Podcast Reflection

This West Chester Life "Budget Cuts 2012" Podcast LISTEN

What?
My group decided to do a podcast about the proposed budget cuts to education in PA for 2012. I listen to quite a bit of NPR productions so I was pretty familiar with many of the layers/elements that would go into producing one independently. I really got into this project because it pertained to an issue that I was very interested in and I enjoy constructing journalistic pieces. We had to do a little bit of digging but we quickly found some great subject matter experts and had the luck of being able to attend a rally on campus to get some quality soundbites. Compiling all of this "raw" data was quite tedious as I was looking for good soundbites from my interviews while trying to identify any common threads that would help me piece together a logical, well-constructed narrative.

So What?
I think projects like this really require students to understand and employ the conventions of narrative. How stories are told are just as, if not more important, as the stories themselves. Podcasts offer an approach to narrative storytelling that conveys depth and thoughtfulness as it requires it's creator to consider multiple dimensions beyond telling the "simple" story. If you truly understand the story you are telling every single element/layer you incorporate into a Podcast should serve a very specific purpose.

Now What?
Thinking of future students, I think this could be a very valuable resource to take into a future classroom. When I think of writing a narrative I feel people often become victims of reciting facts about a particular event rather than trying to recreate the essence of the experience for their audience. Obviously, this approach often lends itself to products that seem less than inspiring. If we can teach students to employ attributes of a thoughtful narrative I think it would go a long way. I think the Podcast assignment really asks you to step back and think about the story you are trying to tell. I think this could be a very fun and interactive assignment for students to do especially if they can do it on a topic of their choice. My only concern is for students who may not be as "tech savvy" may have a difficult time piecing together a quality product and in turn may distract from what might have otherwise been a good story to tell.