“The Bard’s Corner with Bernard”, Episode 1 - Podcast Activity

In this podcast episode, Mrs. Bernard introduces the concept of podcasting and storytelling. She explains that podcasts are like radio shows for the digital age and are a great way to combine project-based learning with digital media analysis and production skills. Mrs. Bernard then discusses the elements and techniques that make storytelling captivating and asks students to think about what makes a great story. She also encourages them to listen to a short audio story and analyze the storytelling elements and techniques used. Afterward, students are encouraged to brainstorm ideas for their own stories and consider interviewing family members to bring their stories to life. Mrs. Bernard emphasizes the importance of storytelling and encourages students to keep their creativity and storytelling spirits high. Good morning and welcome to the Bard's Corner with Bernard, episode one, our podcast activity. In today's class, we're going to talk about what a podcast is and how we're going to use storytelling as an introduction to podcasting. So I'm really excited to be here with you, my 10th grade class. Welcome to the very first episode of the Bard's Corner. I'm Mrs. Bernard, your friendly English teacher on a mission to dive into the world of podcasts and storytelling. Why, you ask? Why is this important? Well, because podcasts are like radio shows for the digital age. You guys don't remember the radio shows, but they were a big deal. And podcasts are now that big deal today. Plus, they're a fantastic way for us to combine project-based learning with digital media analysis and the production skills that go along with it. So let's jump right in to the awesomeness. So let's look at podcasts. Today, we're kicking off this fantastic activity that I hope you guys are excited about. All about the art of storytelling and how it connects the magic of podcasting to our memories and stories we might want to collect for future generations. In part one, we're going to talk about what podcasting is. You guys will start in pairs or small groups, and then we'll look at how your partner or your groups are picked. You want to pick, if we're picking and we go with that option, you want to pick someone who's as excited about this as you are. Someone maybe on your level of storytelling or someone that you just feel like you might work well with. So let's first talk about what makes a story great. Let's get to the nitty-gritty of that. So imagine stories that your parents, your family, especially maybe grandparents or older relatives have told you. Stories heard on the radio or somewhere else are all part of this magical tapestry of storytelling. And what our family and our grandparents bring to us is our own family's tapestry. So your task is going to be to discuss and take notes using handouts about the elements and techniques that make storytelling so captivating. Think about what captures your attention in a story. Now, here come some discussion starters for your group. Number one, think about how does a great story unfold? How does it get our attention? What elements make it gripping? And here's a thought, why are stories we hear but can't see sometimes even more potent than the ones we watch on TV or in movies? After this initial chat with your partner or group, you're going to listen to a short audio story as a group. While you're at it, follow along with the transcript as it is passed out to you. As you listen, jot down the storytelling elements and techniques that you notice. Sound good? Great. Pause here and listen to your story. Now, once you've heard this great story, we've got some ideas now that you guys can talk about and discuss that make these stories great. Let's look at things like the exposition. Did it start on a cold, gloomy night? Or did the story jump right into the action? These are choices that authors make to make a story exciting and interesting based on the content and how they want to engage their reader. Stories are often the form or form the passion of the author as well. And some of that can come through in the cadence of the story, the words that are chosen, and the length of the story as well. So by analyzing these elements and techniques of both podcasting, which allows the reader, the listener, to hear the story, and your ability or your ability to remember stories that have been told to you, you're gaining some seriously cool insights into what a good storytelling author will do. All right. So now that we have that brief introduction and activity done, that's not all. After we have completed our notes and the thought of brainstorming what we might tell in our stories on our podcast, we will then think about who in our family or initial circle, maybe friends, maybe family friends, that you can interview to help bring your story to life. Perhaps it's a memory that you've been told over and over again about yourself, but you have no original memory of. These are usually memories that happened long ago, right, prior to when we can kind of formulate our memories and remember them as stories. So we may need family members to help us connect some of the dots in those stories. But perhaps your memory is intact, at least as far as you remember. It's often interesting if you have a memory and anyone else that was in that memory tells the same story. You will notice that that story does change. Some refer to this as faction, that the person who's experienced it will bring their own fact, but they're also going to weave in some fiction as we don't remember things in as much detail as the event actually happened. So that's often interesting, too. If you remember your story in great detail, maybe interview someone who is in the story with you and see if they remember it the same way. That's going to be part two of our podcast activity. So today we're going to focus on what our story is going to be. Talk with your partner or group about some of the ideas that you have. What memory would you like to share and turn into a story? And we'll go from there. Until then, remember that storytelling is like an adventure. It takes you to places you've never been before. So keep your creative caps on and storytelling spirits high. I can't wait to hear what you come up with. So that's a wrap. My amazing storytellers. Stay tuned and keep those imagination engines revving. Until next time, this is Miss Bernard signing off from the Bard's Corner. .