Discovery High Community Podcast with Mr. Lee

My name is Ving Lee and I am an English teacher at Discovery High School, an alternative education site in Sacramento, California. In the evenings, I teach a GED Prep course in the Adult Education sector of the alternative education site.

Students come to Discovery High School for an alternative high school experience. Typically, students who enroll at DHS experienced extreme disconnection and disenfranchisement at their comprehensive sites. Although we do not fulfill A-G/College Entrance requirements, we offer students small classroom sizes, flexible deadlines, and individualized learning experiences. Moreover, students always have immediate access to a psychologist and counselor, as well as trauma-sensitive trained teachers. Because relationships are the foundation on which all learning is built, I found that often during this crisis, students were missing the social interactions and needed someone to listen even more than they needed help with their schoolwork. As such, I operationalized a virtual Restorative Community Circle for reading, writing, group discussions, and check-ins. The Restorative Community Circle uses a virtual seating chart that allows students to choose where they sit and a talking piece to allow each student an equal chance to listen and speak during class. This also allowed students to lean on others for support.

The inspiration to create a Digital Media Career Technical Education course with emphasis on podcast audio and video production began when a student cordially invited me to an interview for his YouTube channel. I wholeheartedly accepted his request. Unfortunately, the pandemic occurred and our interview was postponed indefinitely. Still, students invited me to their Twitch streams, YouTube channels, and TikTok channels to share their lives outside of the classroom.

Immediately, the idea of teaching and developing the social-emotional, academic, and technical skills necessary to facilitate and operate mid and full-length digital media broadcast projects began to emerge. To what extent would I be able to blend literacy, digital media, and technological production to build a thriving community with digital platforms students and staff were accustomed to and knowledgeable about outside of the classroom? Moreover, through student and staff podcasts, to what extent could I build a community of practice at Discovery High School that involved collaborative progression and a shared vision toward championing social justice and disrupting inequity?

Our shared experiences through Zoom this year continue to highlight the importance of verbal engagement through meaningful conversations and interactions rather than rote learning or development through isolated assignments or standardized testing. Although Project Based Learning is still limited at Discovery High School, our most esteemed classes in the Culinary Arts utilize a PBL approach that makes learning meaningful and equitable. Students are encouraged to use their creativity, culture, community, and experiences to design unique dishes.

Our pilot course will be offered during the 2021 summer sessions beginning in July and continue into the 21-22 academic school year. The students and staff at Discovery High School will be extremely grateful for the donation and podcast setup toward building a better and more connected community on campus and beyond. It is our hope that we can disrupt educational inequity by building positive and nurturing relationships through shared passions and endeavors through conversations. On behalf of Mr. Lee and the entire Discovery High School community, thank you.

Required equipment for classroom setup:
1. Microphones: Shure SM7B = $400 x 3 = $1,200*

2. Boom Stands: Gator Frameworks 3000 Series = $130 x 3 = $390**

3. Headphones: Sennheiser HD280PRO = $100 x 3 = $300***

4. Audio Interface: Steinberg UR44C USB Audio Interface = $350 (updated device)

5. Mixer: BEHRINGER Xenyx X1222USB Premium = $219 (updated price)

6. Headphone Amplifier: BEHRINGER 8-Channel HA8000V2 = $150 (backordered)

7. Multi-Camera System: Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini HDMI Live Switcher = $295 (updated device)

8. Cameras: Sony 4K HD Video Recording FDRAX33 = $600 x 2 = $0****

9. Computer: MacBook Pro 2.3GHz 8-Core Processor, 1TB = $0*****

NEW TOTAL = $2,904

* 1 Shure SM7B microphone donated!
** 1 Gator Frameworks 3000 Boom Stand donated!
*** 1 Sennheiser HD280PRO Headphones donated!
**** Replaced with Mr. Lee's Sony a7 series mirrorless cameras
***** Replaced with Mr. Lee's PC