Record Your Stuff!

I have a digital recorder. It's been much more useful than I had imagined. If you're a Lector you want one too, even if you don't know it yet.

In catechism class in 2010 I was using an all-new, no-textbook-in-class curriculum which I had developed during the summer. I decided to record all the classes so I could compare each lesson plan to the reality in the classroom. Within a day or so after a given class, I'd listen to the recording, and mark on the lesson plan what needed review, what I'd missed, etc. For a public speaker it's invaluable.

Oddly enough, it never occurred to me to use the thing to record FGOs until last month. What was I thinking?

Benefits for the Lector:

1. You can send me an mp3 file and I can post a link to it here. Be famous! Or anonymous! Either way is OK!

2. The recorder can do basic editing of the files. It's easy to trim irrelevant stuff from the beginning or the end if you don't turn it on and off at the right moments. You can also do all kinds of editing with free software; I use WavePad Sound Editor on my mp3s.

3. It names each new file with the date all by itself.

4. Since FGOs are so short, you can probably put a lifetime's worth of them on the recorder with no worries about running out of memory.

And the best thing about recording your FGOs:

5. To listen to yourself speak is a great way to refine your skills! Get fired up! Be your own audience! Yeah, I know you'll sound weird to yourself at first; don't worry, you'll get over it. Within a year you'll be thinking,"Wow- I sound good."