Making Students' Voices Heard!

Teachers are doing some pretty amazing things in our district. Each month, we will highlight a few projects teachers are working on. Have a project you'd like us to feature? Let us know here!

Podcasts have been around for quite a while, but more and more teachers are using this medium for students to express their learning. Not familiar with Podcasting? Check out this video explanation from Jonathan Wylie of the GWAEA Digital Learning Team.

At City High, Jonathan Rogers's Advanced Journalism class creates radio shows or podcasts. Some of The Little Hawk's top shows include Politikid, The Minority Report, LH Book Reviews, and Sounds of the City. They record with a Yeti Mic and use the program SoundTrap. They also work with regular mics hooked up to a computer and upload to SoundCloud for online sharing.


Elementary Brian Scott's 4th grade students create a weekly podcast to share what they have learned with their parents. Students use graphic organizer outlines created by Brian to plan their show, and a USB microphone to record using the website SoundCloud. Brian shares the show on his class Facebook page.	Junior High Evan Hartley's 8th-grade students created book reviews that included several required elements and extended the assignment, if desired, to include optional elements that were gathered from listening to professional book reviews found on the NPR Book Reviews website. The ultimate goal was to post the book reviews to the library catalog Destiny so that other students could listen to them as they were browsing for new books to read. Examples here and here.	High School Kate Richey’s English 11/12 at Tate High engaged in a podcasting unit in order to uncover the nuances of storytelling. The students analyzed podcasts from The Moth and Mortified in order to assess the traits of a good story, and discover what makes for a solid podcast session. Students crafted personal narratives tied to the theme of life lessons. Utilizing Sound Trap, the students created music and recorded their own narratives in podcast sessions in the Makerspace.

Elementary

Brian Scott's 4th grade students create a weekly podcast to share what they have learned with their parents. Students use graphic organizer outlines created by Brian to plan their show, and a USB microphone to record using the website SoundCloud. Brian shares the show on his class Facebook page.

Junior High

Evan Hartley's 8th-grade students created book reviews that included several required elements and extended the assignment, if desired, to include optional elements that were gathered from listening to professional book reviews found on the NPR Book Reviews website. The ultimate goal was to post the book reviews to the library catalog Destiny so that other students could listen to them as they were browsing for new books to read. Examples here and here.

High School

Kate Richey’s English 11/12 at Tate High engaged in a podcasting unit in order to uncover the nuances of storytelling. The students analyzed podcasts from The Moth and Mortified in order to assess the traits of a good story, and discover what makes for a solid podcast session. Students crafted personal narratives tied to the theme of life lessons. Utilizing Sound Trap, the students created music and recorded their own narratives in podcast sessions in the Makerspace.

The 4Cs: Developing a Tech Integrated Classroom

Flexible meeting dates, authentic learning opportunities, and a community of innovation! Take this course to see how you can include more creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking in your classroom while earning recert credit.

Registration for this course ends February 14th, but our first class session is the week of the 7th!

Click here for Tuesday cohort at NCJH

Click here for Wednesday cohort at ESC

Click here for Thursday cohort at SEJH


Collaboration Padlet is a digital bulletin board that allows users to Post “sticky notes” on a collaborative wall. Notes can include text, images, links, etc. No login required and can be run in real time or asynchronously.	Creativity Soundtrap is and easy, robust audio recording and editing website. Login with Google to collaborate on simple audio recordings or complex musical compositions. Has built-in digital instruments for creating music with just a computer!	Communication Seesaw is a free and easy app/website for students to share their work throughout the school day with their classmates, teacher, and parents! Login via QR code makes it work for even the youngest learners!

Collaboration

Padlet is a digital bulletin board that allows users to Post “sticky notes” on a collaborative wall. Notes can include text, images, links, etc. No login required and can be run in real time or asynchronously.

Creativity

Soundtrap is and easy, robust audio recording and editing website. Login with Google to collaborate on simple audio recordings or complex musical compositions. Has built-in digital instruments for creating music with just a computer!

Communication

Seesaw is a free and easy app/website for students to share their work throughout the school day with their classmates, teacher, and parents! Login via QR code makes it work for even the youngest learners!

Instructional Design Strategists of Innovation

Interested in learning more about something you saw here? Want to find new ways to engage students? Contact your IDS Innovation team!

ICCSDinnovation@gmail.com iowacityschools.org/pages/ICCSD/Departments/Teacher_Leadership

Accessibility

Making Students' Voices Heard!

Innovative Ideas and Practices from ICCSD Educators

Making Students' Voices Heard!

Innovative Ideas and Practices from ICCSD Educators

the Fault in our Stars by TheLittleHawk

Students Podcasting Across Grade Levels

Elementary

Junior High

High School

Elementary

Junior High

High School

The 4Cs: Developing a Tech Integrated Classroom

Tools to Try

Collaboration

Creativity

Communication

Collaboration

Creativity

Communication

Instructional Design Strategists of Innovation