Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to JLI's Journalistic Learning Podcast, where we talk with teachers who are leading journalistic learning projects in their classrooms.
Speaker: For those who don't know, journalistic learning is a systemic approach that infuses journalistic strategies into required ELA courses and engages students in self-directed learning and project-based storytelling.
Speaker: Hey there, I'm your host Beau Brusco, a former ELA teacher myself and multimedia journalist.
Speaker: Today we'll be continuing our conversation with Cora Moore.
Speaker: It was like one of those beautiful inspirational teacher moments.
Speaker: An ELA teacher at a charter school in Coos Bay, Oregon, who is currently leading a journalistic learning project with her sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.
Speaker: Let's jump back into it.
Speaker: I know we've talked a little bit about some stories, but is there any like one story or experience for better or for worse, or maybe a learning experience?
Speaker: Was there something that was really challenging that you learned from that you'd like to share with your fellow teachers?
Speaker: I think the part of the project that stood out the most to me last year was doing interviews with people.
Speaker: And it was the part of the project that took me as a teacher the most out of my comfort zone.
Speaker: I had to call people.
Speaker: I had to email people.
Speaker: I had to try to make all these connections.
Speaker: And I just wanted to stay in my bubble.
Speaker: And then I had to have all those people come into my classroom.
Speaker: And so it was really very much uncomfortable.
Speaker: But it ended up being the most rewarding thing.
Speaker: It was like one of those beautiful, inspirational teacher moments that we all wish that we would have.
Speaker: And so it was really, really worth the hard work that went into it.
Speaker: because I was teaching middle school, I really, I didn't want my kids out there like cold calling people and I didn't want them emailing strangers and things like that yet.
Speaker: I think that some of that might be more appropriate at the high school level.
Speaker: So I had my tech person set up a journalism email address for our school.
Speaker: And so the students were able to forward me their email or a phone number.
Speaker: And we were able to kind of
Speaker: communicate with their people they wanted to interview through that medium.
Speaker: And so I felt that was a little bit safer just for our age group.
Speaker: But it did put a lot of work on me.
Speaker: And then, of course, they all had dreams of interviewing like Barack Obama and the governor.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: They've got big aspirations, which I loved.
Speaker: But bringing it back down to who do we, who can we actually connect with got pretty challenging.
Speaker: And some people that we kind of cold contacted responded and they came and it was wonderful.
Speaker: In the end, it was like, I've got four or five groups of kids that don't have someone to interview.
Speaker: What are we going to do about it?
Speaker: And so I
Speaker: At that point, I think it was really important to really lean into our school community.
Speaker: So I had one parent who was a city, like a city counselor.
Speaker: And so he knew a lot of people.
Speaker: So I kind of got in touch and said, do you know some people that might be willing to talk with us about X, Y, or Z issue?
Speaker: The office staff know everybody.
Speaker: So I gave them my list and I was like, why did I not ask them at the very beginning?
Speaker: Because they were like,
Speaker: oh, so-and-so's parents and activists for, you know, the beaches and so-and-so's parent owns a restaurant and, you know, so-and-so, they work at a gas station down the road.
Speaker: So it was just leaning into the community and who do we know was, I think, really important.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Because I was I feel like a really important part of the project as well, just making connections with our community.
Speaker: And some of the kids were like, isn't that, you know, unethical to like interview somebody we know?
Speaker: And I was like, you know, that's a really important question.
Speaker: You know, as a journalist, you want to be thoughtful, I think, about who you.
Speaker: choose to interview, but we're also in the sixth grade and it's probably okay if we interview the third graders parent about their job.
Speaker: And, and so that really brought, I think our school community closer together.
Speaker: And it was really fun to share our final project, knowing that so many people in our school community had contributed in different ways, not just our students.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You know, I can only imagine like how,
Speaker: incredibly impactful that experience was for your students to have not just an interview with a community member, but to be respected and seen and heard in a professional kind of like environment.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Do you want to just share the sort of impact you saw in your kids from the interview experience?
Speaker: Well, they all showed up dressed nicely.
Speaker: They were all so nervous.
Speaker: There was a couple groups with students that like genuinely don't talk with people.
Speaker: And they sat and they recorded and they were able to be part of it that way.
Speaker: So I just feel like everybody was really was included and everybody got to practice.
Speaker: And I saw kids that are very shy.
Speaker: coming out of that.
Speaker: And I know I've got a couple of students that were saying, you know, we're nervous about this year, but it went okay last year.
Speaker: And so knowing that that's something that they can do and that it's applicable to life outside of school was really, really valuable.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think one of my favorite interviews last year was the animal shelter director.
Speaker: The kids emailed her.
Speaker: We didn't know her at all.
Speaker: And she agreed to come.
Speaker: And as interview day came up, she emailed me a couple of times.
Speaker: And she's like, are you sure you don't want me to bring an animal?
Speaker: And I was like, no.
Speaker: No, it's not that kind of a project.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: It's not like a, we're not going to let like an iguana crawl across the kid's laps.
Speaker: That's not what this is.
Speaker: Right, right.
Speaker: And so she came and the kids asked her like all these really thoughtful questions and like deep questions about her job and like,
Speaker: philosophically, like, what are we doing to take care of these animals?
Speaker: And like, what happens if they have to be euthanized?
Speaker: And I mean, just the, it was a great interview.
Speaker: And my office staff came up to me later and said, they heard this lady kind of muttering as she walked out the door.
Speaker: Like, that was not what I expected.
Speaker: Oh, but like in like a really good way.
Speaker: Yeah, good way.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I bet I bet that really I bet that really had impact on her too.
Speaker: That's really sweet.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So that was a really, a really sweet moment that I thought was meaningful.
Speaker: Yeah, it was really good.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: That's incredible.
Speaker: Well, so to kind of bring it full circle, I know for you, especially because you were kind of overseeing the cold emails and stuff like that, and it was heavy lifting on your part, definitely.
Speaker: Would you say it was worth it, though, for the experience for the kids?
Speaker: Well, I'm doing it again this year, so yes.
Speaker: I absolutely feel like it was so very much worth it.
Speaker: I have limited myself to one inspirational teaching moment per term because that's about all I can do.
Speaker: But it really was worth it.
Speaker: And I think it's the part that they most remembered from the previous year.
Speaker: And I think it's probably something that they'll take forward with them as well.
Speaker: That's it for today's episode.
Speaker: If you're interested in learning more about leading a journalistic learning project in your class, visit journalisticlearning.org for more information.
Speaker: Also, Cora talked a lot about guiding students through the interview process in this episode, and we actually have a whole webinar about doing just that.
Speaker: And I'll put a link to it in the comments below or in the description below if you want to check that out.
Speaker: But before signing off today, here's a quick tidbit of news.
Speaker: At the beginning of this year, the Biden administration announced its Improving Student Achievement Agenda for 2024.
Speaker: The plan identifies three strategies proven to improve student learning, including reducing absenteeism, intensifying tutoring, and expanding after-school and summer learning programs.
Speaker: Just to zoom in on one of these strategies, absenteeism is a real struggle right now for public education.
Speaker: Absenteeism rates have doubled since the 2018-2019 school year.
Speaker: Today, around 28% of students are missing more than 18 days of class in a year.
Speaker: And as the White House's agenda points out, how can students learn if they're not in school?
Speaker: If you want to learn more about the agenda and what it might mean for your school, you can find a link to the announcement from the White House in the description of this podcast.
Speaker: Thank you for tuning in to the Journalistic Learning Podcast.
Speaker: I am Beau Brusco.
Speaker: We'll see you next time.
