From Cereal Commercials to Career Readiness: How One Teacher Discovered the Power of Student Voice

September 18, 2025

How a simple sixth-grade marketing project evolved into district-wide transformation through authentic audio creation

Thirteen years ago, Randall Tomes faced a challenge familiar to educators everywhere: his students had brilliant ideas but struggled to express them in traditional formats. Teaching grades one through six in Indiana’s Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, Randall watched as students created impressive cereal brand designs for their marketing projects—then stumbled when it came time to create the accompanying radio commercials.

“The students did pretty good with digital recorders, but there was just something missing,” Randall recalls. “They wanted sound effects, background music, original beats. They were thinking like real marketers, but our tools weren’t keeping up with their creativity.”

That missing piece would transform not just Randall’s classroom, but his entire approach to student assessment and engagement through collaborative audio creation tools.

The Quiet Revolution: When Students Take Learning Home

What happened next illustrates a truth many educators are discovering: when you give students the right tools to find their student voice, they don’t just complete assignments—they take ownership of their learning.

“You definitely see students a lot more engaged,” Randall explains. “So much that students are starting to take their Chromebooks home and creating at home, then coming in and saying, ‘Check this out. Check out what I created.'”

This shift from compliance to curiosity represents more than increased engagement. It signals something deeper: students discovering authentic ways to demonstrate what they know through audio expression.

For educators who often say, “My best thinkers are my worst test-takers,” this transformation opens new possibilities for authentic assessment.

Beyond Music Class: Cross-Curricular Audio Projects That Matter

While audio creation tools often get pigeonholed as “music software,” innovative educators are discovering their power across all subjects. Randall’s cereal commercial project exemplifies this cross-curricular audio projects potential:

Business/Marketing Skills: Students develop brand concepts and advertising strategies
Literacy Standards: Script writing, storytelling, and persuasive communication
Media Literacy: Understanding how sound affects audience perception
Technology Integration: Digital collaboration and multimedia production
21st Century Skills: Creativity, communication, and critical thinking

“I think students need to understand not just what they look like, but what they sound like—how their voice comes across without the image,” Randall observes. “In today’s climate, the voice itself is just as important as the visuals.”

This insight resonates with curriculum directors seeking tools that support state standards while building career readiness skills. Audio projects naturally integrate multiple disciplines while preparing students for a media-rich professional world. Explore curriculum-aligned lesson plans that connect creativity directly to academic standards.

The AI-Resistant Power of Authentic Voice

As artificial intelligence reshapes education, educators face new challenges in authentic assessment. How do you know student work is genuinely theirs? Randall’s approach offers a compelling solution that maintains academic integrity.

“Right now, when a student turns in a file, I know it’s been created by them if it’s their voice, because they’re doing it in my class,” he explains. “So as far as authentic assessment, I don’t worry about wondering if this was created by AI.”

This doesn’t mean rejecting AI entirely. Instead, it’s about finding the balance between technological assistance and authentic expression. The U.S. Department of Education’s recent guidelines on AI in education emphasize the importance of maintaining human creativity and critical thinking alongside AI tools.

“I do believe AI has a place,” Randall notes. “If students can use AI to help create their script, but then go sit down and record their voice—focusing on pausing at the right places, using the right tone—that’s authentic learning.”

The key insight: AI might help with content generation, but it can’t replicate the authentic thinking process revealed when students explain concepts in their student voice.

Breaking Down Barriers: Every Student Can Create

One of the most powerful aspects of audio creation is its accessibility. Unlike traditional music production, which can intimidate non-musicians, modern educational platforms welcome all students into the creative process.

“If they don’t feel like they’re musically inclined, there’s the music library where they can find beats and mix them,” Randall explains. “They’re creating their own original thing. Someone who might not be musically inclined starts mixing beats, and it’s going to put a smile on their face. They’re like, ‘I’m doing this,’ and they might find something inside them to take to the next level.”

This democratization of creation matters deeply for equity. Students who struggle with traditional writing can excel at oral storytelling. Those who feel intimidated by complex software can find confidence through intuitive, collaborative platforms designed for education.

Research from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education demonstrates that when assignments allow multiple modes of input and output — including audio or verbal formats — students who struggle with traditional writing tend to engage more, feel more ownership, and show stronger growth.

The Collaboration Effect: Learning That Spreads

Perhaps most striking in Randall’s account is how cross-curricular audio projects naturally foster collaboration. Unlike isolated written assignments, audio creation invites students to share techniques, give feedback, and learn from each other.

“My class is never quiet,” Randall laughs. “There’s always collaboration. If one student discovers something, others are always asking, ‘Hey, can you show me that? Can we add this?'”

This peer-to-peer learning extends beyond technique to content understanding. When students explain concepts to record audio journals or create collaborative podcasts, they’re teaching each other while reinforcing their own knowledge.

For educators implementing project-based learning or seeking to build the “4 Cs” (creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking), this natural collaboration represents significant value in developing student voice across disciplines.

Making the Real-World Connection: Career Readiness Through Audio

The ultimate test of any educational tool is whether it prepares students for life beyond school. Randall’s experience suggests audio creation does exactly that, building communication skills essential for modern careers.

While he maintains student privacy, Randall references graduates who’ve pursued media careers, building on foundational skills developed in elementary school. More importantly, all his students develop voice awareness and communication skills essential for success.

“Students need to understand how their voice works,” he emphasizes. “Not just plug into AI sites and look at their work, but understand the steps, understand how to communicate effectively through audio.”

This focus on communication aligns with workforce development research showing that soft skills, particularly communication abilities, are increasingly valued by employers across industries.

Implementation Insights: What Educators Need to Know

For teachers considering cross-curricular audio projects, Randall offers practical wisdom that reduces implementation barriers:

Start Simple: “Get the kids involved. The kids will discover it, find the tools, find the answers. I’ve learned so much from the kids.”
Focus on Student Voice: Use audio projects to help students develop reading fluency, presentation skills, and communication confidence through authentic assessment opportunities.
Think Cross-Curricular: Don’t limit audio projects to music class. Science explanations, historical narratives, and literary analysis all benefit from audio expression.
Embrace the Collaboration: “My class is never quiet” isn’t a problem—it’s evidence of engagement and peer learning.
Plan for Success: Consider space needs for recording, but don’t let perfect conditions prevent getting started with teacher-ready lesson plans.

The District Impact: Scaling Student Voice Across Curriculum

While Randall’s story focuses on individual classroom transformation, the implications extend district-wide. When teachers across subjects integrate audio creation into their authentic assessment strategies:

Assessment becomes more authentic and harder to game with AI-generated content
Student engagement increases across traditional subject boundaries
21st-century skills development happens naturally within curriculum requirements
Equity improves as different learning styles find expression through student voice
Career readiness builds through real-world communication skills

For district leaders balancing budget constraints with innovation needs, educational audio platforms offer compelling value: cross-curricular applications, authentic assessment capabilities, and student engagement—all while supporting existing curriculum standards and working seamlessly on existing Chromebook infrastructure.

The Freedom to Create: Unlocking Student Potential

When asked to describe the impact of audio creation in one word, Randall chose “freedom.”

“Freedom to search, freedom to speak, freedom to create. The ideas are endless.”

This freedom isn’t just about self-expression—though that matters. It’s about the freedom to demonstrate learning in ways that work for individual students. The freedom to engage with curriculum through multiple modalities. The freedom to prepare for careers that don’t yet exist but will certainly require strong communication skills.

Most importantly, it’s about giving every student—from confident performers to quiet thinkers—the freedom to find their student voice and express authentic understanding through cross-curricular audio projects.

Moving Forward: Questions for Your District

As you consider the possibilities audio creation holds for your students, reflect on these questions:

How many of your best thinkers struggle with traditional assessments?
What career skills are you building alongside academic content?
How do you currently ensure authentic student work in an AI era?
Where could cross-curricular collaboration strengthen your curriculum?

The answers might surprise you. And like Randall discovered thirteen years ago, addressing these challenges might transform not just individual assignments, but your entire approach to student engagement and authentic assessment.

Because when students find their voice, they don’t just complete projects—they discover what they’re truly capable of creating.

Ready to explore how audio creation can amplify student voice in your curriculum? Start your free trial and discover classroom-ready solutions that integrate seamlessly with your existing standards and technology infrastructure.