October 2008 — Features
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Making History
Creating podcasts out of actual World War II-era events offers one example of a collaborative project that is propelling students out of their textbooks and into the real world.
Jennifer Dorman was in a fix. Teaching ninth-grade US
history at Holicong Middle School in Doylestown, PA, Dorman wanted to tap
into her students' interest in creating "something of value," she says, "not just
for their teachers, but something they could share with other students and people."
But that required something a conventional paper-based assignment could
not provide. It meant conceiving of a project that freed her students from their
textbook and allowed them to work together toward a finished creation.
Dorman's school district subscribed to Discovery Education's Streaming and PowerMedia Plus; the two products provide classroom access to streaming audio files such as speeches, music, and video images, which she knew appealed to her students. The wheels began to turn. She created teams of four or five students and had them each create a podcast that placed them in the midst of pivotal moments in and around World War II, where they would have to reenact and report on those events as if they were happening live.
"We discussed breaking news and how reporters interview sources, and how they would have to talk to experts to get information," says Dorman, recalling the project from two years ago. Today she works as a staff development facilitator for Pennsylvania's Central Bucks School District. "Specifically, I wanted them to imagine talking to experts with different viewpoints on the event to force them to get different perspectives."
The idea was for the podcast to be what Dorman had once heard characterized as "a breaking 'oldcast,' as opposed to a breaking newscast."
The students had to choose from a list of World War II incidents or backdrops that Dorman provided, which included the front lines of Poland after the Nazis invaded, and the deck of the SS St. Louis after President Franklin Roosevelt denied refuge to Jewish passengers sailing from Germany. Every member on the team had a role, such as playing the part of desk reporter, field reporter, or eyewitness.
"In 21st-century classrooms, using technology and analyzing and defending your position in front of a group and working cooperatively with others is where we're headed."
Dorman gave the students a full class period to plan, brainstorm, and conduct "interviews," making use of the internet, library resources, and their textbooks. In Discovery Education's Streaming, she created a folder of audio and video clips, images, and articles. "My goal was to give them raw material to work with, which they were able to access with a student log-in," she says. "It gave them background information to understand their event."
