Rewind Episode: Zooming In on Podcasting with Students Part One
Sign up here - Podcasting with Students Workshop - Saturday, May 3, 2025 in Dedham, MA from 10:30-12:30
Outline
Introduction to the Podcast and Episode Overview
Melissa Milner introduces herself as the host of the Teacher as Podcast, emphasizing its ever-changing nature and growth in listeners.
She mentions that episodes are released every other week and encourages listeners to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Melissa announces that this episode is a rewind of a previous episode from July 16, 2021, about podcasting with students.
She explains the purpose of re-publishing the episode to highlight the benefits of podcasting in the classroom, including supporting speaking, listening, reading, and writing standards.
Upcoming Workshop and Additional Resources
Melissa shares her excitement about teaching a Podcasting with Students workshop at the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity (TLC).
Details about the workshop are provided, including the location, date, time, and cost, along with information on how to sign up.
She mentions the possibility of creating another podcast episode with updates on all the podcasting news from Birch Meadow.
Melissa provides links to the workshop information on the episode page of theteacheras.com website.
Early Experiences and Content Creation
Melissa recounts the early days of podcasting with her fourth graders in the spring of 2021 and the creation of the Birch Meadow Way Podcast.
She reflects on the process of figuring out student voice, choice, structure, and focus of episodes.
The first season of the podcast had five episodes, and Melissa discusses the ongoing reflection and learning process.
She outlines the focus of this episode on options for student-created content and future episodes on rehearsal, performance, logistics, and lessons learned.
Types of Student-Created Content
Melissa introduces the different types of student-created content, including publishing school projects and student-created ongoing segments.
Examples of student-created segments include joke junction, story time, book buzz, and sports hub.
She shares clips from these segments to illustrate the variety and quality of student-created content.
Melissa emphasizes the importance of student voice and choice in the content creation process.
Logistics and Student Involvement
Melissa discusses the logistics of creating podcast artwork and choosing music for the podcast, including the process of student voting.
She highlights the importance of making students comfortable with the recording process, whether scripted or unscripted.
An example of an unscripted segment is provided, where two students discuss skiing vs. snowboarding, showcasing their passion and knowledge.
Melissa mentions the potential for other types of content, such as interviews, reporting on field trips, or posing questions to students.
Reflections and Future Plans
Melissa reflects on the success of the first five episodes and the need for a more focused approach in future episodes.
She discusses the idea of having a through line for episodes, such as focusing on forces of nature and integrating related content.
Melissa shares her goal of including math in future episodes and the potential for students to find creative ways to incorporate it.
She concludes the episode by encouraging listeners to check out the Birch Meadow Way Podcast and the Teacher as Podcast for more information and updates.