Turning Ideas Into Podcasts
By Alison Kalajzich, Head of English and Will Horwood, Director of Libraries and Future Learning
In 2023, the English Department embraced podcasting - one of today’s most dynamic storytelling mediums - with both enthusiasm and a healthy dose of trepidation. While rich in content possibilities, the technical side of podcasting presented an unfamiliar frontier. Fortunately, we had the expertise of Director of Libraries and Future Learning, Will Horwood, and his team to bridge this gap and turn our vision into reality.
With the encouragement of College Principal, Kalea Haran, the Penrhos Podcast was quickly adopted as a pilot program in Year 10 English, offering students an exciting new platform to develop critical speaking and listening skills; a key focus of the new curriculum. Beyond traditional debates and panel discussions, podcasting gave our students the chance to produce creative, professional content for a global audience on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
The recruitment of real-world podcasters by our devoted librarian, Linley Watts, added authenticity to our task. Louise Jones (Howell, Class of 1981) and Virginia Seymour from Diving In, a Perth-based literary podcast, as well as Lucy Durack of Hey Lemonade High fame (amongst many other projects) generously provided tips and tricks to our students, inspiring them to tackle the task with confidence and creativity.
As we discovered, podcasting fosters more than communication skills. It promotes collaboration, project management, research and creative problem-solving, all the while keeping a global audience beyond Penrhos in mind. It also allows us, as teachers, to ‘listen in’ on thoughtful, natural conversations that reveal much about our students’ passions and perspectives.
The English teachers are grateful for the ongoing support of this project from our Library colleagues. Not only were we introduced to actual podcasters throughout this inter-departmental collaboration, but we were also supported to use the equipment effectively, sharpen editing skills and persist when the challenges of group voice recording approached obstacles.
With Adobe Podcast now set to streamline editing and production, we look forward to an even more seamless experience this year.
Personally, I can’t wait to don my headphones and tune in to the next inspiring wave of the Penrhos Podcast.
Plugging in with Lucy Durak
As students explore new concepts and media, engaging with industry experts helps them forge meaningful connections between classroom learning and real-world application. Over the past two years, our podcasting students have benefited from the insights of passionate professionals who live and breathe this dynamic medium.
This year, they were privileged to hear from Western Australia’s own award-winning performer and writer, Lucy Durack. Lucy shared a wealth of practical insights, from scripting and presenting, to building authentic audience engagement. Her warmth, humour and generosity made a lasting impression, empowering our students to approach their projects with new confidence and creativity.
The result? A diverse range of student podcasts, now proudly published on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, reaching audiences well beyond the College gates. Simply search for Penrhos Podcast
“Lucy gave us an amazing insight into the podcasting world. Her tips for creating our own podcasts were super helpful. She was so passionate about her career and podcasting that it was impossible not to get inspired!”
“It was awesome to have a well-known personality come and talk to us about how to create an engaging podcast. When I was recording, I was actually thinking about everything Lucy said to help make our podcasts better!”
Ebony's journey into podcasting and redefining success
When asked if she might like to write something for The Penrhosian, Ebony Stevenson paused, then offered an honest alternative. Writing, she explained, wasn’t how she felt most comfortable expressing herself. Instead, she had been working on a podcast; It explores how people define success and how those definitions evolve.
“Writing always made me feel like I was being judged for spelling or grammar. With podcasting, I can just speak from the heart and focus on the ideas.
When you grow up getting red lines through your work, it’s easy to forget your thoughts matter more than perfect punctuation. Podcasting reminded me of that.”
What began as a classroom assignment quickly transformed. Ebony’s exposure to podcasting sparked something deeper, and she’s since developed it into a personal passion project. Her podcast asks big, open questions about success, what it looks like, how it changes and what really makes people feel fulfilled.
Ebony started by interviewing people in sport where she had strong connections, and now plans to branch into music, entertainment and beyond. Episodes will soon be available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, aiming to support other young people who may be feeling unsure about their path forward.
Through listening to others, Ebony has also listened to herself. Once focused on wealth and certainty, she now sees success as something quieter. It’s in the habits. The follow-through. The willingness to try.
Her current goal? Going to bed on time and keeping devices out of the room at night. It’s part of the 1% rule from Atomic Habits.
As Ebony puts it, “Success starts now.”
Sometimes the most meaningful learning doesn’t come from writing it all down. It comes from listening. From starting. And from discovering, along the way, that we never quite know where learning will take us.
