4 Podcasting with Youth an “undo” button ready and waiting to be clicked. Nothing has to be permanent—­it’s not the end of the world if it ­ doesn’t sound like the most downloaded podcast on iTunes. Let the teens make something they are proud of, let them have fun, let them learn and create, and a ­great product ­will follow. Connects the Students Our podcasting team has interviewed over twenty authors since ­ we’ve started, and the teens have made several connec- tions, friends, and confidants. One of our podcast team members has written her own young adult novel, and many of the authors ­we’ve spoken to have offered to read it and provide feedback. Interviewing ­these authors has also resulted in some very exciting and unique opportunities. In June 2019, our podcast caught the attention of Penguin Publishing ­here in the United Kingdom, and one of our teens was asked to interview author Malorie Blackman at the London Palladium in front of close to 3,000 ­people. This was an experience that ­she’ll never forget. It ­ wouldn’t have happened if we ­ hadn’t de­cided to start the podcast with ­little to no equipment, experience, or any idea what we ­were ­doing. We took a chance, we learned together, and it paid off in ways that ­can’t ­really be mea­sured. My advice to anyone hesitant to start something like a podcast is to just dive in and try it ­ because you never know where it’s ­ going to lead you. Screen-­Time Reduction Too much screen time is a big concern for both parents and educators. Podcasting is a ­ great alternative to screens ­ because not only are teens engaging their minds in ways that video games and social media ­ can’t offer, but they are also think- ing critically, resting their eyes, and creating content that is uniquely their own. It’s a high-­tech program without a screen, something that is rare in ­today’s society. Podcasting harkens back to the “olden” days of radio depending on what kind of show they produce, podcasting can take teens
Previous Page Next Page