Episode 83: Union Weekly: How a History Class Podcast is Revolutionizing Education

Ever wondered what school would be like if history lessons were as engaging as your favorite podcast? Well, pack your earbuds because we're heading to Union Middle School where Mr. Schlesinger and his students, Zander Frisbey and Hailee Warner, are turning the classroom on its head. On a special mobile visit, we uncover the inspiring story behind Union Weekly — a podcast that's not just for grades, but for sparking curiosity and connecting the school community.Join us as we share how Mr. Schlesinger’s dynamic teaching methods are preparing students for real-world problem-solving, and how our podcasters are mastering the art of communication, one episode at a time.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome to Connect Canyons, a podcast sponsored by Canyons School District. This is a show about what we teach, how we teach and why we get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great Students, teachers, principals, parents and more. We meet national experts too. Learning is about making connections, so connect with us experts, too.

Speaker 2 0:29

Learning is about making connections, so connect with us. Podcasts have become a major medium for gathering information, whether we're talking about entertainment news, we're talking about learning about history, learning how to cook or even just grabbing your local news. In 2023, 42% of Americans aged 12 and older listened to a podcast in the past month. 75% of Americans ages 12 and over have listened to some kind of audio in the past month, while 70% listened in the past week. Welcome to Connect Canyons. I'm your host, frances Cook.

Speaker 3 1:06

I thought it was Union Weekly.

Speaker 2 1:09

Oh wait, where am I? Oh yeah.

Speaker 4 1:12

You're at Union.

Speaker 2 1:13

I'm at Union.

Speaker 4 1:14

Home of the Bobcats.

Speaker 2 1:15

Love these Bobcats. Hi guys, I am mobile today, visiting with our friends at Union Middle School, where they have a weekly podcast as well. It's called Union Weekly. They've kindly let me commandeer this podcast, which is quite the contradiction in terms, I know, but I just love any excuse to use the phrase commandeer. This podcast is run by Mr Schlesinger, history teacher here at Union Middle, as well as two student hosts, xander Frisbee and Haley Warner, both eighth graders here at the school.

Speaker 4 1:43

Hi guys, that's right, hi Howdy.

Speaker 2 1:46

Tell us about your podcast. What goes into it? How do you choose your topics? I want to know everything.

Speaker 5 1:51

So I'll just start off by saying this is my I think third year teaching and I was previously over at West Jordan High School and I was trying to find ways to make assessments less like the traditional old way of taking a test, because I think history is alive and it needs to be told and discussed, and so I was trying to think of ways to change that and make it just like that. And I had seen a video of someone saying hey, and I'd learned from a uh, mentor teacher as well who did podcasts as a way of assessment, and so I'm like I'm going to try that. So I tried it last year and it went really well. I moved over here and we started our first two weeks of school at union this week I mean not this week this year online because our building wasn't ready and so I was trying to express to the students because we did it over Zoom for two weeks what the class is going to be like.

Speaker 5 2:54

We kind of got into our first little bit of the unit and I remember mentioning that, hey, for an assignment or two we might be doing a podcast style assessment and, little to my knowledge at the time, xander decides to make it his pet project and goes out and gets all this fancy equipment from the district, and so that's kind of how it all started. Is Xander's like, ooh, let's do an actual school podcast, mr S? I'm like, oh, oh, okay, sure, why not?

Speaker 2 3:23

So you took this project and made it permanent. What drove you to want to carry this along?

Speaker 4 3:29

I've. I've always wanted to do a podcast but I've never known what to do it about, as it's always seemed so cool to me and, like people doing products like man, I want to be like them. So I I mean on zoom, he mentioned it and I and I stayed after the Zoom was done and like, hey, we should do a podcast, I was like, yeah, I've got some basic equipment, I'm sure.

Speaker 5 3:52

And so for our first couple episodes it was on my most basic, rudimentary podcast microphones, and we shared microphones. And then he's like I have connections over at the district, I can get us some nice top tier stuff, and thus we have this the setup. It's really nice.

Speaker 2 4:10

So shout out to CSDTV.

Speaker 5 4:12

Oh yeah.

Speaker 4 4:13

Thank you. Thank you, mr Anderson, for a while. That's awesome.

Speaker 3 4:16

Haley, how did you get involved? Xander said that he wanted to do it with all the student ambassadors, ambassadors, but the first person he was going to do it with dipped last second.

Speaker 4 4:27

So that's why I'm here but also it's it's nice having, because we're both the student ambassadors, so it's. I think it's good having some people that represent the school do a podcast, as they should know their stuff yeah, so what kind of topics do you guys talk about?

Speaker 5 4:42

I mean so then. So when, when whole thing started, I told Xander, if we're going to do this, this is all you bud, I don't have a lot of time to run a podcast. So I told Xander you're getting our guests, you're planning everything, I'm going to run the soundboard, I'm going to be here to help out, but you run it. So he's gone through and gotten different teachers, admin, all kinds of people on our podcast. It's awesome.

Speaker 4 5:10

Yeah, just bringing on different guests to discuss different elements of the school and highlighting different parts, as I think it's important that students are aware of the teachers and the teachers around them and build those connections, and I think that's really important.

Speaker 2 5:29

I imagine you're learning a lot about your teachers too, right?

Speaker 4 5:30

oh yeah, more than just the guys in front of the classroom, right, yeah, and it's really cool to see that different perspective in a good way what are your favorite parts, guys, about doing this podcast?

Speaker 4 5:38

um, I love getting to interview different teachers every week, as I think it's cool to. They're not just teachers but also like staff around the school and from our principal to the PE teacher, the theater teacher and just learning, and it's cool how I get to share this type of interview with the whole school and all that and I just think it's a good opportunity.

Speaker 3 5:59

I would have to say the same.

Speaker 5 6:01

I just love being able to do this with these two. It's going to be a little weird next year, um, moving on up, yeah, moving on up, but I, I just I just enjoyed learning. I mean, this is my first year at union and and if you ever walk through our building, you can see that we're kind of I'm kind of stuck in my pot all day and so I don't get to get out and see as many teachers as I'd like to, and so getting to talk to them and I love my questions of the day I'm a big history nerd, same and so being able to ask my questions and then be able, when it happens, to give out a whole bunch of PBIS points to students who come and answer the question, I mean I tried to give out a whole bunch of points to make it be like, hey, here's your, here's your chance to go spend at the store.

Speaker 2 6:47

You just got to ask yeah, so it's basically like a, a credit towards your school market. Is that what a PBIS?

Speaker 5 6:54

Yeah, so PBIS points are um or it's your school market. Is that what a PBIS is? Yeah, so PBIS points are it's school currency? Yeah, it's school currency. It's how we run our Bobcat market, which I know Xander is president. Yeah, I'm president of that, so Xander's got his hand in every pocket here Xander's busy.

Innovative Student-Teacher Connections

Speaker 5 7:08

Yeah, he's very busy, he's very busy, but so it's just great. It's just great. You can buy school supplies Right now, the biggest thing that's selling out right now. Again, another innovation of Xander. I think he's got one, if not, I've got mine on my desk. He wanted another way to make connections between students and faculty, and he used his idea based off Pokemon cards.

Speaker 2 7:35

You literally just whipped those out of me it's amazing, xander has just handed me essentially playing cards for the teachers here, so I've got Mr S's card right here he's a time traveling titan, apparently 8th grade history coach. He brings the founding of our nation to life with the vigor of a champion. Who wrote this?

Speaker 5 7:58

Xander did.

Speaker 2 7:59

Wow.

Speaker 5 8:00

It was all Xander.

Speaker 2 8:02

So they're paw cards. Okay, so you collect them all like Pokemon. Yeah, You've got to catch them all. You've got to catch them all.

Speaker 5 8:08

At the bottom, I think, left, like if you look on my card, it has two music notes, yeah, yeah. So there's little things that you can do to redeem. So, like in my class, I play music throughout my class just to kind of keep it relaxed in class, and so one of my things that you do is you can request to play a song as long as it gets approved by me, and so they have two little actions. For other cards it's a free assignment pass or something like that Miss Zhang gives out books.

Speaker 2 8:36

That's amazing.

Speaker 4 8:37

Well, it's a little bit of a joke, because books are free at the library. I get it.

Speaker 2 8:40

See what you did there. I will say a shout-out to Miss Zhang. She sent us some pictures of your newly set up library and it looks amazing. That's beautiful, xander. This is such a great idea. So you've got everything from fun things like this to your. You know your student supplies and things, so I want to know what, uh, haley and Xander what you two are students are taking away from this. So you know, I know it's more than just learning about your students. You're learning a lot of different skill sets with this too, right.

Speaker 4 9:09

Oh yeah, I would say I've I've learned how to better speak clearly in a way, I don't know Diction.

Speaker 1 9:16

Yeah diction, it's definitely an important skill in life.

Speaker 4 9:19

So being on a podcast, I would say, allows me to work on that, and then also that you also learn the skill of journalism in a way, because you're interviewing.

Speaker 2 9:29

Asking a lot of questions, trying to get to the bottom of things.

Speaker 4 9:32

Yeah, what about you, Haley?

Speaker 3 9:34

People skills.

Speaker 2 9:37

It's so true.

Speaker 3 9:39

Yeah, I don't like to talk to people.

Speaker 5 9:43

Did you know you're on a podcast. She's learning.

Speaker 4 9:46

Just checking Just checking 18 episodes in.

Speaker 2 9:51

Listen, you're way far ahead than many of your other students. I mean Xander, I know you're in CSDTV Haley, are you as well? Yes, that's awesome. So for those who don't know, CSDTV is our newest broadcast program. It's amazing. So they do everything, from podcasts to live sports, I mean, you name it. Mr S, what have you seen in terms of students being able to learn from not only the podcast, but it sounds like you're really taking the idea of teaching history and bringing it up to a new level.

Speaker 5 10:19

Yeah, well, that's something I've been trying to do, and I'm just always trying to find ways to be innovative, because our students these days are so intelligent, especially in ways that are more creative than I guess we grew up, kind of being Like when we were in school. It's like hey, this is the history you need to memorize this date and this time.

Speaker 5 10:50

Take copious notes and we'll give you a big old test at the end. Yeah, and I found, as a historian, that I've got this great tool called the World Wide Web. Isn't it magical, I know.

Speaker 2 11:01

These kids have no idea.

Speaker 5 11:03

And so I'm just like I mean we've got our phones, I mean I've got a watch where I could pull up information if I really wanted to. They don't need to know dates, they need to know ideas and how to solve the problems that they're going to be facing in the world, and so I try to set these students up to fail in an environment where they can succeed. So what I mean by that is when we get out into the real world, we have consequences for making mistakes. Here we can learn to make mistakes in an environment where it doesn't really affect us, and so that way, when we get out into the world, it's like, okay, I know how to do this now. And so that's what I try to teach in my class. I try to teach and Mrs Hapirite right above me, she's also my other eighth grade history teacher. She's awesome.

Speaker 5 11:56

We try to be as innovative as we possibly can in teaching history. Like, for example, we just finished our third simulation today. So we had a first. We had a presidential election where we learned about the executive branch, then the legislative branch. We had all of our students be Congress. They wrote their own bills, they tried to pass laws. They saw how difficult it is to pass laws. And then we just finished a mock trial today oh really, yeah, and we did the case of the Republic of Rome versus Marcus Brutus for the murder of Julius Caesar. Mrs H and I have planned we've got westward expansion as our next unit and we're like westward expansion is so tough it's yeah, it's kind of boring. So we're trying to find ways to spice it up and so we're going to incorporate ideas from, uh, the tv show loki and time travel and alternate reality.

Speaker 5 12:50

You really are yeah, time yeah so we're going to use alternate reality and what if scenarios to discuss the Oregon Trail, to discuss President Jackson and his many different political reforms and hopefully gets these kids engaged and not making them hate history.

Speaker 2 13:14

That's a great point. It's a good way to bring in the history that normally you know. For you and I, we were reading it in a textbook. Yeah, trying not to fall asleep, yeah, but.

Speaker 5 13:23

If I can make history as lifelike as possible, then maybe it's not the boring dates and Old people who lived hundreds of years ago. It's interesting.

Speaker 4 13:35

I'll be honest. My views on history before this year was like I have history. Second period are you serious? I just was not looking forward to it. However, mr S has a unique style of teaching and how he gives us the information. Instead of just all right, this is the information, write down notes, fill in the blanks and we're going to have a test. We're all kind of used to that. However, he's really, I feel, like evolved history in a way for us, that is so cool, yeah, and we've used podcasts.

Speaker 5 14:10

One of their last assessments was I need you to create the 28th amendment, since we don't have a 28th amendment. No, we have a 27th, it was 28th. It's 28th Creating a new one, yeah, so you've got to create a new one. And then they had to do what was it? A 7 to 10-minute podcast. It was a 5-minute podcast, 5-minute podcast episode on what that is and what you're doing. So, yeah, it's fun.

Speaker 2 14:27

That's really awesome, you know, again, just going beyond the textbook and making it something tangible.

Speaker 5 14:33

History's all around us. Let's practice it. We're making it every day. Yeah, let's practice it.

Speaker 2 14:39

Tell me what are your and this question is for all three of you what are your biggest takeaways from having done this podcast throughout the year?

Speaker 3 14:47

People skills, people skills.

Speaker 4 14:50

I would say the connections Okay, because I feel like it's a unique experience and something you don't get every day.

Speaker 5 14:57

Yeah, no, I would agree with that. Just learning how to express yourself without being able to be seen, I think is a skill that needs to be learned being very descriptive because obviously people aren't here with us. Descriptive because obviously people aren't here with us. So if we're going to like the cards or explaining history, we need to learn to be descriptive and use our words. And so I think that's something I've learned during this podcast is, if I'm describing something, hey, let's really put it in our listeners heads.

Speaker 2 15:28

Yeah.

Speaker 5 15:29

Yeah.

Speaker 2 15:29

Well, I think this is so great for the record. I know you guys aren't the only school that does podcasts, but you know we'd heard a lot about yours so we wanted to come in and see what it's all about, and this is pretty awesome.

Speaker 5 15:41

Absolutely. I mean, this was all Xander's idea, I just helped make it happen.

Speaker 4 15:45

You're welcome, Union Mic drop.

Speaker 5 15:49

Let's not drop these, yeah, let's not drop these.

Speaker 2 15:52

Do we want to do a question of the?

Speaker 5 15:54

week. Yeah, we can do the question of the week. Okay, Love this story. Okay, I don't know how.

Speaker 3 15:59

Can we ask for a crazy story after?

Speaker 5 16:02

Yeah, if you want to do the crazy story after, start thinking yeah, start thinking of a crazy story you had from working in education.

Speaker 4 16:08

We ask this every week.

Speaker 5 16:10

Yes, so think about it.

Speaker 2 16:11

Okay, give me a minute.

Speaker 5 16:13

Think about it. I'll do my question and let's just say, if you're listening to this podcast, I'll give you my email and if you want to answer I can't give you PBIS points, but I'll find something I'll send you a good job. You're correct, yeah.

Speaker 2 16:28

Good job.

Speaker 5 16:33

So let's do let's. We'll send you a union weekly sticker. Yeah, We'll send you. We'll send you a POC card. Yeah, we'll send you a POC card. Mr S, there we go. Um, okay, so I've I've said this on our union weekly podcast Um, I get a lot of teaching ideas from this cool app called Tik TOK.

Speaker 5 16:53

And so and so I saw this trend on TikTok, so I've started to try it. So here's what I'm going to do. The trend is you say something, you ask a question that has multiple answers, and then I write down my answer, and if you tell me your answer and it's the same as mine, you lose.

Speaker 2 17:16

Okay.

Speaker 5 17:17

So you have to think of something else. That's different, and I'm going to have you all as my witnesses.

Speaker 2 17:20

So can we do like a practice question?

Speaker 5 17:22

Yeah, so here's a practice question. I want you to name a war, any war in history. Okay, I'm going to write down my answer.

Speaker 4 17:32

Haley go first Haley go first World. War II.

Speaker 5 17:34

Okay, I'm going to write down my answer. Haley go first. World War II Civil War Battle of the Bulge.

Speaker 5 17:39

I had the American Revolution, so you guys win Good job. So, first off, my email Is Z-A-C-H-A-R-Y Dot. Here comes the long last name, s-c-h-l-e-s-i-n-g-e-r at canyonsdistrictorg. Okay so, email me your answer and maybe Xander and I can come up with something to send you. Okay so, and if you're at Union and you listen to this, of course I'll give you PPIS points. Okay so here we go. I want you to name me a historical movie. Historical movie. Hold on, I'm going to write mine down. I want to try and trick people, so I'm going to say my favorite in a second, but it's not this one.

Speaker 2 18:31

So you're going to say it, tell us your favorite, but it's not the one you were writing down right now. Oh, there's so many.

Speaker 5 18:37

Okay, I wrote mine. So if somebody says that I have you three as my witnesses, we have witnessed.

Speaker 2 18:43

There are words on a paper.

Speaker 5 18:45

Yep, okay, my favorite one, one that I've been in love with lately, it's called Feel the Lost Shoes.

Speaker 2 18:53

I don't even know that one oh.

Speaker 5 18:56

It's sad, but it's good.

Speaker 2 18:58

I love a good sad story.

Speaker 5 18:59

Okay, so Fill the Lost Shoes.

Speaker 2 19:00

One of my favorites was in 1999, so pre-you guys, it was Jacob the Liar.

Speaker 5 19:06

Oh, that's a good one.

Speaker 2 19:07

Do you guys have any movies off the top of your head that are I don't really watch TV.

Speaker 4 19:16

Yeah, Xander doesn't watch TV.

Speaker 2 19:17

Xander's too busy, he also can't sit still.

Speaker 3 19:18

Oh, there is that there is that Haley how about you. Well, the first movie that I thought of when you said historical was Indiana Jones.

Speaker 5 19:25

That worked. I mean, there's history base. Is it because I have the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant in my room? No, oh.

Speaker 3 19:35

And then the last movie I thought of, but I don't actually know if it's a movie, but I've read the book the Diary of Anne Frank.

Speaker 5 19:40

Yes, it is a movie. Yeah, they've made a movie, that's a great one. Diary of Anne Frank. That's a good one. It's sad.

Speaker 2 19:47

Like you said, history movies can be sad, but they can have some uplifting stories too.

Speaker 5 19:50

Yeah, there's some good ones.

Speaker 2 19:52

Well, I want to thank you guys for letting me come and crash your podcast here and get to know about how you do things. Do you so when we wrap up our podcast, we give out an email for people to send in topic ideas? Do you guys have people send in?

Speaker 5 20:10

We don't, but that's a great idea.

Speaker 4 20:11

That's a good idea.

Speaker 5 20:13

If there's something you want to hear on the Union Weekly, then send it our way and also plug. Go listen to our episodes. Currently, I think we've got 16 out. We're about to release 17.

Speaker 4 20:25

We're actually already on 17.

Speaker 5 20:27

18's going out. Okay, so we released 17. We're about to release 18. And so I think they're all fantastic. You can see the development in these two, especially as we progress throughout the year.

Speaker 4 20:38

And you can find them all on the school website. That's where the link is Perfect and actually anywhere you really listen to music, you can find your podcast. You could just look up Union Weekly and you'll have it.

Speaker 2 20:47

There you go, Head on over to Union Middle check out their podcast. Thank you all for letting me join you today. Thanks everyone for listening. If there's a topic you want to hear discussed on Connect Canyons, you can send us an email to communications at canyonsdistrictorg.

Speaker 1 21:09

Thanks for listening to this episode of Connect Canyons. Connect with us on Twitter, facebook or Instagram at Canyons District or on our website, canyonsdistrictorg.