Clairton CASTLE: Virtual DJing 101

Students at Clairton’s CASTLE program were introduced to the audio mixing software Virtual DJ Pro, with which they used to alter various songs ranging from The Lion King’s “Hakuna Mata” to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.”

From There to Here…2014

As part of their Spring 2014 Social Studies unit, thirty Winchester Thurston School fifth graders interviewed people who came to the U.S. from other countries. Here are excerpts from these interviews, and the students’ reflections on this project.

This collaboration between SLB Radio Productions, Inc. and Winchester Thurston School was funded by the City as Our Campus initiative.

Clairton Voices

During the 2013-2014 school year, SLB Radio Productions, Inc., in partnership with The Consortium For Public Education, convened a group of middle school boys at Clairton Education Center participating in CASTLE (Clairton’s After -School Teaching & Learning Experience).

While learning about digital audio recording, the group also spent time discussing attributes of male role models and identifying men with a connection to Clairton to be interviewed. With support as needed, students then arranged, conducted and edited the interviews.

Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5 Radio Club: Studio Visit

Students in Radio Club at Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5 came to the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh to visit our studio and to tour the museum. While in the studio, they learned how a radio station works and made recordings about what they’ve learned as well as made some beats using only pencils and their hands!

Sarah Heinz House Alumni Reflections 2014

In Spring of 2014, students involved in the Media Lab at Sarah Heinz House convened to conduct interviews with Sarah Heinz House alumni. While learning about digital audio recording, the students also discussed the importance of storytelling through the oral tradition and the impact of Sarah Heinz House on their lives and the lives of past participants. Over the course of 4 workshops, students created interview questions and interviewed alumni.

Mentoring Partnership: Future Focus

The Mentoring Partnership hosted its Future Focus: Take Your Mentee to Career Day conference on April 24, 2014. Mentees were given the tools and knowledge to help them prepare now for their future aspirations. Workshops and interactive activities helped students learn more about different careers and how they can begin to work toward their goals today.

Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5 Radio Club: Radio Kits!

Today in Radio Club we learned how to build a working radio out of a kit! Students broke into groups or worked on their own to follow instructions on building a working radio.

The ZONE: Virtual DJ-ing 101

Students at The ZONE were introduced to the audio mixing software, Virtual DJ Pro, with which they used to alter various Pop and Disney songs, leaving their own personal mark on the likes of Frozen’s “Let It Go,” Arrested Development’s “Tennessee” and The Clash’s “I Fought the Law.”

Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5 Radio Club: Spring Poems

Students in Radio Club at Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5 wrote and recorded these acrostic poems about spring. First we had a discussion about what makes an acrostic poem (a poem in which the first letter of each line in the text spells out a word or a message – in this case, SPRING). Then, everyone wrote their poems and drew pictures to accompany them!

The ZONE: When I Grow Up and Other Stories

The ZONE radio clubbers wrote and recorded a quick story about what they want to be when they grow up. After recording we used a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) named Logic Pro to make beats along with their story recordings.