Overview - The Newsroom has started!! The interviews last week went really well. I was extremely impressed with the professionalism of our students. For the most part, they were prepared for all of the rigorous questions that I threw at them. Congrats to the new employees.
Now it's time to get to work. In the Newsroom this week we will be establishing many rituals and routines to get them on the right track. The students are learning how to become efficient writers through the PBL framework. They have established a driving question and a "Needs to Know" list, which are the fundamental foundations which drive their learning. The rookie journalists must "inform the surrounding community about the events occurring in the 6th grade STEM Greek Project and at the Greek Festival." It was quite impressive to watch 12 year old students collaborate on this statement. It will only get better over the next few weeks.
We have established positions within the newsroom as well. The group created multiple media positions to fit the strengths of our students: Editor-in-Chief, Asst Ed-in-Chief, journalists, interviewers, photographers, camera crews, broadcasters, field reporters, marketing professionals, and SONY Vegas editing specialists. Many students have taken on multiple positions. We have decided to create three sources of media information: a newspaper, news broadcast streamed over the internet, and a daily opinionated blog.
Monday - 10/27/14
Wow!! The first day of the newsroom was very successful. The new journalists are eager to get started. We covered many topics and a lot of heads are spinning. The students created their driving question today, as well as establishing a "Need to Know" list. We were able to put people in positions that they desired as well. The group was given a tour of the media center, donated by our partners from Alcoa. The equipment is simply!! This group also laid out the daily expectations and discussed the importance of meeting deadlines. Stay tuned in for our updates to blog spot, and make sure to view the newspaper along with the broadcasts coming soon.
Tuesday - 10/28/14
The Newsroom is in its second day already. The group is meeting to cover many issues on the agenda. They must establish a name for the the newspaper and broadcast show, along with the opinionated blog article. The group must also decide on a template for the newspaper that will allow them space for articles, photos, and advertisements. Instruction will be provided on journalistic questioning, conducting interviews, broadcasting, field reporting, and camera use. The day is short, and we have much to learn.
Wednesday - 10/29/14
The Newsroom went into action today. The journalists went out to cover their scheduled stories in the Greek classrooms. Interviews were being held in the media center. Our Editor-in-Chiefs were busy managing the progress of the day. The camera crews became more familiar with the equipment. We were able to produce "Poseidon's Press" in the allotted time as well. Much was accomplished in the short time given to meet the deadlines.
The group definitely must focus on our note taking skills, and center our stories around the content of each classroom. Collecting details and weaving them into fluid stories will be our focus for improvement over the next few weeks. Today, we hope to be able to run our first broadcast on SONY Vegas. Stay tuned in and the page will be constantly updated.
Thursday - 10/30/14
The Newsroom cast spent quality time reorganizing their priorities and setting a more fluid schedule. The students realized that deadlines are vitally important in order to get work produced in a timely fashion. The collaborated on ways to shave time off of each and every part of their mornings. It was amazing to watch them work together to solve a problem that many adults struggle with.
They were able to produce a well written paper and distribute the edition to the public. The stories were cleaned up and the focus was strictly informational. The journalists were paired up with photographers as they went out on the beat. It really is impressive to watch them become so responsible and motivated by a career that they were able to choose. Sophia was able to post her opinionated blog on time as well, We are still struggling with our news broadcasts, as the SONY Vegas system is really giving us a hard time. Hopefully, we can get some professional training as soon as possible.
Friday - 10/31/14
Happy Halloween!!! The Newsroom is working fast and furious today to meet their deadlines. We have trimmed back their time due to the Halloween celebration at 11. They must have a newspaper and broadcast completed by 10:30. The pressure is on. Will they make!!?? Stay tuned in to find out.
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