Friday, October 29, 2010
School TV News
I enjoyed interviewing the student producer, Christian, and the teacher advisor, Mr. Markley to learn about our live morning news show, the Wildcat News. Started last year as a project of our media specialist, Wildcat News was produced each morning in a small room off of the media center. This year the set was moved into its official home in the production studio off of the Explorations in Technology classroom. Wildcat News airs each morning with a premade picture promo (produced by students using Photostory) beginning at 8:25 and then a live five to seven minute news show starting at 8:30. The news show includes a moment of silence, the Pledge of Allegience, weather report, "On this day in history" highlights and school announcments. The student council campaign speeches were also given during the news show in September. Mr. Markley actually gathers the announcments and puts them into Power Point slides that are read from a monitor by the news anchors. Eighth graders must apply to be members of the Wildcat News crew and must also be recommended by a classroom teacher. The crew consists of a student producer, two anchors, one weather announcer, and a four member tech crew. Although the anchors and weather person change quarterly, the tech crew remains the same. Mr. Markley looks forward to adding the Television Broadcast and Video Production modules to the curriculum in his Explorations in Technology class and to producing the Wildcat News during the class rather than before school. Mr. Markley will teach the use of video production and editing equipment, including a green screen. Although the Wildcat News has started out small, I see opportunity for growth and potential for a much more complex production within the next few years. I look forward to watching the growth of Wildcat News and the increased use of technology for our students.
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You are so correct saying technology brings about feelings ranging from excitement, fear, frustration, to confusion. Technology is as much or as little as you make it. There are so many features that can be added to a school news system, they are truly customizable for each particular school and grade levels. In my school currently, all students go to the gym in the morning, one of our administrators come in between 7:45 – 8:00, and deliver daily announcements (birthdays, lunch options, daily activities, pledge of allegiance, moment of silence, and other important things to mention). I think students would love to take part in “running” the morning program. For many students that have attendance issues, working the morning program can be some leverage to tell them they can be on the news if they to come to school on time and stay all day. Working as a team to run the program will also help students work on their collaboration skills which are a lifetime skill they will use in their work place.
ReplyDeleteI love how the news show at your school is filled with technology. I am in an elementary school and we have a morning news crew of fifth graders but the integration of technology isn't great. We do have a PowerPoint that plays but this year we have had a lot of problems with the equipment not working correctly due to age. I love the idea of "this day in history" segment. I am a history buff so I would be so excited about that. I also like the fact that the students contribute so much to the news show. I think even at the elementary level that time could be used to have the students create the introduction screen or the PowerPoint. We use the computer lab as a class for teacher planning so the computer lab teacher could integrate this into her lessons. My mind is spinning with possibilities of a news show.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the Wildcat News team have a great setup. The technology specialist, Mr.Markley, is working well with the students. Our media specialist along with the technology specialist work well together in getting our news team together. We have a new media specialist, and she has put the team together (a group of fifth graders). The team is rotated weekly. They were reporting on the intercom in the mornings daily, now they are taping and showing it on closed circuit in the mornings. Our technology specialist and media specialist work together with the students' setup. The students have a hands on experience with reporting activities for the school. Like your school, we are starting small, but we can see it developing and becoming a bigger production for the students. In order for students to participate, they have to keep their grades up and have good behavior. The fourth graders look forward to being in the fifth grade to have a chance of being on the news team.
ReplyDeleteBy Cecilia:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your interview. It sounds like this school news program meets all of the criteria that was in our readings/websites. the news program at my elementary school is run by the media specialist. It includes a calendar of upcoming school events (Book Fair, Movie Night, School Carnival, Restaurant-Sponsor Nights, etc.), the lunch menu, birthdays and seasonal information like weather. Often, certain classes will be singled out to sing a song or perform something. Usually, an administer on the loudspeaker makes our announcements, starts the Pledge of Allegiance, and announces our moment of Reflection.
During the regular school day, there are TVs in each hallway that carry the lunch menu, famous birthdays, upcoming events, etc. on a Powerpoint slide presentation (no audio).