WATERLOO - Fifth-graders at Sacred Heart School are writing a report on Waterloo, but putting ideas on paper is only the start.

Students will record their words, choose photos they've taken to go with their work and add snippets of music.

The end result will be an enhanced podcast posted online, where anyone can watch and listen to the young people's creations. The "Wonderful Waterloo" project, which ties into the students' social studies unit on Iowa history, will be posted at the Our City Podcast site.

"We're trying real hard to get the technology into the curriculum right now," said Jodi Bauler, the school's technology coordinator.

She meets monthly with technology curriculum leaders from Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese of Dubuque to talk about ideas and implementation.

"The biggest thing, first of all, is to introduce to these kids to 21st century skills," Bauler said.

That includes everything from digital cameras to the computer software that records their voices.

"Once they get familiar with programs, the sky's the limit."

Students jumped on board last week with cameras in hand. They split into groups one afternoon and headed out to sites around Waterloo.

Some were still learning how to use the technology. Jovan Martinez stood in the parking lot at Crossroads Center trying to frame the mall's sign in his viewfinder. He admitted this was his first experience taking a picture with a digital camera.

Bauler was there to help.

"Now I'm going to teach you the art of digital cameras," she said, showing which buttons activate the zoom lens and take pictures.

Students were excited as they went from one location to another - places like Covenant Medical Center, Lost Island Adventure Park and Cadillac Lanes.

"I'm trying to capture a way to show how wonderful Waterloo is," Hanna Kinney said.

"Stuff that other cities don't have," Hannah Ciesielski added.

Ethan Ryan even visited a place in the city during the outing he had never encountered.

"The train station - I'd never been there," he said.

Ryan's group went to a facility near East High School and saw workers cleaning the trains. He was surprised to see how many were there.

Since their outing, students have moved on to working in Sacred Heart's computer lab where they are using the Internet to research questions and facts about Waterloo. Students will use the information to write scripts on topics like the city's history, climate, economy and entertainment options.

"Make sure you put in Waterloo, Iowa," fifth-grade teacher Dee Berry advised students as they looked online for information. "You guys are getting Waterloo, like Napoleon."

She gave additional guidance to students working on the city's history.

"You want to know when it was founded, that kind of stuff."

Martinez and Isaiah McNamee were looking up Waterloo's "famous friends." The boys had already come up with the five Sullivan brothers, who died together on a U.S. Navy ship during World War II; Olympic wrestling great Dan Gable; and President Herbert Hoover's wife, Lou Henry Hoover. They were searching the Internet in an attempt to find others.

Students are selecting and editing pictures as well as choosing music and sound effects, both with the help of computer programs.

"It'll be used for intermission in between, like, people talking," said Christian Hellman about music they were finding.

Sacred Heart's fifth-graders have a technology class twice a week, but they are logging extra time in the computer lab to complete the project.

Bauler hopes to submit the podcast before the end of the month. A company involved in production generally gets podcasts posted within two days of receiving them.

Contact Andrew Wind

at (319) 291-1507

or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.