For the past eight weeks, BayFMers Rasela Torise (Belly 9-11 am Tues) and Lealah Shostak (Viajar Conmigo 7-8 pm Weds & YAC Radio 3-4 pm Thurs) have been working alongside Brisbane-based Redbank Plains State Highschool teacher Ines Louisa, on a project to teach the students of 8B how to create their own podcast.
Every Thursday morning, Rasela and Lealah shared their collective radio skills and experience via an online platform, beaming live into the Brisbane classroom from the studios of BayFM to provide an hour of learning. Each lesson started with a listening activity which offered the students a chance to listen to other young people who have created podcasts.
As the course progressed, it included discussions on topics of interest and relevance, interviewing and questioning techniques, along with recording and editing lessons. There are short video tutorials on editing that students can access anytime. The class engaged wholeheartedly in the technical aspect of the course, interviewing family members at home or one another in the classroom. One student provided background music for the podcast, highlighting the creative ability already in many 13-14-year-olds.
The class chose the topic for the podcast after group discussions about home life, family and knowledge sharing. The result is this 24-minute podcast from the Class of 8B titled – Culture.
On our final day, we played the podcast and handed out certificates of completion. In return, the students gave a spectacular performance with an adjoining class. There was singing in language from the girls and two powerful hakas from the boys, a Maori tradition delivered with such power the whole room shook. The haka is a feature in the podcast as the boys discuss its origins and meaning.
It was an honour to meet with these young people who wouldn’t usually have the opportunity to work on a project like this.
Thanks to teacher Ines Louisa for sharing Class 8B with BayFM; Scott Pearce from Redbank Plains State Highschool for allowing this project to happen. Also, to BayFMers Rasela Torise and Lealah Shostak for continuing to spread knowledge and inspire today’s youth to find their voices and share them on community radio. And finally, to the students of Class 8B for moving beyond their comfort zones to create this extraordinary body of work.
This project was made possible with the assistance of the Community Broadcast Foundation (CBF.org) and Rasela Torise (Executive Producer).
LISTEN HERE – https://soundcloud.com/…/redbank-plains-state…