Collaborative Podcasting as a Tool to Foster culturally responsive practices

Podcasts can be a potent source of language learning for students, as many have documented this to be true. But the work that goes into creating a podcast episode is an arduous undertaking: it requires extensive planning and research, recording on the microphone, and navigating digital platforms. For many students, this daunting task can make their language learning journey overwhelming and rewarding at the same time. Yasmeen Coaxum, a friend of mine, has successfully utilized podcasting in her classroom. She employed the SOFLA protocol to foster learner autonomy and empowerment.

This blog will focus on how podcasts can be employed collaboratively to provide a platform to ensure that voices within multilingual communities are heard and respected, across cultural and linguistic divides.
 
As an educator whose mother tongue is not English, I am deeply conscious of the overwhelming presence of English in today's language learning landscapes. Because of this, I strive to better empower multilingual learners and improve equity education through my research, teaching, and curriculum design with an emphasis on equalizing power dynamics and addressing language ideologies.
 
In order to reframe podcasting as an instrument that can be used to challenge instead of reinforcing English-centric ideologies, I have adapted a framework -- Community Asset Mapping — which I found while exploring. This approach is employed to discover and amplify distinct community voices while remaining conscious of the colonial implications of the term. As with numerous well-intentioned approaches, it indicates a tradition that may be laced with deficit-based theories about minorities. For instance, its concentration on the "needs" of minoritized communities by helping them identify what resources exist within their own communities does not necessarily frame them in a manner that also combats the systematic inequality that has led to their oppression in the first place, thus leaving the structure intact.
 
TOWARD EQUITY-BASED COMMUNITY ASSET MAPPING
 
Equity-based community asset mapping is a complex and difficult process, requiring people to look at their community through multiple lenses: what the society generally perceives to be of value and what individuals self-identify as valuable. It seeks to uncover overlooked assets, giving voice to those who may have historically been silenced or oppressed, and empowering them to create change in their communities. This involves discovering, identifying and celebrating elements that are important to individuals, with these assets being ever-evolving and transforming.
 
However, although community asset mapping is a collaborative process which should involve mutual recognition and shared accountability among the stakeholders, there can still be power disparities and inequality. Furthermore, creating social impact can be an uphill battle due to a lack of resources or visibility. As such, podcasting can be seen as a useful tool for equity-based community asset mapping, enabling individuals to amplify the resources within their communities in order to reach more people.
 
Podcasts can be utilized for asset mapping with these characteristics in mind:
 
Student Friendly: Podcasting can range from simple recordings of student conversations to more complicated skills. No matter the complexity, the process should be built upon the existing knowledge base of the students and it is important that they are excited about using a microphone and recording their own voices. The tool should not become a hindrance but instead extend their productivity.
 
Multimodal & Adaptable: It should take into account multiple learning styles, allowing individuals to learn in the way best suited for them. Group members can take on different roles according to their skills and interests. Group collaboration should be encouraged to tap into collective strength through community resources in order to develop plans and progress.
 
Collaborative: Our identities, talents, and assets are all connected to our shared history and culture. Thus, the tool must motivate people to collaborate, connect with others and explore their culture together to make differences in their community.
 
Process-Oriented: Asset mapping is not only about the product but also about the journey; podcasts can lead students to think about what they want to achieve as well as how they can deliver messages and create an impact while doing so. A good tool will inspire the user towards taking action in pursuit of specific goals.
 
I would like to share an example where Collaborative Podcasting is leveraged as a tool to encourage intercultural exchange between two groups of learners across diverse cultures. By creating a podcast on a topic that both groups are interested in, collaborative podcasting provides something to work towards together and helps them to get to know each other better. I used collaborative podcasting as a culminating activity for my undergraduate course, Sociolinguistic Perspectives in Education. Throughout the semester, we discussed theories and case studies examining issues in sociolinguistics through a critical lens. Virtual exchange served as a fieldwork, enabling students to put the insights they gained from the course into practice. I connected my own students, US students, who work in small groups of two or three with their counterparts in Taiwan or Laos to build joint groups. As the group formed, students are encouraged to take turns as facilitator, explorer, connector and summarizer to facilitate discussions. A special thank you goes out to Mr. Wu (Taiwan) and Mr. Dumalina (Laos) for their help and support throughout the project.

The project was composed of:
 
PART 1
 
Explore, Affirm and Analyze: US students investigate and recognize their multilingual partners’ unique assets, interests, strengths, family backgrounds, cultural and linguistic knowledge and their multimodal, multilingual and multiliteracy practices through an asset-based perspective:
 
A. Getting to Know Each Other: Discover & Build “Community Assets” 
 
1. Both groups of students share basic information with each other before their first meeting through asynchronous means. 
2. Both groups of students ask follow-up questions when they meet, via synchronous and/or asynchronous meetings:
 
Examples of asset probing questions include, but are not limited to:

• Describe your school/work experience and/or career aspirations
• What do you think is your greatest talent?
• What languages do you speak? Could you give some examples?
• What is your favorite subject or school activities? What makes you like it? 
• What is your favorite thing to do outside the school?
• What are your three favorite dishes to cook, bake, grill, or eat?
• What else should I know about you, your skills, and your interests?

B. Mapping Community Assets

US students delved into the assets of their multilingual partners, as they continue to learn more about each other while negotiating a topic of shared interests. This could range from discussing cultural cuisine that is unique in their country, or how global food has adapted locally. It could even include talks about hunger relief efforts, clean water projects, or reducing waste in their communities.
 
This process can be repeated if necessary, followed by creating a shared document chronicling the result from their conversations.
 
PART 2
 
Map, Synthesize and Build: US students continue to build their culturally responsive-sustaining practices through co-designing a collaborative project or lesson plan with their international peers that incorporates, affirms, celebrates and amplifies the fruitful diversity of their cultures and language practices.
 
The goal for this stage is to create a collaborative project or lesson plan based on the community assets they have identified from PART 1. Here are two examples: lower grades and higher grades.
 
PART 3
 
Amplify: US students seek to center and amplify their multilingual partners’ collective voice and unique assets through collaborating on a podcast. Podcasts are used as a reflective tool as well to integrate multimodality, storytelling and collaboration. As the culminating activity, students must evaluate and consider how they have learned during this collective endeavor through their podcast in order to expand their communicative, reflective and advocacy repertoires. I have provided them with a Group Podcast Planner created by Dr. Clara Bauler. Additionally, both groups of students collaborate on marketing strategies to promote on social media.
 
This activity can be easily adapted for different settings or scenarios, such as in groups of varied languages and cultures.

CONCLUSION
 
In summary, podcasting can be used as a potentially powerful tool for discovering and celebrating the diverse voices of multilingual students, as well as to build assets in their communities. However, this process is not without potentially critical challenges, such as power dynamics among students from diverse backgrounds. If done appropriately, podcasting can serve to promote critical awareness and equity; however, it must be done with care and reflection to ensure the equitable representation of all parties involved.
 
Here are the examples of student final projects:
 
Student Podcast 1
 
Student Podcast 2
 
Student Podcast 3