Thanks to a $250 mini-grant from the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel, mathematics and English teacher Cassandra Gustafson was able to launch a student-run podcasting project to promote student engagement, literacy skills and library use.

Through this project, junior and senior high school English Language Arts students create short podcast episodes in which they review books from the school library.

Students write original scripts, practice summarizing and analyzing texts, and record their episodes using professional-quality audio equipment purchased with the grant funds.

Each episode features a student summary, critique and recommendation designed to help peers decide whether a book is right for them.

Arianna Porthouse and Emily Carlson demonstrate their podcast.

Once completed, each podcast episode is linked to a QR code that will be affixed to the corresponding book in the library, allowing students browsing the shelves to scan a code and instantly hear a peer discuss the book.

The idea is to transform traditional book selection into an interactive, student-driven experience.

Gustafson said she is always looking for ways to encourage students to read more and thought that hearing their peers talk about a book might be one motivator.

“I love reading and sharing good books, plus I love listening to podcasts, so this project seemed like a fun way to incorporate all the important parts in English class: reading, writing, speaking, and presentation into an engaging student-centered project,” Gustafson said.

The response from students has been overwhelmingly positive. Students took ownership of the entire process, from drafting scripts and revising for clarity to recording and re-recording until they were satisfied with the final product.

So far, only Gustafson’s English 10 class has had the opportunity to record, but she said students in all of her classes are very interested in the equipment.

“My eighth grade classes are excited to produce and record their sessions next semester and who knows, we might do some math podcasts as well,” she added.

This enthusiasm highlights one of the project’s greatest strengths: students are motivated by the authentic audience. Knowing that their work will be heard by classmates has encouraged greater care. Students who are often hesitant to participate in traditional class discussions found confidence through this format.

The podcasting initiative also teaches important lessons in digital citizenship, as students learn to share content responsibly and thoughtfully.

With the equipment purchased through the grant, the program is expected to continue growing, with new episodes added throughout the year.

“I am grateful for the grant support that made this innovative and engaging project possible and I just love that this project will keep evolving,” Gustafson said. “The students are proud of their work, and they should be. Their voices now live in our library.”

MARSP, which is an organization comprised of retired school personnel, is proud to provide these grants to area educators to help them purchase materials which, due to budgetary restraints, might not otherwise be available to their students.

For further information about MARSP, go to https://www.MARSP.org.