- Parents and grandparents eavesdrop as First Program science class as Kindergarten students enthusiastically share their knowledge of Emperor penguins.
- Politically savvy high school students interview local councilman Dan Gerodnick on the day he is sworn in to office.
- Dalton graduates listen as their former teammates battle for a last-minute victory at the girls' Homecoming volleyball game.
In these and many additional live and pre-recorded broadcasts, DaltonRadio helps create a vibrant community in which students share their academic efforts and extra-curricular passions with each other, Dalton families, and the broader community of friends and alumni. DaltonRadio, an internet station at http://www.daltonradio.org, is on the air twenty-four hours a day broadcasting shows that range from curricular projects and school-wide events to student-led talk shows and music playlists. It allows teachers to extend their written assignments by offering the opportunity to create radio programs as cumulating projects: foreign-language students can host radio programs, practicing their newly developed skills as they enjoy an authentic language experience; music students are able to prepare radio programs which highlight selected artists to illustrate movements in music history; and the second and third grade staff members of Little Dalton Magazine use DaltonRadio to practice their interview skills and investigate a different news medium. The station also allows single classroom visits by visiting artists and professionals to reach an entire grade or division.
DaltonRadio is a recent example of technology used in support of Dalton's mission and technology plan. By enabling students to create and broadcast curricular projects, DaltonRadio has exciting potential to help fulfill Dalton's commitment to learning that is engaging and intellectually rigorous. In the spirit of the Dalton Plan, students work with teachers both to individualize assignments and, concurrently, to reach out to their fellow students and others in the community. In addition, DaltonRadio helps achieve the New Lab for Teaching and Learning's commitment to enhancing communication within the community and providing new methods for curricular analysis and expression.
DaltonRadio is also a forum for the school's talented students to share their non-curricular passions. Political interests are represented by live interviews with local politicians, rebroadcasts of student government debates and elections speeches, and "The Panek Room", a popular student-produced political talk show. Theatre students expand their repertoire with productions such as "Sorry Wrong Number" a radio drama from the 1940's; in addition, Quicktime movies of short plays directed by seniors are posted on the Broadcaster section of archived materials. Musical talents are shared through broadcasts of Dalton student ensembles such as the HS Jazz Concerts as well as less permanent student groupings for informal events such as Phase, Coffee House ,and Karaoke evenings. And, naturally, students take turns as DJs to explore their love of jazz, blues, classical, hip-hop and other genres.
DaltonRadio is housed on the 6th floor of Dalton's 89th Street building. Equipment includes two Macintosh computers, a Numark mixing board, Shure unidirectional microphones and headsets, in addition to a dedicated email address (radio@dalton.org) for call-in programs. Dalton's campus-wide wireless network enables out-of-the-studio programming to take place throughout the school, as well as in the classrooms, arts studios and the theater at 89th Street, in the 87th Street gyms, and at the First Program on 91st Street. In addition to live and pre-recorded programs, the DaltonRadio website provides links to podcasts of popular programs and video clips of student productions and assemblies.
In the spirit of the Dalton Plan, the school's radio station is a student-centered activity. Members of the Dalton community had long desired a forum in which students and faculty could share curricular projects, performances and assemblies -- as well as personal interests. During the school-year 2003-2004, then senior Drew Frankel took on this challenge as his Senior Project. He, along with Arlo Klinger, HS Technology coordinator, investigated various technological solutions including live streaming from Dalton's servers, and settled on using a re-broadcaster as the most powerful and easiest way to reach a large audience. lnitial groundwork to establish a radio station also included gathering licenses and registering with the federal copyright office and the music industry.
By the spring of 2004, DaltonRadio was ready to go live. With the time to devote to the project, Drew became a one-man station manager, advertising agency, and merchandizing company he worked through the final technical and scheduling hurdles to create and broadcast his own shows as well as those of other students. Early broadcasts included debates for student government positions, a radio drama with a cast of eight Dalton students, as well as karaoke, sports talk and music programs. The response was enthusiastic and immediate, and by the end of the semester over 30 students had worked to help DaltonRadio become an exciting addition to the academic and social opportunities at the Dalton School.