EDU Portal
From Diss Tracks to Deep Learning: How One Teacher Used Podcasting in Education to Transform History Class
August 12, 2025We recently spoke with James Watts, a social studies teacher turned ELA coach in a Title I district just west of Manhattan, about how one creative choice - and the right audio platform - reshaped the way his students learned history.
Setting the Scene: Engaging Freshman History Through Student Voice Projects
In his 9th-grade classroom, James faced a challenge many educators recognize: students dismissing history as “boring.” Teaching in a culturally diverse community with many multilingual learners and first-generation Americans, he knew the subject had to connect with students’ experiences and interests.
“I had teachers in high school who made history feel like a chore,” James recalls. “I didn’t want my students to feel the same way. I wanted them to light up.”
His approach leaned into immersive student voice projects like simulations, role-play, and choice-driven assignments. Then, during the revolutions unit, he offered a game-changing option: “Write an essay – or create a song from the perspective of someone living through these events.”
Table of Contents
- The First Projects – From Beats to the Bastille
- Beyond the Song – Audio as a Storytelling Gateway
- Why Soundtrap Worked Where Other Tools Didn’t
- Engagement That Feels Natural, Not Forced
- Ripples Beyond One Classroom
- Looking Ahead – Literacy, Languages & Lifelong Skills
- The Transformation – From “History Is Boring” to “Let’s Make Something”
- About James Watts
The First Projects – From Beats to the Bastille
James’s first creative history assessment wasn’t a podcast – it was rap. Amid lessons on the English, French, and Latin American Revolutions, students could ditch the essay for a song written from the perspective of a revolutionary, a monarch, or a common citizen.
He needed a cloud-based, Chromebook-friendly recording platform that integrated with Google accounts. Soundtrap checked every box. Students were signed in, recording, and layering tracks within minutes.
They built beats, uploaded karaoke tracks, and rewrote lyrics to mock monarchs or rally their revolutionary cause. Academic rigor stayed front and center: each project required historically accurate details, persuasive rhetoric, and references to primary sources.
Beyond the Song – Audio as a Storytelling Gateway
With Soundtrap in place, James’s class quickly moved from songs to more ambitious student voice projects:
- Simulated podcasts: Students staged post-revolution “talk shows,” role-playing figures like Marie Antoinette and Robespierre with researched dialogue.
- WWI radio broadcasts: They reported from the trenches, blending descriptive writing with performance.
- News-style audio segments: Anchors and correspondents covered historical events as if they were breaking news.
These weren’t just creative diversions – they were rigorous creative history assessments that demanded content mastery and communication skills.
Why Soundtrap Worked Where Other Tools Didn’t
James credits Soundtrap’s success to three factors:
- Ease for beginners – Simple sign-in, no installations, no steep learning curve.
- Depth for advanced creators – Effects, loops, and sound packs for those with prior audio experience.
- Classroom compatibility – Chromebook- and Google-friendly, avoiding technical headaches.
“If a student came to me saying, ‘I want to make something with audio,’ Soundtrap was my first suggestion,” James says. “They could focus on the learning instead of wrestling with tech.”
Engagement That Feels Natural, Not Forced
James is quick to note that Soundtrap didn’t suddenly “fix” disengagement – his classes already thrived on variety and choice. But as part of a larger mix, audio made it easier to keep things fresh.
For students less confident in traditional writing, speaking into a mic removed barriers. They could demonstrate historical understanding in ways that matched their strengths – a key benefit of podcasting in education.
Ripples Beyond One Classroom
James didn’t formally launch a cross-curricular program – yet – but word spread. Colleagues often approached him for recording recommendations, and his answer was always the same: “Soundtrap.”
That advocacy led to his involvement in the Soundtrap Producers Network and ambassador program, expanding his vision for how podcasting in education could work across disciplines.
Looking Ahead – Literacy, Languages & Lifelong Skills
Now in the ELA department, James sees new possibilities:
- Literacy – Students recording book reviews, performance poetry, and reflective audio journals.
- Languages – Oral assessments, pronunciation practice, and dialogue work.
- STEM – Narrated lab reports explaining processes step-by-step.
“I’m thinking more about skills than content,” James says. “Whether it’s a science teacher recording lab reflections or a language teacher capturing oral work – audio can strengthen the learning process.”
The Transformation – From “History Is Boring” to “Let’s Make Something”
James’s story is proof that creative history assessments and student voice projects can make learning personal. Students didn’t just learn facts – they embodied perspectives, debated events, and produced work they were proud to share.
“If I think a project is boring, I won’t assign it. Students can sense that,” James explains. “Soundtrap helped me create assignments I’d be excited to do myself.”
About James Watts
James began as a social studies teacher in Hudson County, NJ, teaching general and special education to freshmen. He designed creative assessments – like “diss track” songs and choose-your-own-adventure role plays – transforming history from lecture into performance. Now an Instructional Coach in both ELA & Social Studies, he’s exploring podcasting in education to strengthen literacy and language learning across subjects.
Ready to Spark Your Own Classroom Transformation?
Want to bring the power of student voice projects into your own teaching? Soundtrap for Education makes it simple to create everything from creative history assessments to collaborative podcasts – no steep learning curve required.
Explore our lesson ideas and resources for ready-to-use activities that connect creativity to curriculum. Or start with our 5 Engaging Back-to-School Activities – perfect for jumpstarting student voice from day one.
Try Soundtrap free for 30 days and see how easily you can turn “boring” units into engaging, skills-driven learning experiences. One project might just change the way your students see your subject – and themselves.
