Talkback Classroom: Education and media intersect

Stephen Cutting, who describes himself as a ‘freelance teacher’, has spearheaded Talkback Classroom, ‘a forum for senior secondary school students to engage with leading decision makers.’

The project took root in 1995 Stephen’s English classroom, investigating issues through telephone interviews with politicians, sportspeople and celebrities. ‘We talk about Skype and connectivity but the telephone is a really useful tool,’ he said.

As the project evolved, students were given the opportunity to collaborate with their peers in Australia and around the world to investigate national and international issues and to ask the questions they want to ask.

‘The pedagogical challenge for a teacher is to prepare students for that opportunity, when students sit down with someone like Tony Abbott or whoever, they’re going to take full advantage of it.’

They conduct an interview with some ‘fair dinkum’ questions, Stephen explained. ‘For me the essential ingredient is that they come to that with some passion – that it’s not an academic exercise.’

The Asia dimension to the project was sparked by an AEF study tour undertaken in 2006. ‘What evolved through this engagement with Asia is what I’d like to call a bilateral youth forum.’

He instanced how a recent project took shape in Japan. Following online collaboration with Japanese counterparts, ‘two Australian kids travelled to Japan, met with the whaling association and with the [Japanese] Department of Foreign Affairs and became experts in those issues.’

He explained that the reciprocal visit by Japanese students ended on a high note. ‘It concluded with a forum at the national press club involving the students, then Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and the Japanese Ambassador.’

The video on the right hand side, compiled by students on Australian and Malaysian students, on a topic, which was opportune for the Summit. Focusing on Asia literacy, it features an interview with AEF Executive Director Kathe Kirby.

‘They met decision makers in Melbourne and Canberra and were part of a program on ABC radio,’ Mr Cutting continued.

Malaysian participant Nabihah joined a discussion on the project at the 2011 AEF National Summit from deep in the Kedah province in rural Malaysia, via Skype.

While Australia for her was ‘such a developed country with a great mindset’ she had an insightful reminder that focused minds in the audience. ‘The youth are not connected enough to Asian people.

‘Don’t get me wrong, Australian youth have so much potential but I feel that they are living under an Anglo Saxon rock,’ she declared.

‘I feel that a change is needed for our relationship,’ she said, in a reminder that resonated deeply with the Summit audience.