Episode Details

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are elementary school students who simply love storytelling and getting in front of the microphone to share their stories with everyone who will listen.

On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Falcon Ridge Elementary School where a student-produced podcast called The Junior Falcons is giving everyone involved the opportunity to tell stories in a way that is fun and educational, fostering new skills that they can take into future careers.

Find out what happens when we show up to record a podcast during the Junior Falcons podcast.

We're at Falcon Ridge talking with Principal Theresa Christensen. I'm about to go on your student podcast.

Theresa Christensen:
Yes, we're excited.

Antony Godfrey:
Tell me about the podcast.

Theresa Christensen:
Well, so it started three years ago. We had some students that were outside doing interviews on the playground and they wanted to do a podcast and came and said, "Can we do a podcast?" And I had no idea how to do it. Went to a training in St. George and they said, "Just do it." So I bought an old mic and we just started a podcast. So we've actually grown from there and it's been something we've done every year with our fifth and sixth grade students.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it began as an underground unauthorized podcast.

Theresa Christensen:
Yes, yes it was.

And it grew into a fully endorsed podcast.

Theresa Christensen:
Yes, one where we can control a little bit more of what's happening.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what were the interviews about?

Theresa Christensen:
They were interviewing other students, asking what they were doing. I said, "Let's take this on a grander scale." And they started interviewing faculty. They've gone out and interviewed people in the community, things that they're fascinated about. They've had a couple of podcasts where they've had discussions over movies they've wanted to see or they did a poll about what kind of a lunchtime should we have? Should we have recess first? So it's really something that's grown from what the students want to talk about.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm trying to remember whether we had a podcast at my elementary in the 70s. No, I don't think we did.

Theresa Christensen:
I didn't have one in mine either.

Anthony Godfrey:
No, it's really exciting and it's a great way for them to engage with other students, faculty members, and to have their voice be heard.

Theresa Christensen:
And do research. They've researched things out and they search for things to share in the community.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now how do students get the opportunity to be part of the podcast crew?

Theresa Christensen:
So in the beginning it was a group of boys that came to me. So that first year I said, "Hey, let's do it," and brought them in. And then the next year they wanted to really continue the podcast. They'd moved on to seventh grade and so we did interviews and we had applications come in. They did interviews with us and basically, they conducted a podcast of us and did interview questions. We kind of based it off of their ability to as