SCNN (Sope Creek News Network) has been on air for 15 years at Sope Creek Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia. Daily morning announcements are videotaped live at 7:50am and read aloud by a rotation of a group of four students in fifth grade from a news-like anchor desk positioned in the teacher resource room in the back of the SLMC. The school views the live program on closed circuit television in their classrooms on Channel 5. Ms. Robinson, the SLMS oversees the production, but the students have learned to work together to make each live broadcast successful. These broadcasts, although not recorded or archived, serve as a way for the students to be active in the daily news.
Most recently, the sound equipment stopped functioning. However, the decision was made not to invest any more funds into replacing the equipment as a new way of producing the news would soon take over the current system. It will become a digital feed, going through the county system and then being bounced back to the school. I’m not clear on the entire process, but that is what I have been told.
Each 5th grade class has a four week rotation for the crew. Ms. Robinson sends out the applications and interested students complete with a recommendation from their teacher. She then chooses two reporters and two tech crew students. They are trained by the prior crew and then complete their rotation. At the end of the year she sends out applications to all 4thgrade homerooms and choose four students who will start the next year. The four students work as either news anchors or camera person.
Here is what you will find on SCNN:
Ø Opening Introductions
Ø Pledge of Allegiance (by a rotation of selected students in K-4)
Ø School Mission Recitation (with hand signals)
Ø Moment of Silence
Ø News Announcements
Ø Lunch Menu
Below you will find the Application Form/Recommendation Form as well as the Welcome Letter to the crew . Plus, I've attached a digital photo of the anchor desk area for your reference. I enjoy watching the morning news (as I have had volunteer hours that coincide with that time). I'm sure with the digital feed in place new technology will bring more modern additions. 21st Century learning is happening in Cobb County!
Sope Creek News Network Application Form
2012-2013
|
Name:______________________________________ Teacher:_______________________________
I would like to apply for the following position (please check one box): _____ Reporter
_____ Tech Crew
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Ø Return this application to Ms. Robinson in the Library.
Ø No late applications will be accepted.
Ø You must ask your classroom teacher for a recommendation.
GOOD LUCK!
_____ This student participates well in groups
_____ This student can miss class without difficulty
_____ This student works well under pressure
_____ This student is good with equipment (TV, computer)
_____ I fully recommend this student
_____ I recommend this student with reservations (please comment)
_____ I do not recommend this student (please comment)
______________________________________________________________Teacher Signature |
Andree,
ReplyDeleteI like that you included the pertinent forms and a picture of the news desk. That is really neat!
I love the idea of young students producing a live morning broadcast. In my daughter's elementary school, the fifth grade students are in charge of the morning announcements and produce live broadcasts each day. Yet, the high school where I teach has announcements that are haphazardly thrown together and filmed the day before. The commitment to excellence is not apparent in that type of broadcast. The professionalism is lacking, too, in a broadcast that is filmed ahead of time because students know they can simply re-do it if they mess up. The live broadcast brings a sense of urgency and an element of pressure for students to be their best.
Thanks for sharing!
Like the school you discuss, my school also uses a rotation of 5th grade students and seems to have the same components (Introduction, pledge, school and district mission statement, moment of silence, lunch menu, and announcements). However, my school’s “news” comes in the form of morning announcements over the intercom system rather than a TV broadcast – and this makes all the difference! I love the idea of students applying for the various jobs and being trained as a reporter or tech crew. It is a great real-life practice for students and a great exercise in teamwork. Thank you for including the example of an application form, too. The Teacher Recommendation portion brings up things I would not have thought about when selecting students to participate; working well under pressure is something I may have overlooked, but it is definitely an important component in making a successful broadcast! While I am glad my school does morning news, I feel like it is time to move beyond the intercom. Students tend to tune-out the announcements, but end up missing some important information. By adding a visual component to the news, as Sope Creek does with SCNN, I think students would be more interested and engaged. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is very similar to our FMN (Ford Mustang News) format. We have a few more positions for the 5th grade students who fill out applications, get teacher recommendations, and AUDITION for the positions of Director, Sound, Script, Camera, Anchor (2), and Weather. Our media specialist as well as other teacher volunteers are sponsors for this program but it is student run. Each team trains the next group up in the rotation. I am excited that I have been asked to become a sponsor of the news team for the 2013-2014 school year. I will begin this year with the application process (I have to graciously bow out of the audition process as I am currently a 4th grade teacher and I wouldn't want to accidentally show some favoritism...).
ReplyDeleteOur format is similar with a brief intro montage that includes pictures from recent events at the school and/or pics of various students and teachers waving good morning, intro of the news team, the Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic song of the day (Mondays only), Moment of Silence, Specials rotation update, lunch menu, birthdays, Weather, any special announcements, and then the closing.
Are there occasional technical difficulties? Of course! But our kids cannot wait until they are in 5th grade and get to (hopefully) become part of the FMN News Team!
On a personal note, my son was Director for News Team 2 during this school year. He was/is such a fabulous leader/trainer, the sponsors often ask him to assist with subsequent news teams. Recently, they needed him to step in a train the most recent Director because the previous one had tried, each sponsor had tried, then they called on John. As a parent I am extremely impressed with the leadership skills and sense of community that being a part of the news team has encouraged in my son.