After listening to the 1619 Project, write a blog reflecting on two things: 1) the content/structure of the podcast and 2) your thoughts on using podcasts with students/youth as an educational tool.
I remember first getting my iPod touch and seeing the podcast app. I had no clue what it was. I remember googling it and seeing the result: "A podcast is essentially a talk radio series on demand." Which then lead me to search the app to see if they had my favorite radio program, Giovanni and Kim in the Morning, 92 ProFM (spoiler alert, it didn't). That's when I realized these were something different. I didn't start listening to them regularly until a few years ago, and now they are all I listen to in the car, (unless I have Maxwell with me, then it is Spidey and His Amazing Friends Soundtrack on repeat).
The 1619 used pauses, music, and story telling to educate it's audience on a topic that is not easy to talk about. Starting with the personal story of Uncle Eddie drew me in as a listener, had me immediately yelling "THIS IS WHY WE NEED UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE," and wanting to know more about the topic of the episode. Within the story telling in the first eight minutes, there were moments where Nikole Hannah-Jones paused after moments of joy and sorrow to let us as the listeners absorb the impact of her relationship with her uncle. Under the moments of despair and love, a soft melody played in the background, as if it was telling the listener "hey, pay attention here!"
The podcast continued these moments of pausing in between to let the listeners pick up on the severity of the content matter, the impact of the decisions that the American Health Association made, and the discrimination and unjust treatment towards black people in the health care industry. This podcast taught me about the transition of the emancipation of slaves and the lack of support they received to transition into society.
I think podcasts can be a very engaging way to teach content. However there are some limitations. I am a 1st grade ESL teacher and many of my emergent bilingual learners are newcomers with limited english proficiency. I think listening to a long podcast would be asking for chaos in a classroom full of littles and would have to be tailored, chunked, and extra engaging. Also, this can be an isolating activity for students who do not speak english. I think creating a podcast would be an amazing and engaging project for older students. I can imagine upper elementary to high school age students having to find people to interview and using different programs to edit and add some of the structures that are common in podcasts.
Yes, the iPod Touch!!! I'm with you... never knew what that was for! I like the way you pointed out that the podcast used the music breaks and pause breaks to really break up the content and allow listeners processing time. The 40 minutes could have easily been condensed to 30 minutes without those gaps, but I do not think that it would have carried the same potency.
ReplyDeleteI think that you're right and a long English podcast would certainly not be a good move for newcomers!! Also, yes... I can imagine that this could be overwhelming for all parties involved when utilized at a first grade level!
Hi Allison! While I was listening I was also thinking, "what would be the ideal length for my 14 year olds?" I'm not sure if breaking it into chunks would be good or if that would break the flow. I am also wondering what different activities could I pair with it like a before, during and after activity. I always default to them answering written questions during but that's not really the most successful I've found.
ReplyDeleteI also agree so much that creating a podcast might be better for newcomers than listening to one. I wonder how using really short excerpts with maybe a translated transcript/matching pictures could help develop their listening skills.
Hi Allison, I agree with your comment about the pauses in the Podcast when Nicole Hannah-Jones made a few pauses to emphasize suspense, feelings, and reactions. What you said is very accurate that the narrator used these strategies "to make listeners aware of the seriousness of the content, the impact of the decisions made by the American Health Association, and the discrimination and unfair treatment of black people." in the healthcare industry" The narrator gave us the audience time to reflect on what we were hearing and also to react to the challenge of the impotence of this poor family who did not have the medical care they deserved to have. This was without a doubt a bad life experience and very shocking.
ReplyDelete