Jefferson-Morgan Elementary School has an innovative new project: the GATE Gators Podcast. Teachers Mrs. Courtney Ignaski and Ms. Kelly Keruskin have been eager to develop the idea for several years: “Our hope is that initiatives like the GATE Gators podcast can inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning in all of our students,” shares Ms. Keruskin. The students involved in the podcast are having a great time while developing valuable, lifelong skills.
The idea was inspired by the school principal Sam Silbaugh. “When Mr. Silbaugh and our assistant principal, Sara Bates, approached us over the summer… we saw it as the perfect opportunity to bring his vision to life while also providing our gifted students with a platform to showcase their creativity and research skills,” says Keruskin.
The podcast is part of the Gifted and Talented Education program (GATE). There are currently 29 GATE “Gators” from the 4th through 6th grade GATE students. The podcast gives students the opportunity to research subjects they find interesting. They work together to create scripts, record the podcast, and select the sound effects and music, while Mrs. Ignaski and Ms. Keruskin handle much of the editing.
There are currently eleven episodes of the podcast on Spotify. Each student has handled one episode so far. The podcast episodes are usually released on school-year Mondays. Keruskin says, “Podcasting seemed like an ideal way for students to not only conduct in-depth research on topics they are passionate about, but also to share their findings and interests with the…community. It’s a platform that empowers students to take ownership of their learning while developing valuable skills like writing, public speaking, collaboration, and digital literacy.”
Mrs. Ignaski explains, “While the podcast itself is a special project for students in the GATE program, we encourage all students to engage with the podcast in other ways. Any student can submit a research topic through our website at theswap@jmsd.org .” The school’s Pre-K teacher, Ms. Mullen suggested one topic. Listeners are encouraged to like, comment, and subscribe to the GATE Gators podcast on Spotify.
Podcasting helps to strengthen key skills such as writing, communication and public speaking. The students learn to speak with confidence while recording, which boosts their self-esteem and prepares them for future presentation and speaking opportunities. Selecting sound effects and background music requires creativity, and exploring media production enhances digital literacy.
Students learn to work individually and to collaborate when brainstorming ideas, reviewing scripts, and providing feedback. This builds social-emotional skills such as giving and receiving constructive criticism and working towards a common goal. Finally, students enhance their technical skills by using audio editing software and working with digital tools.
Ms. Keruskin finds the experience, “ALWAYS rewarding…each episode is a unique reflection of their hard work and creativity. The true joy is in the journey we take together as a class, and as each podcast gets better, it reinforces how much the students are learning and evolving as creators and communicators.”
