School
Digital News Magazine Production
In this section, we delineate
the tasks students completed during the project. It is our hope that
teachers can understand how we planned and carried out our instruction,
and then adapt any of our ideas to their own classrooms and goals.
Week One: Rationale,
Background, and Data Gathering
1. Complete a questionnaire
on their own personal television and movie watching; using data from
class questionnaires, categorize information and create a schematic
web using Inspiration software.
2. Discuss, make generalizations
from class data on media viewing habits.
3. As a whole group, formulate
questions about media viewing, design a survey to be distributed to
friends and family on media viewing/preferences, and conduct surveys.
4. Share results, analyze
and categorize data from surveys and use data to create a data base
(MS Works or Access).
5. Working in small, randomly
assigned groups, draw conclusions and make generalizations based upon
analysis of data, and complete a self and group reflection on group
work and participation.
Week Two: Examine Media
Message by Reviewing, Reflecting, and Reacting
6. After reviewing
theme in literature, view and critique music video (I use "Hands" by
Jewel, as it has a positive message). In small groups, list and describe
the components of the music video. Share observations and interpretations,
supporting analysis with evidence from the video.
7. Use Inspiration software
to create a schematic web/graphic organizer describing and categorizing
observations.
8. Review essays; write
a five paragraph essay on the theme of the music video.
Weeks Three and Four:
Camera and Editing Skills
9. Complete the
iMovie 2 tutorial (takes approximately 2 hours).
10. Observe demonstration
of video camera controls and operation (this can be done while students
are completing the tutorial, as a separate center they can visit in
groups of 3-4). Label parts and controls and restate proper care of
equipment (this can be done in pairs using a check sheet for assessment,
or in an individual quiz format).
11. After reading the "Tips
and Tricks" from Apple on how to shoot great video, (http://www.apple.com/education/dv/tips/index.html),
students work in randomly assigned groups of 3-4 to practice shooting
video by completing a mini-documentary (1-3 minutes in length) on
the topic of "Creativity."
a. Create storyboards
b. Write script
c. Shoot video
d. Edit
e. Present to class
f. Self and peer assess
Weeks Five and Six: Continue
to Examine Media Components - Plan School Newsmagazine
12. Review writing
concepts: audience, author's purpose, and forms of persuasive writing.
As a whole class, view a television commercial (try to use one where
the product isn't ever mentioned by name (example Mercedes car commercial),
identify intended audience and persuasion technique(s) used. As a whole
class, discuss effectiveness of the ad in reaching it's target audience
and power of persuasion.
13. Bring in an example
of a print ad and in small groups, explain the ad by focusing on the
audience and persuasion techniques used. Compare and contrast print
vs. multimedia ads using a Venn diagram (MS Word drawing tools).
14. Self-select 3 advertisements
(include at least one media version, and any other combination of
Internet, newspaper, magazine, or bill board), and analyze to identify
audience, and persuasion technique(s), (i.e. bandwagon, testimonial),
giving support from the ad. Present findings in small groups. Each
group surveys members on which form of ad they felt was most effective.
Share findings with whole group and as a class form generalizations
about what makes the most effective ad.
15. View video "TV-What
you Don't See" (http://gpn.unl.edu/cml/)
then discuss impressions in small groups. Identify any new information,
and things they were already aware of. Individually, compose a paragraph
stating the message of the video.
16. View a local news show
(30 minute format). As a class, list the component segments; then,
following the same format you used with the music video, create a
schematic web (using Inspiration software) listing and categorizing
the components.
17. Working as a whole
class, brainstorm a list of possible reports for a news show about
their school (i.e. current events such as student council elections
or activities, a band concert, sport activities, etc.). Break into
small groups and brainstorm at least three additional possible "special
interest" segments besides current events on campus that would appeal
to the school audience. Share with the class. Students vote by secret
ballot on what current event, and special interest project they are
interested in collaborating to create.
18. Identify jobs/skills
involved in video production. Complete job application for participation
in school news video production.
Weeks 7 and 8: Production
and Peer/Self Assessment
19. Meet in production
groups assigned by teacher based upon job applications. Discuss roles/jobs,
necessary tasks and goals, then create a timeline to accomplish tasks
and goals. Create storyboards for individual segments and write scripts
for anchor/reporters to introduce and conclude segments.
20. Review and restate
requirements for citing sources, and copyright issues, with emphasis
on application to the use of music in video production.
21. Brainstorm criteria
to evaluate projects as a whole class, create assessment rubric (to
include cooperative team work component).
22. Take needed footage,
gather any appropriate still photos, and record any introductions
and commentary.
23. Each team edits its
own footage into production segments and producer team edits all segments
into a cohesive final production.
24. View finished product,
each individual completes assessment rubric, then shares with group,
then groups share with class. Make any necessary changes based upon
class decision.
25. Decide on an airdate
and time, and air the video to the school.
26. Develop a satisfaction
survey for school population. Each group distributes and collects
the survey to a different grade level sample, including staff and
students.
27. Small groups read and
reflect upon school feedback, form generalities and share with whole
class.
Weeks 9 through Project
Completion
28. Decide on new topics
for the next edition of the newsmagazine. Repeat steps 22 through
27 for each newsmagazine produced throughout the school year.
Project Principles
| Principle
I: Learning is an active process facilitated by an environment
that encourages: risk-taking, creative thinking, and critical
thinking. |
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Principle
II: Teachers create such environments to:
- Facilitate learning;
- Provide opportunities
for self-reflection and self-evaluation.
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| Principle
III: Learning is social and is fostered by collaboration. |
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Principle
IV: Learners learn by doing within a specific context. |
| Principle
V: Learning is reflective and incorporates feedback from
teachers (co-learners) and peers. |
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Principle
VI: Students and teachers learn through their mistakes.
(The sound of the water completely "washed out" the sound of the
voices!) |
| Principle
VII: Technology is a tool to facilitate learning and
is NOT the focus of learning. |
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