High+School+Radio+Service-Learning

**High school radio service-learning and community engagement:**  **Pedagogy and syllabus development**  Hope Daniels, Associate Professor, Columbia College [ hdaniels@colum.edu]  Christopher Thomas, General Manager of WLTL Radio Station, LaGrange Lyons Township High School [cthomas@lths.net]

**Keywords:** High school, radio, community engagement  **Track:** Civic learning outcomes for students in K-12 and higher education

**Format:** Research paper

**Summary:** This research examined the use and viability of Federal Communications Commission licensed terrestrial high school radio stations to serve as partners in service-learning and civic engagement activities. The pilot project examined the existing service-learning and civic engagement programming on an urban and a suburban high school radio station, and evaluated their current pedagogy and the potential of using these stations for civic engagement and service-learning opportunities. The qualitative research of the high school faculty and their curriculum resulted in developing a template for service-learning with audio broadcasting that could be embedded into the high school pedagogy and curriculum.

There has been growing interest in ways that high schools that operate FCC licensed terrestrial radio stations can go beyond just offering their students opportunities to participate in service-learning and civic engagement. The licenses of the urban high school radio have become very valuable so administrators are tempted to sell the license (FCC 2008). With limited research in this area, this study could contribute to service-learning and community engagement projects nationally with high school radio. What is the best use of these signals; should they become de facto community radio or continue as integral parts of a high school curriculum?

As more high schools with terrestrial radio stations commit to service-learning and community engagement as part of their assignment, it will be important to design and develop curriculum and community partnerships that measure the impact of such efforts not only at the high school level, but also in the communities with whom they partner. It was determined decades ago that as a "hot" communications medium, the immediate aspects of radio resonate with the listener (McLuhan 1964). True community engagement works with partnerships that establish a common vision for success.

**References:** Billig, S., Root, S., & Jesse, D. (2005). The impact of participation in service-learning on high school student’s civic engagement. Retrieved from: http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/WorkingPapers/WP33Billig.pdf

Creswell, J. (1998). //Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions//. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Federal Communications Commission, The Public and Broadcasting Manual. (2008). Retrieved from the FCC website

Gallup and Robinson. (2007). Engagement, Emotions and the Power of Radio. Retrieved from: http://www.radioadlab.org/studyDocs/engagementFull.pdf

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Jacoby, B. and Mutascio, P. (2010). //Looking in reaching out//. Boston, MA: Campus Compact.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Keith, M.C. (2010). //The radio station//, (8th ed.), Burlington, MA: Focal Press.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">National Youth Leadership Council. (2008). K-12 Service Learning Standards for Quality Practice. Retrieved from: http://nylc.org/sites/nylc.org/files/files/Standards_Oct2009-web.pdf

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Nelson, J. (1974). Captive Voices: high School Journalism in America. New York, NY: Schocken Brooks.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">McLuhan, M. (1964). //Understanding media: The extensions of// //man// (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Seifer, S.D. and Connors, K. (2009). Faculty toolkit for service-learning. Retrieved from: http://www.servicelearning.org/filemanager/download/HE_toolkit_with_worksheets.pdf

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Toole, P. (1999). Essential elements of service-learning (rev. ed.) St. Paul, MN: National Youth Leadership Council.


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