A PBL Fairy Tale
Adolescence is hard, and teenagers are not always quick to share their art with each other. But podcasting teachers, Emily and Ashleigh, seemed to have cracked the code!
Their music and broadcasting production classes in Brooklyn just finished a panel presentation of their podcast trailers, with the theme of telling anonymous stories to get a deeper look into another person’s life.
Leading up to the presentation, the teachers were expressing nerves about trying to keep students on track so they’d have something to present that they could be proud of. With all of the pressures going on outside of the classroom, lack of resources, and time constraints, were they going to have anything ready to present?
“Our class is all about process over product, so pushing them to have something concrete to share sometimes felt strange,” said Emily. “I was worried that the high schoolers would feel too shy to share their work with each other, and that bringing in teachers from outside of our club would be intimidating.”
It was just the opposite: the presence of an audience was the exact thing their students needed to grow into their confidence. Bringing in new voices to the classroom created a fun, celebratory vibe and pushed the students to share more and be more vulnerable. Even the simple act of rearranging the chairs and providing a few snacks transformed the space and made it feel special.
The pitches were well thought out and visually compelling, and the audience was asking follow up questions, suggesting collaborations and cross-over opportunities. Some of the more shy students who weren’t planning on presenting, saw how warm and encouraging the audience was, and ended up sharing their work!
“The students completely impressed me beyond words with their presentations,” remarked Ashleigh. “ I’m so so proud!”
Check out one student’s trailer and podcast!
Emily Boghossian
Teaching Artist | Podcasting | Urban Assembly
Emily Boghossian is a Brooklyn-based multimedia producer, educator, and podcaster. Right now, she works full time as a senior producer for BRIC Radio -- a community podcast network in Brooklyn. In the past, she has worked for WNET/WLIW, Bitch Media, The Moth, and the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR).
Ashleigh Stoneman
Teaching Artist | Podcasting | Urban Assembly
As an active member of the artistic community, I have spent the last eight years in New York working with theaters, artists and children in an effort to make the arts more accessible and lend my expertise to a growing minds and growing educational practice within the arts
