times get tough. Dark or sorrowful times are perfect to shed a little light on the grief.
I like the opening music. It sounds like good ole country music you would hear on the farms of the Midwest.
Great presentation!
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 10:23 pm
http://voicethread.com/share/746118/
By: meaganrae on November 21, 2009
at 11:05 am
meaganrae: lovely presentation, and great photos…can’t imagine where you got them all. I posted several comments directly on Voice Thread, but appreciate the time and trouble it must’ve taken you to compile all these pics!
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 5:30 pm
meaganrae,
I like your presentation especially the picture of the alphabet agencies. It was so cute like ring around the Rosie.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:33 pm
Meaganrae:
Very good Presentation!!
You must have searched very hard for those photos, and very good ones at that.
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 1:41 pm
Meaganrae:
As I also mentioned on voice thread, it does look like “ring around the rosie”! Good job!
By: ric345 on December 5, 2009
at 7:29 pm
I like how you talked about some of the surviving companies from the era of the Great Depression.
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:30 pm
This is about movement and migration during the Great Depression…that search for a better life.
http://voicethread.com/share/723987/
By: cjm1406 on November 21, 2009
at 11:25 am
cjm1406: cohesive, clean, moving presentation…well done. I liked the fact that you made it objective, yet personal.
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 5:44 pm
cjm1406,
You bring up a good point about the humiliation of being out of work. The loss of hope and wondering if life is better anywhere else but here.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:36 pm
cjm1406:
I also spoke on voice thread; people need hope, especially when they go through tough times.
By: ric345 on December 5, 2009
at 7:31 pm
cjm1406:
Very good Presentation!! I especially enjoyed the photos it was a reminder of Riding the Rails. That is just one of those books that I will always remember.
By: Kim on December 6, 2009
at 6:46 pm
Your use of pictures really had a great impact on your presentation. Great job!
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:31 pm
voicethread.com/share/758077/
This is my link.
This is really my rough draft because I can’t get my voice to play throughout the entire slideshow. This is not the best result and I hope to have an updated version shortly.
By: gnoel54 on November 21, 2009
at 8:01 pm
I think what is happening is that my presentation is only on the last slide. The 27 pictures will flash and then on the last picture my presentation will be audible. Not exactly what I wanted….I was trying to get my voicethread to play throughout the slideshow. I will try to edit, but for now, you just have to watch a few empty pictures and then listen to what I wanted to say throughout.
Embed the faces in your brain. The personal accounts and forlorn faces of the Great Depression are what I wanted to show. Let’s not forget how hard life must have been for these resilient Americans.
By: gnoel54 on November 21, 2009
at 8:16 pm
gnoel:
Thanks!!
I do not know what happened to my presentation today. I went back online today to view/edit my voicethread prior to copying my link & now all of my comments says “hold on”.
By: Kim on November 21, 2009
at 11:56 pm
When I typed in the link to your voice thread I got a message that access was blocked. Is there a different link?
By: cjm1406 on November 23, 2009
at 6:57 pm
My message was to gnoel54 not Kim. Sorry.
By: cjm1406 on November 23, 2009
at 6:58 pm
gnoel54: unable to access your presentation…is there another link perhaps?
By: slrhbdavis on December 2, 2009
at 12:52 pm
gnoel54:
Hey !! I am not sure what I may be doing wrong, but I am still not allowed to view your presentation!! ):
By: Kim on December 6, 2009
at 6:48 pm
gnoel54,
I cannot access your presentation. The screen says I am not authorized.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:40 pm
gnoel54 -I also tried to access your voice thread and it says not authorized. Sorry……
By: ric345 on December 1, 2009
at 9:54 pm
It says I need your permission to view your voicethread….sorry I cannot view it.
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 1:43 pm
I’m glad the presentation is available now. The volume is very low and I had a hard time hearing your storyline. I really liked the pictures, it must have taken a long time to find just the right ones. They fit your title very well.
By: catstd on December 8, 2009
at 1:30 pm
I still cannot find your presentation.
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:31 pm
Please let me know if my voice is missing in action!!!
I think I may have messed something up today- I do apologize if this is a factor..
http://voicethread.com/share/735100/
By: Kim on November 21, 2009
at 10:44 pm
Kim,
Good job on your presentation. I’m glad you included the part about terrorism and the bomb. We seldom hear about it at that time.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:47 pm
catstd:
Thanks!! I was very nervous about the presentation and I have been worrying about how it would turn out.
Thanks so much!!!
By: Kim on November 30, 2009
at 4:55 pm
Good job! I also mentioned this on voice thread.
By: ric345 on November 30, 2009
at 9:59 pm
Kim: Your presentations is loaded with information, quite interesting and detailed. I didn’t know, for example, that Morgan Chase was so big, or exactly how they started, or that the Bank of England and Morgan were joint fiscal agents. Impressive details and photos. Thank you.
By: slrhbdavis on December 2, 2009
at 12:41 pm
Ric345:
slrhdavis:
Thanks so much!!!
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 1:44 pm
I was asked on my presentation if JP Morgan Chase received any of the bailout money and the answer is YES. According to http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/12/22/bailout.accountability/ J. P. Morgan along with Citigroup and Wells Fargo each received the larges amount given to any bank in the amount of $25 million.
JPMorgan Chase pointed out that it has brought more than $1 billion in Illinois bonds and plans to lend $5 billion to nonprofit and health care companies.
I have also attached other helpful websites:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/tarp-chart.htm
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 5:15 pm
I love that you did a presentation on J.P. Morgan. I think it’s important that we know how impactful this man was.
I had no idea he was such a businessman. I also had no ideea he was resonsible for merging the two companies that became General Electric!
Thanks for your great presentation!
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:34 pm
Here’s my Voice Thread presentation on Dorothea Lange, one of the more prominent photojournalists of the Great Depression. Let me know what you think!
http://voicethread.com/share/729894/
By: slrhbdavis on November 25, 2009
at 11:42 am
slrhbdavis,
very interesting presentation. She sure was a rebel at heart but a genius at capturing photographic images.
By: catstd on November 29, 2009
at 4:51 pm
slrhbdavis: as I mentioned on my voice thread, depicting the depression photographically is a great way for people to actually see what was happening to the American people!
By: ric345 on November 29, 2009
at 8:27 pm
Slrhbdavis:
You had some very nice photos and your choice of presentation was very good, especially since you chose Dorothea Lange. She was very eager and knew her calling as a child. It was also nice to hear about Women during that time because we mostly focus on the men. Very Good and educational presentation.
By: Kim on December 5, 2009
at 1:51 pm
I did not know that Dorothea Lange exsisted, let alone that she is the photographer that took the “Migrant Mother” picture. Wow.
Lange really knew how to capture her subject’s emotion. I felt her pictures, I didn’t just see them.
You said that Lange took the time to get to know all of her subjects. That she spoke with them on a personal level. I believe that is why she was able to connect with the people in the photographs. They felt comfortable enough to show their real emotions and let their guaard down.
Thanks for enlightening us with your delightful presentation!
By: lcbaur on December 9, 2009
at 11:37 pm