Class description

• Students will make:

An original podcast episode of their own creation (fiction or non-fiction), complete with music and artwork. The podcast will be in a form they can post online if they choose to do so. They can submit the Podcast to the NextGen Online Magazine and the New York Times Podcast contest (Deadline May 10, 2023). 

Finished Podcast example: https://anchor.fm/michael-gullett1

• Students will learn:

Foundations for script writing, recording with the right hardware and software, editing, and packaging the final product.

o Week 1 – Introductions & Course goals. Why podcast? What are the three main categories of podcasts? Themes and topic ideas. Foundations in creating your script. After class action item: Draft your podcast script.

o Week 2 – Recording process. Script notes to support successful recording. Using the right hardware and software. Creating consistent recording conditions. After class action item: Record your first draft.

o Week 3 – Editing and post-production. Using Audacity (or other recording software) to edit and tweak your recording. Adding license-free music to create your final audio file. After class action item: Create your final draft.

o Week 4 – Sharing and celebration: participants will share snippets with each other and provide supportive feedback. How to add artwork and options for distributing your final podcast. How to create 60-second video snippets of your podcast for sharing and exposure. After class action item: Add artwork, find the appropriate host for your podcast, build your audience, and celebrate your accomplishments!

https://www.nextgeneducationus.org/teachers

Michael Gullett is an active sports podcaster and history/language arts high school educator with a wealth of experience teaching in many different places throughout Alaska from rural Native Alaskan communities to a CTE High School. Currently, he works in one of the largest and most diverse school districts in the United States. In 2015, he published The Integration of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Academic Curricula: An Effective Model for Teacher with the University of Alaska. Most recent projects are continuing to grow his podcast, writing books, and being part of the next innovative methods to education. 

He has two master degrees from the University of Alaska Anchorage in Educational Leadership and Career & Technical Education. He has a BA in History and Secondary Education from the University of Northern Colorado.  

 

• Creativity: Brainstorming, Writing & Developing unique voice  

• Public Speaking & Audio storytelling skills

• Academic knowledge: genres, research on Social Science or STEM topics 

• Technology Recording, Audio Editing, Music 

• Publishing, Privacy, & Digital Citizenship

• Communication Tone (show not tell) 

• Critical thinking 

• Cultivating empathy & building confidence 

• Collaborations 

4-8 kids (Age 11-17). Small class size, highly interactive and individualized. 

Grades 5-8; Grades 9-11

• Students must have access to a laptop computer (PC or Mac) to work on between sessions. An external microphone is not required, but would provide clearer recording quality (we will talk about this in the class).

• Our teachers will recommend editing software that is free and can be downloaded from the appropriate website, along with license-free music and artwork from their respective websites.

• (Optional) During class, our teachers will send a list of equipment/tools that is appropriate for students who want to embark on podcasting on a longer-term basis in the future.