When it comes to school TV news,
there are many different avenues can be taken. From student produced news shows
to controlled, adult produced shows, there are many different approaches being
taken. It was nice to see the approach that Orenco Elementary takes, letting
the students produce the show. Hearing students use words like “sound person”
and “mixer” was really neat. They were even featured on the local news for
their extraordinary work.
Watch
them in action here!
The videos produced by Eisenhower Middle
School are simply amazing, with special effects, music, and various reporters.
The videos are archived online under each month, so the videos remain accessible
to students. Each day, headline news is covered as well as everyday events such
as lunch and birthdays. These students even conduct remote Skype interviews.
Simply amazing what these students can do!
At my own school, each day is started by a
news show on the TVthat is produced by the media specialist. Each day, they
lead us in both the U.S. Pledge and the school pledge, let us know the lunch
menu, the weather, and let us know of important upcoming events, such as Red
Ribbon Week and the book fair. I interviewed Mrs. Snow asking the behind the
scenes questions:
Q:
How do you pick the students that lead the morning show? Do the same people work on it all year,
or is there a rotation schedule?
A:
“We have three teams of ten fifth grade
students.....each team works one week at a time and then they rotate. At
the beginning of school each year every fifth grader that wants to be on the
show is allowed to try out. We take a homeroom at a time and every
student gets to do the Morning Show twice. This is their tryout and their
chance to shine. I let the students know that I am looking for good behavior,
good work ethic (they always do their school work and homework), good readers,
and those who speak loudly and with expression. I look for enthusiasm and
students who can follow direction. As students tryout I make a notation
if someone does a good job. At the end of tryouts... I look at my list
and my notes and try to choose students that I think will do a good job.
After my selections are made the fifth grade teachers look over the list
to make sure the students chosen meet the criteria. Sometimes they remove
students I have chosen due to behavior or failure to do one's work. I
also have an alternates list so I can easily fill any vacancies created when
students are removed for the list.”
Q: What are some
problems you’ve encountered?
A: “Sometimes
we have a few student problems.....There are always a few students who get
fired from the show. It is usually due to behavior or work problems.
At
the moment I have a camera that isn't working and is going to need to be
replaced. I don't like to use Book Fair money for this type of thing, but
I really don't have any other options.
Training
the students to speak out, look at the camera, have poise and seem relaxed in
front of the camera is difficult because I only have them for a short time in
the morning. I have been thinking about doing a short training session
with them after school.
These
are the issues I am dealing with at the moment, but I am hopeful it will all
workout.”
No
matter what the format is, it is without saying that TV broadcasts are much
more lively than the traditional loud speaker announcements. Additionally, it
gives the students the opportunity to learn valuable life skills such as using
technology, public speaking, and working well with others.
References:
Eisenhower etv. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.wyckoffschools.org/eisenhower/etv/index.html
KPTV
Channel 12. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kptv.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7034688
Snow,
A. (2012, October 20). Interview by S N [Personal Interview]. School tv news.
The use of a student led broadcast exposes them to the world and job opportunities in that field. We had a video broadcast at our school, but it was not high tech as the one you linked. The media center specialist handling the editing and producing of the show. Most students do not understand the work and manpower it takes to make a segment. Through t video production students learn a new skill and discover that there is more than being in front of the camera. These skills can also be integrated into the classroom with a technology course and English course.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! Our school does not have a school news program, but I wish we did. We have some students who would thrive in that atmosphere. Thanks for sharing that link. It would be nice to conduct a school new program where the kids are the ones doing all the work with supervision from a teacher or media specialist. The work of a student led broadcast can be such an eye-opening experience for kids!
ReplyDeleteWow those kids are amazing! It is hard to believe what they young kids can do given the opportunity. I think it is a great idea for a school to have a news broadcast such as this. I agree with you that students learn so much from this type of activity. The teamwork and planning alone are great teaching tools for students, and they are real world scenarios for students. I really wish my school would have a program like this. I want to continue, or even start, a news broadcast program when I am a LMS one day.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the school news. It improves communication between everyone in the school. Staff and students can be reminded and kept informed about school issues and important information. Students will obtain some academic practice through activities such as trivia, writing contests, etc. Students can be motivated and encouraged thorough being recognized for their achievements.
ReplyDeleteIn our school, fourth and fifth graders must fill out applications and apply for various positions from speaking, acting, camera operations, or even creating and holding cue cards. The teachers must sign the application as a reference. This means that students must exhibit good classroom behavior and academic success. Students will then try out for their position. There is a rotation schedule made for the year so everyone can participate. We have a news studio room set up with costumes and props. The news shows are hilarious and informative. The students and teachers love them!
I really enjoyed reading your posts. I have worked at 3 schools in the last couple of years and I have to say one of the schools I worked at did a great job with the school news. They had the green screen that allowed the Media Specialist to add in special effects, they a teleprompter reader, the whole nine yards. The students absolutely loved being anchors, working the prompter, and having other students participate in the daily news. The school I worked at last year did not a news team. It was simply one of the administrators reading off a piece of paper, boring! The kids tuned out the "news" and on some days so did I. However, the news team at the school I work at now does a pretty good job too. The kids look forward to seeing different faces on the TV and new thing is going on at school.
ReplyDeleteAs a private school teacher, we vary quite a bit from public school in how we handle various things - some good and some bad. This is definitely one of our negatives. Our morning announcements are made over a PA system with no video at all. We do not have closed-circuit capabilities in the school, and the school does not have that placed on its priority list in terms of budget expenses. On the flip side, if we have to spend money on something technological, I would rather it be something that has a greater impact on curriculum - it's just a shame that our kids miss the opportunity to be involved in something as cool as this.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you Sarah; I so enjoyed the video showcasing the students of Eisenhower Middle School. Their passion, professionalism, and dedication were obvious. The Skype interviews! Most teachers are not utilizing Skype like these middle school students.
ReplyDeleteWe too have morning announcement, but they are conducted by our principal or assistant principals. Our video production class does produce a weekly video, but it is usually about sports and school events.
The audition process for your school seems to be rigorous and well organized. The collaboration between teachers and the media center ensures that the students who are selected for the job are ready for the challenge. It was sad to hear that students were fired from their job; I hope that they learn from this.
The training, I am sure pays off as students shine in front of and behind the scenes in your school’s production. Your final comments are well stated and sum up the benefits of this kind of collaborative real life experience for students. I took a moment to watch the Eisenhower students in action again – solid work from dedicated students and teachers.
I love the video link you attached for this blog. It gives an excellent idea of just how technical kids can be and how much they can enjoy this type of activity.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the students having to try out is good for them as well. It is good for students to understand that there are guidelines and expectations of what they should be able to do to be on the news show.
With the expectations of the show, the students learn the lingo used for production and just how technical a morning show can be.
I really think you covered alot of good points in this blog. Thanks for sharing.
What a great video! This is an amazing opportunity for students. I know some students who would thrive in this type of environment. I wish all school could afford students this type of opportunity. It is truly amazing how creative students can be when they are given the chance.
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