Bringing Stories to Life: Old-School Radio Dramas in the Elementary Classroom

Outline

Note: Specific podcasting tools and resources will be updated as we approach ISTE, ensuring that the session includes the most current ideas from my ongoing classroom experiences. This will allow participants to benefit from the latest apps of podcasting in education.

Introduction and Session Goals (5 minutes)

Content: Welcome participants and introduce myself, highlighting my nearly 20 years of experience as an elementary public school teacher. Outline the session's objectives: to share practical strategies for enhancing student storytelling through podcasting old-school radio dramas.

Engagement: Discuss the power of storytelling and how transforming stories into audio dramas can boost student engagement and creativity.

Showcasing Exemplary Podcasts as Models (10 minutes)

Content: Introduce award-winning podcasts from GZM Shows as models for student projects. Discuss narrative techniques, sound design, and storytelling methods used.

Engagement: Play brief snippets from award winning podcasts for kids (Six Minutes, The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel, Becoming Mother Nature, for example) to illustrate exemplars for students. Encourage participants to analyze the elements that make these stories compelling.

Classroom Examples: Student-Created Radio Dramas (5 minutes)

Content: Present examples from my 4th-grade classroom where students created their own radio dramas. Showcase their scripts, recordings, and the creative process.

Engagement: Discuss the impact on student engagement, learning outcomes, and the development of communication skills. Share student reflections on the experience.

Hands-On Activity: Creating a Mini Radio Drama (15 minutes)

Content: Guide participants through a simplified version of the student process. (15 minutes altogether)

Scripting (5 minutes): Attendees will outline a brief scene with characters, setting, conflict, and resolution using provided templates.

Voice Acting and Recording (5 minutes): In pairs, participants will practice voice acting and record their scene using accessible recording tools.

Adding Sound Effects/ Editing (5 minutes): Demonstrate how to incorporate simple sound effects to enhance the story.

Practical Implementation Strategies (10 minutes)

Content: Discuss how to manage and facilitate podcasting projects in the classroom, including grouping strategies, timelines, and assessment methods.

Engagement: Share tips on overcoming common challenges, such as limited technology resources or varying student abilities. Encourage participants to share their own ideas and concerns.

Enhancing Curriculum with Podcasting (10 minutes)

Content: Explain and share classroom examples of how podcasting projects align with educational standards and can be integrated across subjects like language arts.

Engagement: Provide examples of how storytelling through radio dramas can deepen understanding of content and foster critical thinking.

Closing Remarks and Q&A (5 minutes)

Content: Summarize key takeaways, emphasizing the value of empowering students to become storytellers through podcasting.

Engagement: Open for questions, feedback, and discussion about next steps.

Supporting research

Six Minutes: https://gzmshows.com/shows/listing/six-minutes/

The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel (Peabody Award Winner): https://gzmshows.com/shows/listing/mars-patel/

For ELL: https://gzmshows.com/shows/listing/seis-minutos/

Other Research:

Lawson, A. E., & Karplus, R. (2002). "The Learning Cycle."

Description: Explores the Learning Cycle model—Exploration, Concept Introduction, and Application—which supports active learning and critical thinking. This session applies this model by engaging students in creating, understanding, and applying storytelling concepts through podcasting.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0876-1_4

Fuller, R. G. (2003). "'Don't Tell Me, I'll Find Out' Robert Karplus—a Science Education Pioneer."

Description: Discusses the importance of discovery-based learning. The session aligns with this by encouraging students to explore storytelling and technology hands-on.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOST.0000006340.89395.e6

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). "Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features from an Instructional Design Perspective."

Description: Analyzes different learning theories and their application in instructional design. The session incorporates constructivist principles by having students construct their own knowledge through creating radio dramas.

URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_11