5 Live! News Keeps Madison Informed
The Madison Elementary School news show covers the happenings of the school community. The show airs live each Friday morning, immediately following the morning pledge. The program is rebroadcast later in the morning for those classes that have scheduling conflicts with the live airing. What makes it unique? The entire broadcast is produced by fifth grade students.
Participating cast and crew members were chosen earlier this year after all fifth graders had been introduced to the news during a tour of a local TV station's news department. Following the field trip, students applied for a desired “job” on the staff. They were interviewed by the Producer and the Editor-in-Chief, who were identified first.
There are 21 students, more than half the fifth grade, currently working on the news staff to produce the weekly program. The curriculum ties include grammar, paragraphing, main idea, details, ordering of events, and reading fluency. Students receive coaching from a parent volunteer who formerly worked in the media.
“Our volunteer coaches the anchors and camera operators wonderfully well,” explained Clint Cornell, teacher. “She works with anchors on delivery and presentation and takes camera operators and news reporters around campus practicing how to record stories for the news show.”
The amount of higher order thinking skills used to create a show from scratch each week, bring new elements to the show, troubleshoot problems as they arise, evaluate one’s performance, and lead others through the process adds up to an immeasurable opportunity for each student, according to Cornell.
The communications activity operates like a business. Students can be promoted, apply for multiple jobs, and also be laid off. A code of standards was established for being on the staff. Since more freedom to move about the school campus is necessary to cover events as they happen, citizenship plays an important role in job selection.
To prepare for each broadcast, the editorial staff eats lunch together on Monday to establish the show for the week. The students film and interview throughout the week, and work after school on Thursdays to finish up, outline the order of the show, and perform a run-through. The program aired for two school years using VCR taped segments. For the current school year, the PTA provided funds to advance from VCR to DVD technology.
All stories and videos are assigned, completed, edited, and produced by the students. All school staff members make themselves available to the students and help us out, all classrooms watch the show on Fridays, and all students are glued to their seats enjoying the show.