Monday, March 5, 2018

KRTS Elementary Student Daily News Show: Kids Run The Station


Each weekday at two of our elementary schools as well as our high school, students provide morning announcements for their classmates through a televised morning new show. These new shows are written, anchored, directed and each produced by student teams. There is a mini TV studio in each of these three schools’ media centers where this all takes place. Recordings of these shows are then posted online for any students who missed it as well as parents to watch. 

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to appear on one of these new shows at scenic Heights Elementary School. The new show is called KRTS, and acronym that stands for Kids Run the Station. I was a guest for February’s I Love to Read Month, highlighting two of my favorite books: Tuesday by David Wiesner and Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls. Media Specialist Melinda Barry has been running this student new show overseeing the student new show for 17 years. 

Every fifth grader at the school gets the opportunity to be a part of this morning show on a rotating schedule. There are multiple jobs from which they can choose including anchor, camera operator, director and more (see the full list further below). Daily features are a few noteworthy, age appropriate news items selected by students, the weather, sports, highlights of items in lost and found, and a Chinese Word of the Day (the school offers an optional Chinese language immersion program). The script is read off a teleprompter that is simply a Google Doc which Melinda has shared with the writers to edit beforehand. 

These news shows offer students the opportunity for real world learning as well as practice using collaboration and communication skills, each dimensions on the Minnetonka Framework for Teaching and Learning. Students enjoy this very much. Starting in kindergarten, they each look forward to running the show themselves some day as a fifth grader. One former Scenic Heights fifth grader is currently working in journalism. Writing and presenting stories for an authentic audience is a lifelong skill that's invaluable in almost any field.

KRTS Jobs:
CREW
Sound: Uses the sound board to turn the microphones up and down therefore controlling what the building hears during the broadcast.
Floor Director: Scrolls the teleprompter so the cast knows what to say.
Camera 1 & 2: Controls the cameras so the viewers see what they are supposed to see.
Tech Director: Uses the switcher to control what the building sees from either camera.

CAST
Head Anchor: Writes and presents a story that will appeal to kids kindergarten through 5th grade. Good topics include interesting animal facts, ways we can be "green", new developments in science, big events like elections….    Avoid stories about movies that aren't rated G or stories that would be scary to younger kids. Submit your story in the teleprompter and bring a hard copy.
Co Anchor: Writes and presents a school or local story that will appeal to kindergarten-5th grade students. Good topics include things that are happening at Scenic Heights or in Minnetonka schools, local events including theater productions, celebrations,....  Submit your story in the teleprompter and bring a hard copy.
Sports: Writes and presents a story that will appeal to kids kindergarten through 5th grade.Good topics include sports events at Scenic Heights, Minnetonka Schools sports events, Minnesota Pro team sporting events or major sporting events like the Super Bowl, the Olympics….  Submit your story in the teleprompter and bring a hard copy.
Weather: Writes and presents a story that will appeal to kids kindergarten through 5th grade. The story should include the temperature high and low, and a brief forecast (cloudy, sunny, snowy…).  Also include a brief weather fun fact.  Submit your story in the teleprompter and bring a hard copy.
Lost and Found: When you arrive at school in the morning, select four items from the Scenic Heights Lost and Found to bring to the studio and present on the show.  No preparation at home needed.  
Chinese Word of the Week: Welcome the first grader who will tell us the Chinese word of the week. No preparation at home needed.
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