Student motivation is difficult to measure, manage, initiate, and control. Teachers control many aspects of classroom environments, including student interaction and cooperation, by the rules and procedures they establish and maintain. But, there is often little classroom teachers can do to predict what will motivate students to move beyond the monotony of "playing school" and elevate their efforts to achieve authentic learning. A high school and college teacher collaborate to incorporate technology into an assignment called the Rural Voices project, for which students compose stories about their lives for a real audience. The Rural Voices project, an activity of the National Writing Project, asked students to write about their hometown and then record their writing for a CD to be shared with classmates. Asking students to publish their work, which can be done in a variety of ways, is one way to increase student motivation. Another key factor in building interest and motivation for students is relevance. Teachers have found that place-based writing--assignments that focus on or are shaped by the geographic area in which students live and learn--can further motivate young writers, as they write from their own experiences. The Rural Voices project takes advantage of the motivating possibilities of podcasting and place-based writing.