Guest Speaker, ROGER Muntu, Enhances & Excites Learning as GWCS Students Prepare for the NY Times Podcast Contest

Guest Speakers at GWCS are always welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated as the benefit they offer to our students’ education is far-reaching. Most recently (March 3, 2022), the GWCS fifth and sixth period English students enjoyed the expertise and energy of special guest speaker, Roger Muntu. Mr. Muntu is actually a former GWCS French teacher who now works as an International Broadcast Journalist for Voice of America. Mr. Muntu is a popular radio and television personality at VOA: The“RM Show”radio program and “Vous et Nous” TV program. Most importantly, Mr. Muntu is a GWCS Coyote!

Mr. Muntu has remained an active and supportive friend of GWCS in so many ways, but the purpose of this visit was to discuss the most recent project with Ms. Warden’s 5th and 6th period English classes which is to create a podcast. Whether individually or in a group, each student has been tasked with writing, recording, and editing a podcast of their own as part of the New York Times Annual Student Podcast Contest. These podcasts must have a clear beginning, middle, and end, and cannot be longer than 5 minutes. Students are welcome to add copyright-free music to include throughout their project if they wish. In regards to the podcast’s content, the students have the autonomy to select and navigate any school-appropriate subject matter of their choosing--possibilities for topic and format are nearly endless. In class, they have covered the complete production timeline of what it takes to create, record, and produce a podcast, as well as beginning research and discussing narrative and bias in media. They have the remainder of this week to polish their scripts, record, and edit in class.

To take their learning on these topics to a relatable and entertaining level, students had the opportunity to ask Mr. Muntu questions about effective storytelling, editing software, and all the cool celebrities he’s met. Students left feeling excited and ready to create their own podcasts. We’re so excited to see what they produce and submit to the New York Times for review! Stay tuned.

GW Community School
NY Times Student Podcast Contest Prep
Guest Speaker: Roger Muntu
3.3.2022