Presenters – Virtual and In-person
Marshall Escamilla1, Lindsay Patterson1, Sara Lenz2
1Tumble Media.
2AUI, Washington D.C.
Abstract
STEM learning should be accessible to all students—but educators often face challenges when trying to engage learners with reading, language, or visual impairments. Too often, existing tools fall short of supporting inclusive participation. This session introduces a new podcast creation tool designed specifically for elementary classrooms, developed with accessibility and ease-of-use at its core. Created through an NSF-funded project, the tool was built to work seamlessly for blind, low vision, dyslexic, and multilingual students—without requiring logins, installations, or personal data.
In addition to the creation tool, we’ve developed a library of listening-track content based on Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, including inclusive lesson plans and hands-on activities that align with each episode. All materials are freely available through a centralized portal: makeclassroompodcast.com, which offers educators everything they need to bring podcasting into their classrooms—whether students are creating their own audio or engaging deeply with scientific storytelling through listening. Attendees will learn how podcasting can deepen STEM engagement, support diverse learners, and foster creative expression across ability levels.