Podcasting turns up the volume on student voice

A new trimester elective at Mount Olive Middle School created a buzz this year. Podcasting gave seventh-graders the opportunity to learn storytelling techniques and professional audio production skills.
 
“It’s really so many skills combined,” said teacher Sasha Freger. “It’s researching, presenting, speaking, interviewing, and collaboration.”
 
The classes completed pieces in a variety of genres including true crime stories, personal narratives, and short dramas. The most poignant, however, were the investigative projects that brought the podcasters into the halls to speak with their peers about issues specific to MOMS. The podcasts gave students on both sides of the microphone a voice. For the interviewees, the process sent the message that their thoughts and opinions were valued.
 
Dispelled was the notion that teens think about and discuss only the superficial – social media influencers, pop singers, sports teams, and heartthrob actors; the investigative podcasts revealed ideas and emotions on issues far wider than boy bands and the best PlayStation 5 games. Students spoke openly about topics such as dress codes, queer representation, dealing with stress, and the social and emotional impact of COVID.
 
“When kids have the microphone in their faces, they would open up and talk on a really personal level,” said Chloe Cline. “It was almost a heart to heart.”
 
The projects also provided the podcasters an opportunity to discuss important school and social matters with faculty members and administrators.
 
By learning the art of telling an interesting story through audio, the seventh-graders discovered a newfound appreciation for sound in podcasts, radio, video games, film and television. Music, sound effects, volume, and vocal intonation all combine to create emotion and a sense of time and place. Everything heard is a creative decision made by someone.
 
Most of the podcasters had never experienced a course that melds creativity, technology, and student choice quite like this. Through their work, many learned lessons about themselves.
 
“Podcasting encouraged me to be a little more outgoing, to share a little bit about myself more often,” said Brynn Davis, who has a YouTube channel with her brother.
 
For Emma Sweeney, who had decidedly low expectations for the new course, podcasting ignited a fire for storytelling and the communication arts.
 
“I thought we wouldn’t be doing anything interesting,” she said Emma. “It turned out to be the highlight of my day, every day. If I could record or edit or even just look up sounds, I would be so excited.”
 
She hopes to further explore her interest in communication, perhaps by learning video production at the high school. When the storytelling bug bites, the fever never breaks.
 
Podcasting is big business and it’s expected to keep growing. Recent research showed that 73% of the U.S. population aged 12 and older have listened to online audio in the last month; more than one-third of Americans listen to podcasts regularly.