Victoria Love and Shannon Byrnes

Love’s and Byrnes’ innovative teaching idea, “Courageous Person Podcast,” focuses on providing curriculum that enables students to develop their creative and critical thinking skills through independent research and use of innovative technology in the development of publishing media. With their project, Love and Byrnes seek to unite media and spoken word with student-led research and quality of information to bring to life the “Courageous Person Project.” The Voya grant will allow the school to supply their students with technology and resources to conduct independent research about their self-selected courageous person and then create and publish their own podcasts about their subject using Twisted Wave and Jamendo software. Through this process, students will utilize an innovative form of media technology to develop public speaking, listening, and research skills. The connection of modern mediums of technology and news with independent research and critical analysis cultivates a learning experience that can be applied both inside and outside of their classroom.