Middle School Mayhem

Right now I’m feeling a little like a proud “Mama”. Two of my North Richland Middle School teachers (Kylie Cranford and Lindsey Cato) published their very first podcast. It’s always fulfilling to share ed tech tools and then see teachers go back and integrate. However, it’s not the product of the podcast that has me beaming but rather that Kylie and Lindsey were willing to explore a deeper message.
 

A few weeks ago, these teachers reached out to me to learn more about creating podcasts. We got together and I covered podcasting basics, demonstrated how to use the anchor.fm app and shared a few recording tips. The rest was up to them and these ladies did not disappoint. They took their podcast to the next level and far beyond the little bit of technical information I had shared.

What Kylie and Lindsey produced is an original podcast titled Middle School Mayhem. The purpose of their show is to “Elevate campus culture one conversation at a time” through community and collaboration for the betterment of both students and teachers. Episode 1:Grassroots Culture, is a sincere conversation between a small group of cross-curricular teachers. In the podcast, they discuss the importance of culture in their school and how to take it to the next level.

The discussion takes you on a journey from talking about improving culture, in theory, to planning for improving culture, in action. You experience the real-life exploration of this topic and how the group comes to find a course of action through the sharing and insight of everyone in the room. The podcast felt like a familiar faculty lounge conversation. The difference being, Mary Terry, Kylie, and Lindsey thoughtfully guided the discussion so a concrete plan of action was reached by the end.

If you are looking to listen to an educational podcast that is fresh, passionate, honest and purpose-driven, check out Middle School Mayhem. Personally, I can’t wait for the next episode.