Producing a school news program is a very difficult task. One of the most important aspects of a news program is technology. Technology must be in place to be able to support a quality news program. I currently do afternoon announcements everyday via a news cast at my school. The students come in the morning and we pre-tape the news. We use an old camcorder that uses VCR tapes. There is one camera operator. Two students sit at a desk in the media center (sometimes there is only 1 due to the fact no one else shows up) and read the announcements teachers have emailed to me. This has to be done while the media center is open. It is quite difficult to get the students coming into the media center to be silent. I also have the problem of the front office calling over the intercom that a teacher has a phone call. In the afternoon, a student comes over the intercom and announces for teachers to turn to channel 4 to view the afternoon announcements. Another student then starts the video and stops it when it is through. I have one student who is in charge of the news crew, yet I am usually the one who makes sure the students have the camera and the announcements. It is as bare bones as it gets. I hate that the news program at my school is not a very good quality production, because I feel it is an important part of the media program.
The news casts were started about the sixth week of school. Students who were interested in joining the news crew had to fill out an application. They had to give a paragraph on why they wanted to be on the news crew, the student and guardian had to sign they understood the rules, and a they had to get 2 faculty recommendations. Since this was the first year, any student who turned in a completed application was selected for the news crew. Next year I will hold auditions. The students are on a rotation schedule. They work on the news cast for one week a month.
I am hoping next year things go smoother.
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Traci -- At least you have a news program although it is not of the best quality. It sounds as if you are planning on having a much better program next year. Maybe, you could chose your staff at the end of this year and they would be willing to raise money for new equipment. At our school, if we want something new we have to find an avenue to pay for it. I have seen grant money for technology equipment so you might try that for next year. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteTraci, I agree with Coach, it's good you have a news program as many schools do not. It's in it's first year, and I bet it can only get better from here with each year that passes.
ReplyDeleteI did laugh a little though about having VCR cameras because I was shocked that they still have video cameras that work and have VHS tapes. Is it a big camera? It amazes me that video cameras for personal use emerged in my lifetime, probably when I was about 10-12. We got by with those and thought we were technologically advanced, but now they have digital camcorders that allow you to capture and play recordings from a computer. They are tiny things. These also have all these fancy settings and capabilities that allow even those less tech savvy to operate them
I agree also on writing grants. I am going to a grant writing workshop next week, and we are going to try to get mounted projectors in all the classrooms, so I'm sure there's grants out there that could help you upgrade your equipment. I have been told the money is there for the taking if you know where to look and how to get it. I guess we'll see about that soon.
Traci I am just amazed that you find the time to get this done everyday! In the mornings I am swamped with teachers calling about things that aren't working. By 8:00 I have normally been all over the school. Then if classes are scheduled to do research or for me to teach a lesson, I won't have time to film later in the day either! I don't know how you do it!!
ReplyDeleteAt the middle school,our announcements are read over the intercom, but at the 4/5th grade they have a daily announcement show that the computer lab parapro puts together each day. The middle school tech class does record a daily radio show that is broadcast from a radio signal we have. It is great for parents waiting in line to pick up their kids!
I second the sentiments that at least you have a school news program. My school had the desire to produce a school news program at one time, but I don't know if our current (new) administration is even remotely interested in starting up such a task. I don't know how you coordinate all of this while the media center is still operating. I don't feel like I have enough hands to run my own classroom some days. But you know, what ever goes exactly like we want it to the first time around? Your experiences this year will certainly help you prepare for a better program next year. You gotta start somewhere....and at least you've gotten out of the starting block.
ReplyDeleteTraci-
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me that your doing a great job considering the circumstances. I mean at least you put forth the effort to give it a try. Just like anything else...you have to keep working at it to make it better.
Don't give up. The more you pump it up the more participation you'll get. And once your principal sees your tenacity and the excitment of the students, he may be willing to help purchase more current technology to make the broadcast even more successful.
Thanks guys, you make me feel so much better about what I am doing. Yes Theresa it is a BIG camera. I personally love the new flip videos, they are so easy to use.
ReplyDeleteI would love to go to a grant writing class. I tried writing one, but they are very time consuming and hard to complete.
Chloe, I don't really have the time & that is a lot of the problem (but it is what my principal wants).
Thanks again guys-you rock
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ReplyDeleteTraci--your news show sounds similiar to mine. We broadcast live at 8:00 using the closed circuit system. As for not having kids show up--I have the opposite problem, I have a faithful crew of 8 who rotate jobs. I have two anchors who read from a powerpoint that I put together every morning. I try to write in banter for the anchors, and have gotten a lot of compliments on that from teachers and the admin--which was encouraging! Other jobs include the audio technitian who starts the opening theme, national anthem and closing theme; the producer who turns on the computer and advances the ppt script; a camera operator; a weather reporter; a sports reporter; and the pledge coordinator who picks up the kids for the pledge and makes sure they are in place.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite an undertaking, but I really enjoy it!
Traci,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with some of the previous posts, while your school’s news program may not be exactly what you would like for it to be, at least you have one. I appreciate that putting together a news team and quality work, with less than quality equipment must be a challenge, and I don’t envy you for that. I have learned a great deal from idea’s people have offered you and intend to use their advice when I get a media center one day.