College View Middle School’s eighth grade computer applications class is getting their hand at podcast production while also learning about diversity and their place in the community with their podcast aimed at diversity.
Teacher Geoff Snyder said that the 9-week class aims to teach the students about how to use different computer programs and equipment, predominantly focused around media creation like podcast equipment, editing software, and the like.
“They’re able to edit the podcast either as a group or as individuals, which of course I always encourage them as individuals, so that each of them has their own opportunity to edit the podcast and have it sound and feel how they want to plus, it kind of shows that they’re able to use that software efficiently,” Snyder said.
Through the podcast, students are learning how to prepare and conduct interviews, edit files, and how to publish their work locally. The course is taught over 9-weeks with 8 different classes of 8th graders throughout the year.
Some of the guests have included Daviess County Public Schools Student Services Coordinator Scott Taylor, Public Information Officer Maddie Edwards and other officials in the district that Snyder said oftentimes wouldn’t have the chance to speak directly to the students.
“They just kind of learn about culture, they learn about equity versus equality and just how overall what a positive looking equitable environment inside of a school and a community truly looks like and how they can improve their understanding so that they can build towards progress in the future,” he said.
Snyder said that for these eighth graders to learn this lesson at their age is ultimately gearing them for high school after experiencing all the changes that come with middle school. Entering middle school at sixth grade is a hard transition for most students, Snyder notes, as is entering high school.
From Snyder’s experience, he’s seen middle schoolers desire to be independent while also dependent on those around them. Through the podcast it teaches them more about what independence and those around them experience.
“They also only live in their own little personal bubble. It’s good to get them out and to see other perspectives on things because kids are heavily influenced by social media and the things that are 100% accessible to them, so being able to give them access to something else is a unique experience,” Snyder said.
The podcasts are all published on a local drive for members of the school to listen to, they are not published publicly. The decision was made to protect the students safety, according to Snyder.
Through the project, Snyder said he’s seen his students respond well to the episodes they’ve produced, mostly because he feels they are creating an authentic product for them that’s different than just homework or papers may allow them the chance of.
“It’s their project and their identity; it’s their words and their true expression of things. I think that the most rewarding part is because they’re creating something that they’re proud of, rather than, well, I had to create this project because it was for class,” he said.
