Pretty soon I'll be planning for next year's classes. I think they'll be a lot of fun.
There are several alternatives I'll be exploring. For one, the classes will be switched to CATE (again) but we'll still be doing journalism. People don't realize how technology oriented print journalism has become. (This year's now-we're-CATE, now-we're-not is another story.)
Examples, you ask? Check out the Houston Chronicle or the San Francisco Chronicle. Even our own Magnet Tribune has become a leader in using technology, thanks to America's newspaper editors who look out for us in high school journalism.
For one, I don't think we'll have projects. They should have been relatively easy and fast to do, but turned out to be a real drag. I had plans for this year that had to change due to the projects running behind.
What I’d like is for somebody (or somebodies) who is (are) interested to become a "full-time blogger." What I envision is for somebody to write a weekly blog on something of relevance to students, and perhaps have a companion poll to accompany the blog. Of course, we'd have to really promote the blog, and the person(s) writing it would have to work hard to promote it. Maybe it could even have its own Facebook site!
Another thing I'd like to see is to do more video and audio work. I'd like for everybody to have at least one audio program (a blog, talk show, or something that's creative that I do not foresee) and also a video program or video story. We have the mixer and headphone amp, and headphones. One of the microphones I ordered came in yesterday, so I'm hopefully the rest of the stuff will arrive soon. (I'll try to get better lighting, also. We're using my personal light kit.)
Photography and photo essays are another thing I'd like. I hope to get us Soundslides, which would allow us to have slide shows -- and with music!
Of course, we need to have a good supply of stories and photos to accompany them.
Did I hear blogs? Of course, we'll continue with those. :-) Hopefully we can have written, audio and video blogs.
We'll get into Creative Commons music, which will allow us to access music for class use, without purchasing it or paying a royalty fee. (And it will save us from having to join ASCAP or BMI to use commercially available music.)
As for the columnists, how about one column per six weeks? Build up your columns with blogs and audio/video shows. Use social media to promote your work! Take and use photos when appropriate. All our columnists are at the edge of greatness. They just need to put forth the extra effort to cross over that edge.
So, there is much to think about and take advantage of.
--Need a camera to get a quick photo? Use your phone!
--Need a bit of video? Does your phone shoot video? Why not use it?
--Why not experiment with two-camera productions?
--I have a digital phone tap. We have a phone in the room. Why not tape interviews over the phone? Edit them and now you have an audio story!
What do you think? Feel free to e-mail me, write me through Facebook, leave an anonymous message, even just sit down and tell me what's on your mind. All ideas are welcome!
PS: How you noticed that when we have frequent updates to the site we have lots of hits?
I didn't mention:
--A manager for the website
--A manager to oversee weekly polls
--Hopefully unfrozen funds for printing issues of the paper.
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