This past fall, Bellevue College’s XR Lab opened a beautiful new podcast recording studio. A natural destination for the OLS Podcasts students!
The course involves listening to a wide variety of online podcasts, as well as learning how to produce them. This year’s class wrote and recorded four original podcasts – choosing their own topics and making all the creative decisions themselves.
First up was deciding which type of podcast they wanted to produce: a talk show discussing a favorite topic, or a fictional radio-style drama. They divided into four small (3-5 person) groups: Two talk shows and two dramas.
They spent a couple of weeks writing outlines and developing them into scripts. They worked out what role each person would play on the show. They thought about theme music and sound effects. Some made practice recordings on their laptops. And finally, it was time to go into the studio!
It’s wonderful to have a studio like this so conveniently located, in the Bellevue College Library. All of the XR (for “extended reality”) Lab’s facilities are open to both teachers and students; their whole purpose is to support academic work.
About the OLS Podcasts Course
Podcasts is an elective course in combines acting, listening, and speech. Students practice adequate breathing and speaking to build confidence when reading scripts aloud and at the microphone. By listening to podcasts and classic radio dramas, they expand their imagination through the ‘theatre of the mind.’ Students write scripts of their own and develop characters for recording, and learn how changes in voice tone can influence those characters, and collaborate to create a performance ensemble, culminating in a taped podcast.
About OLS Bellevue College
Occupational & Life Skills Bellevue College (OLSBC) is an associate degree program for students with learning disabilities. In our uniquely supportive skills-based program, students apply academic knowledge through community activities, service learning and social experiences. Students identify a career pathway, gain marketable, workplace-ready competencies, develop better interpersonal skills and complete an internship in alignment with their career goals.
Learn more about our program at an upcoming Information Session, open to all prospective students, family members/guardians, educators, counselors and other service providers. Come learn why OLS Bellevue College is one of the best colleges for students with learning disabilities.
Last Updated March 21, 2024