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5 Misconceptions about Pre-Recorded Video School Announcements [ep.120]

5 Misconceptions about Pre-Recorded Video School Announcements [ep.120]

video school announcements

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Episode Summary

Have you been hesitant to start a school-wide news club because running it sounds like a lot of work? Maybe you believe you don’t have access to what you need to get started. In today’s episode, I’m debunking 5 misconceptions about pre-recorded video school announcements and sharing many of the benefits of transitioning from traditional announcements to video announcements.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • 5 misbeliefs about pre-recorded video school announcements 
  • The truth about these misconceptions
  • Benefits of pre-recorded video school announcements

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:


What is it typically like when the announcements come on at your school? Over the intercom. Usually, this happens in the morning. The kids are coming into the building, they're unpacking their backpacks, they're getting ready for the day, pulling out their homework, and checking in with their friends. You, as the teacher, are managing all the things. Like always, you might have a couple of emails you're finishing up. You're greeting students, fighting fires, and getting everything ready so you guys can have a successful day. Meanwhile, the school-wide announcements come over the intercom. Sometimes, they're at the typical time they're scheduled for, or maybe they're a minute or two late.


Naomi Meredith [00:00:45]:


But either way, they are often really disruptive. No one's really listening, teachers or kids. And sometimes, they seem to go on forever and ever. I totally get it. It was like this at my school. And out of the three schools that I worked at, it was like this in every single building. But it doesn't have to stay this way. In fact, our school-wide announcements totally changed at my school when I switched to a prerecorded video model.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:23]:


But I know what you're thinking. That sounds great, but that's too much work to do. Video news? Can't we just keep doing what we've been doing and no need to change it? Who cares if anybody's listening anyway? Don't worry. In fact, I have heard all of those sentiments before when I got the video news recorded at my school. So, in this episode, I am debunking five common misconceptions when it comes to starting video school announcements and what it really is like behind the scenes. 


Naomi Meredith [00:02:24]:


If you haven't already checked it out yet, I am hosting live a workshop to take you through the whole process of setting up your video school-wide news. From the pre-prep to the script, recording, organizing all the content, and editing to publishing, I'm going to be showing you it all in this live two-hour workshop. Now, if you're listening to this episode live, you can definitely still jump in on that workshop and interact with me and other teachers who will be there. But if you're listening even months down the road, don't you worry. This workshop will be recorded so you can listen on the go and get some awesome wins in 2 hours. Not only will I be talking through the process and helping you get set up with your video school-wide news, there will also be templates and examples to help you visualize and get this running with your students for all of this information and even more to jump on in find it naomimeredith.com/newsworkshop. So you're hearing me talk about this video news, and you're thinking, okay, that's great, but we just want to keep it the way it is.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:47]:


That just sounds like too much work. But what if, in education, that's one of the most detrimental things to say is, well, we've always done it this way, we're just going to keep doing it this way. That was definitely the school that I worked at. Video news, I know, isn't a new concept, but it was something new at my school. And really, teachers were very wary of it. They were unsure of how it would go, what information was going to be shared, would it actually be helpful? Would kids even sign up for the news? Spoiler alert: I had 40 my first year sign up for my news club and 80 the next year. So yes, kids are very interested. The biggest barrier was the actual teachers.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:36]:


So here I am breaking down those misconceptions and how video news can actually be a great success in your school and help you understand the reason why this is important. Even just by shifting the way that the information is presented, you might even have great content coming over the intercom. You can still keep that great content, but just shifting the way that it is presented can make an even greater impact on your school community. Video is not going away. Video is not a new thing. In fact, I am here recording this podcast. And yes, podcasts are excellent. I am all for audio only, but also you have the pleasure of listening to this whenever you want.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:29]:


Same with your video news. You can watch it at any time of the school day. That works best in your schedule. And likewise, I understand the value of video. So, while I'm recording this audio, I am looking directly at a camera. So you can actually absorb the information by looking at my face. So video is extremely powerful, and it's definitely not going away. So let's get into these misconceptions and why this can actually be a game changer in your school.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:04]:


Switching your school-wide announcements that are blaring over the intercom and in a video format. The first misconception you might have when setting up your school-wide video news is that you need fancy equipment to get started to record. Guess what? I thought the same thing. I thought the same exact thing. And this even goes back to when I was excited about starting this podcast. This actually is the second podcast that I've ever had, and we use some fancy things back on that podcast. The innovative teacher podcast. I think it might still be around.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:43]:


You might have to go check, but I realized that you can do amazing things with minimal materials. Really? Right now, all I'm using is software to record. My phone is my camera, and then I have a microphone. So, I thought of the same concept when it came to my school video news. Looking in my classroom, I had iPads and tripods, and really, I had my phone also had a slightly better camera than the iPads. And that's all we used to get started. We just used the camera app on the iPad and hit record. And maybe you're saying, okay, well, we don't have iPads, we give up.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:25]:


The second year, we actually switched to the cameras on the student devices. So we use that front facing camera as a way to record our news. Now, when it came to the editing side, the first year, I used iMovie, which is something that is embedded in iPads already. And also, on my computer, I used iMovie to edit. The second year, we used WeVideo to edit. So it works a lot like iMovie. But I had more students who were actually helping me edit instead of me being a team of one editing with a couple of students who joined me in the second semester. But those were the platforms that we used when it came to the editing side.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:07]:


And then I posted everything in Google Drive, and it was shared within our school. We actually didn't post on social media. That was just something that we decided for school and student safety that this wasn't something posted outside of our school building. So, the tools to get started were really simple, and there are two things. First, like I said, these were things that we already had on hand, so I wanted to use these tools in an effective way. And the second thing is I wanted students to see that you can create great content with minimal tools. And these minimal tools are actually really good. The videos that I'm creating here at home are way better than the ones that I was creating at their age.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:54]:


Our technology is so much better, and it's even smaller. So let's use it. You can start implementing a green screen. I did write a grant for a greenscreen, tripod, so that is something we add in later on. Again, the technology of editing is very simple. You can do that in iMovie. We video or. My favorite iPad app is Dew Ink Green Screen by Dewink.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:20]:


It has a pink octopus on it, but you don't even have to do that either. Half the time, we didn't edit the green screen, and it was okay. So if you're letting just the actual tools hold you back, you probably already have the one tool to get started in your back pocket your phone. The second misconception when it comes to having prerecorded video school announcements is you need a lot of prior experience to get started. Teachers and students. Guess what? I always would tell my students this I wasn't born knowing how to use any technology. Surprise, surprise. I didn't come out of my mom and know how to use a 3D printer or make a video, they don't either.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:07]:


Now, kids these days, sure, maybe they're able to adapt and learn technology a lot quicker, but it is a big difference to using technology in academic ways that can be a whole podcast in itself. Likewise, with you, everything can be learned. I have a book that I really love. It's a business book by Marie Forilio, and it is called Everything is Figureoutable. And I told my students that that is true. So, just like with the news, we were building the airplane as we flew it. And good thing for you, in the workshop, I kept track of everything that we did for two years. So you don't have to worry about having any prior experience.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:46]:


If you can turn on the camera on your phone, you are good to go. If you can hit record on the camera on your phone, then you are ready to start the news. With that and with the scripts I'll give you in the workshop, you are going to be creating a repeatable structure that you can build upon as the year goes, especially if you are doing this every single day, then you're going to figure out some kinks along the way. That's just how teaching is. When you're teaching something new, you're going to be a lot of times learning along with the kids. So, as long as you have the structure set up like the one I'm going to be giving you, then you can jump in and get started. It is totally okay. And with that, when it comes to, oh, we don't have any prior experience, that's the whole point of it.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:37]:


With this club, you have the opportunity to even connect to important standards. I'm thinking about the Common Core State Standards and specifically speaking and listening standards for every grade level. There is something about being able to share your ideas in a clear way and also create digital presentations. Now hopefully, you're doing that anyway in your classroom. But this is a big presentation where students' work is being shared right away, and there's immediate feedback. Along with that, you can even check out the SD standards for students. The prerecorded video news really go along with a lot of standards within that, those technology standards. And I'm even thinking about a global collaborator where we are getting information from their real world, their school.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:30]:


They're getting that information and presenting it in a way that it makes sense for not only teachers but especially students. So this is a really great way that will build upon skills that they may or may not already have and ones that we're already hoping to teach our students. When you're thinking about setting this up and the skills that you will be teaching your students, your recording team will actually help you create parts of your script. So there will be sections that they will actually have to prepare before they even hit record. It's not something where they will show up and the script is 100% done for them. They have to have a bit of buy in to get it ready so they can record their day. Then as the year goes on, you can teach other things like green screen going in other locations, interviewing people, you can add in other elements like that even. There were times of the year when kids get a little bit squirrely, where we had to remind them of ways of how you should present on camera.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:38]:


Sometimes I would even show them videos of this podcast of me talking to you and I would show them, am I messing around on camera? No. Am I climbing all over the chairs and bugging the people next to me? Now for me, it'd be bugging my dog Frederick who's behind me. No, because I need to give the information. And so, same with them. You can make silly videos all day long, but that's not the purpose of the news. So you're really teaching them a different way to present on camera. Same with your editing team. You're going to be teaching them skills as well.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:13]:


And even if you don't know how to edit yet, these platforms are so much easier to edit in, don't you worry. So they'll learn how to clean up your video. And I even have a whole checklist that we created together. I had an initial checklist, but then as we got going with kids, me and the other teacher who ran the editing side as we got going, we added some things to this checklist and we really made it a must do and may do checklist when it comes to editing. And again, same exact checklist that I use when I edit my videos, which will also be included in the news workshop. Again, you are teaching kids when they're on that editing team, skills that are important to publishing a great clean video. And you can build up those skills as you go, like editing the green screen, adding music, adding text overlay, adding transitions, so you don't have to know all of it at first. Your students might not either.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:09]:


And you'll learn and grow together and be amazed by how far you come. The third misconception when it comes to starting your prerecorded video news is that audio announcements are sufficient enough, no need to change them. Sure, it's probably easy for your admin to pop on the intercom and disrupt what you are doing, and go on and on for five or so minutes about information that may or may not be heard. Great, keep doing that. That's fine. You can still have the same people present and have the same information. You're just making it more visual. What's really great when you have the news that's actually pre-recorded and not live, is that teachers can actually plan it into their systems and routines.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:58]:


And when we're really thinking about, okay, what's working best for students, what is really going to help the learning environment, what is something that kids can count on? This video news was something that worked for every teacher, and they put it in at a different part of their day. And actually, funny enough, if kids were being a little naughty in the morning, the teacher would not play it, and they had to earn it back, so they would eventually play it later on. But they loved it so much that kids didn't want to miss out on watching the news. I reached out to a lot of the teachers that I worked with, classroom teachers, and also my teammates when it came to what they thought of the news. And here's what one of the third-grade teachers said I love the RHL news. That was our school RHL news because it's a consistent way to receive and spread information to my students. It provided reminders for teachers about after-school clubs and upcoming events. It was five minutes every morning to help kick off the day.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:03]:


My students love seeing themselves and their friends deliver the news. And here's what one of our fourth grade teachers said about the news another teacher who is implementing this into her daily routine our school news is wonderful. It is a great way for the entire school to get information, but not at the same time. It gives teachers the flexibility to do the morning announcements when it fits into our mornings. It is also great to see students step up as leaders. And it was a great way for teachers and staff to promote their own clubs and after-school activities. And, of course, the joke of the day. It genuinely made me laugh alongside my students.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:44]:


Another thing I loved was the crosswalk questions with Ms. Meredith. It was interesting and fun. I highly recommend all schools create something like the School News to better build your community. This is just another way, again, where you can build your community in a fun way that is super visual and has that video component. And I've said this before, but YouTube is the number two search engine next to Google, and we're giving kids the experience to create high quality videos that when they're outside of school, they can start doing this process on their own. This was a big one. I actually got pushback from some teachers when I got this started.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:27]:


They were very skeptical of the news. But the fourth misconception for starting your pre-recorded video news is that only adults should be saying the announcement. And I got this one quite a bit where, oh, aren't kids going to be missing out on important information? How are they going to know what to say? Well, the answer could be yes. They could be missing out on important information if you have no structure in place and you're doing everything last minute. So, thankfully, in my workshop, I have a very easy content plan where you can collect the information in a very easy way, and you're not missing out on anything. Also, if you're really concerned about adults presenting the news, we actually did use adults at the very beginning of the school year, busy times a year when we couldn't do after-school clubs and the end of the school year. So if you really, really need adults to be on camera, don't worry, there's plenty of chances to do that. There's about 180 days in the school year, so there are going to be days when adults are on camera.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:34]:


Another thing I got when it comes to having only adults present on the announcements was we should be hearing from our principal every day, and yeah, that can be actually really important. So again, when we started off the school year, we did have our school principal do the announcements and get them going. And also the end of the year, we also recorded our principal saying the Pledge of Allegiance, since that was something that our school district does. And so we put that video clip on our announcements. So every day the principal was saying the same thing, and the kids actually knew the tone of voice in the way that she said it, so they would actually repeat it, which is kind of funny. And then we also had the principal record segments that we would throw in throughout. So the students were very aware of who our principal was. And let's be real, yeah, they like seeing our principal, but they like seeing their friends a little bit more on camera.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:27]:


So there was plenty of opportunities for our principal and admin to be on screen. Also, in episode 119, in my guest interview, Becca and her teammate Carly, she was saying that her principal had a hard time giving up these school announcements, which mine did too, at first, but then they actually ended. Up really liking it a lot better because it freed them up in the mornings where they weren't rushing to the intercom and saying something really quick and then being on their way. So it might be a transition at first for your admin, but they might end up really liking it a lot better. It will secretly free them up quite a bit. And this is the last misconception when it comes to having pre recorded video news is if the school announcements aren't live, you can't add any last minute changes. I had a lot of teachers who were very worried about that one, but there is still a way to add in those things. A huge benefit of not going live is you're not reliant on the technology working.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:31]:


There are more things that can happen if you're going live instead of pre-recorded. So many different things, especially your school might have been like mine, where the WiFi wasn't very good, so I did not want to risk it. And that would have been my plan time every day if we ended up going live. So what we did is we pre-recorded the news on Monday and the whole school was aware of that. So again, with the content calendar and the way that we set up the year and also the way that teachers can submit information, it helped them be on track of getting that information in so it could be presented on the news. And they knew if they didn't give us the information soon enough, they're going to have to wait and it's not as urgent. So it did help everybody who wasn't necessarily on the news crew team be more efficient with their planning to make sure that we can present the news. And that also helped with Admin as well, making sure they were organized.


Naomi Meredith [00:22:29]:


I would definitely send out a lot of emails and ask people questions and stay on top of those things. But it helped everybody get on the same page because they knew if they want other kids to hear about it, they need to get their calendars ready to go and send them our way. So I know Carly also said this in that same guest interview with Becca, that it also helped their school with their communication as well. So it really can streamline that information even though we weren't live, because people knew we were going to pre-record it now, because it was pre-recorded, mistakes do happen. And I did watch every single episode before it was posted. So I would sit down after our editing team and I would take all the videos, watch every single one, and if there were things that had to be added last minute, I could easily do that. I got pretty fast at editing and when it's the same structure, the videos are what, five minutes? Five or so, seven at the max. Sometimes, they were two minutes.


Naomi Meredith [00:23:30]:


Then you can get really quick at editing because you know where certain parts are supposed to be. And with that it's really fun where you can add in those fun segments like crosswalk questions with Miss Meredith or even commercials for clubs, so it does free up. We're adding in those fun little things not dependent on technology, and you still can add in those last minute things. And when worst comes to worse, I would even type a little note on our news page and teachers would get the information and it would be okay. As a recap, here are the five misconceptions when it comes to having prerecorded school video news. The first one was you need to have fancy equipment to record. The second misconception was students and teachers need prior experience making videos before getting started. The third misconception was audio only announcements are sufficient enough.


Naomi Meredith [00:24:24]:


The fourth misconception is only adults should be speaking on the announcements. And the fifth misconception is if the announcements aren't live, you can't add any last minute changes. Like I've said in other episodes, I am very passionate about this topic and getting kids to create videos in structured and productive ways. And in fact, in the next episode, I will be talking all about the benefits of students making videos. So yes, with the news and other ways of making videos in general. And if you haven't already, it's not too late to sign up for the live workshop you can jump on in naomimeredith.com/newsworkshop. Hopefully, I can see you live, but if not, join us for the recorded session. And I know that you're going to have some great wins in our 2 hours together.


Naomi Meredith [00:25:17]:


See you in the next episode.

video school announcements

 

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Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

setting up your school-wide news

3 Tips for Setting up Your School-Wide News [ep. 118]

3 Tips for Setting up Your School-Wide News [ep.118]

setting up your school-wide news

Check out the full episode on 3 Tips for Setting up Your School-Wide News:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

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Episode Summary

If you’re thinking about starting a school-wide news club at your school, there are a few things you want to consider before you get started. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 tips for setting up your school-wide news. I share insight into how these tips helped me when I was hosting a school-wide news club and more.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Tips for setting up your school-wide news
  • How I implemented each of these strategies at my school
  • Why I implemented each of these strategies in my school-wide news club

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:


Are you ready to start your school-wide news club? But how should you get started? In this episode, I'm going to be sharing with you the three top tips for starting your school-wide news club without ever having your students go live on camera. I am so excited about sharing all the behind the scenes secrets when it comes to hosting your school-wide video news club. This is a club I am extremely passionate about and a system in process that I have put together and carefully kept track of so I could share it all with you so you can have the same success and positive experience for your students and school-wide community. I'm going to be sharing with you some awesome tips in this episode, but if you want more, jump in on this live workshop that I am going to be hosting for you, Naomimeredith.com Newsworkshop and Inside.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:31]:


In this two-hour live workshop, I will be sharing all of the tips and tricks when it comes to starting your news club, all the way through recording, editing, the tools that you need, and all the way to the end when you're ready to hit publish every single day. If you are listening to this podcast in real time, make sure to check out that link and jump in so you can join me live and other teachers to interact with me. But if you can't make it live or you're listening to this way months later when this is posted, don't worry, the whole workshop is going to be recorded so you can access the information on your own time, but also still have the same success. The link will be in the show notes, and we are excited to have you inside the workshop. This episode is part of a series that I am doing all about STEM after-school clubs. I hadn't talked about this before in my episodes. I've kind of hinted at it here and there, but you guys kept asking, so I am here answering. In the last episode, 117, I talked about what you're missing out on by not having a video school News Club.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:43]:


So, if you haven't listened to it, make sure to check it out after you finish this one. So you're here, you're convinced you're ready, you would like to start a school-wide news club where the kids are recording the news, and you have a team that's editing, and the videos are posted every day. But it sounds like a lot of work. And let me be real, it is a lot of work. It is a lot of work, but it's a lot more work if you don't have any systems in place. Just like anything, I am the kind of person with anything that I'm really passionate about, especially when I'm in my creating mode, whether it's lessons, clubs, or content for you guys. I have so many ideas swirling in my head, but I won't implement them until I figure out a system that will be implemented to do all of these things and something that can be repeated over and over and over again so I don't really have to think about the whole process. So, I have a lot of things swirling in my head.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:46]:


Like this workshop was swirling in my head for a while, but I don't do it until I know I have a system in place that is going to work, and I will, of course, iterate things and fix them if they don't. But for the most part, when I implement something, I have some sort of system in place. My podcast manager knows who implements this. I have all the ideas, and I will get them out there. I just have to figure out the system first. So, the same goes for hosting your school-wide video news club. There are lots of ways you could do this, but if you have a system in place that is repeatable, that you can do every single day, week after week, year after year, you're going to find so much more success where you don't have to think about the little things and all that creativity will flow in naturally. So much so this process works that I was able to repeat it and get more teachers to help me on my team, so I wasn't doing this alone. I even shared this process with my teacher friends at another school, and they use the same exact thing, it has been extremely helpful for them, and they use the same exact process and, again, add in their own little bits of creativity.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:58]:


So, there is a method to the madness, and I'm going to be sharing with you three top tips to get those things in place. If you are ready to get started with your school-wide video news, the first tip for setting up your school-wide news is to have a consistent schedule. This was the biggest club that I had ever hosted my first year. We had 40 kids, which is quite a bit of kids, and we had never done this before, and I was impressed. Forty kids signed up for a club that I had never done before, which was super exciting the second year because kids had seen what the news can be and its capabilities and all of those benefits that go to the previous episode. I talk about all those benefits of it. I had 80 kids sign up. 80, it doubled.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:52]:


So, you need to figure out a consistent schedule. And I didn't cut anybody. I actually had a method where I kept everybody on my crew. So you need to create a consistent schedule so you are getting out this news on time. Also, with the format, I had this because that's a lot of kids. I wanted a lot of kids to have opportunities to think about the format. We had a recording team, and we had an editing team. Kids could not be on both teams, so they really had to choose.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:23]:


Most kids actually knew if they wanted to be on camera or not, but you had a couple of kids who wanted to do both. So I'm like, you really do have to pick. Or maybe you do this for half the year, and then you switch to the other half of the year. So, having that consistent schedule where kids were recording in time for the news to be edited and then in time for it to be posted for the following week, we really had to be consistent with our schedule. Likewise, you really need to think about when you have upcoming breaks, what are you going to do? Are you going to record ahead of time? Are you not? Are you going to have teachers help you? Are you going to be canceling days? You really want to map out the whole year of when you're hosting the club because that makes a huge difference. Each year that I hosted the news, I actually recorded on different days based on our school calendar and the days we had off because that actually did make a difference in how often I would see kids, and I needed the kids to come every week. There were times, I will say, when there was a glitch or something, and I had to record the news at home with my little dog, Frederick. And all the kids in the school, by the end of the year, knew that my dog's name was Frederick, and they would ask about Freddie.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:34]:


Freddie Boy. They gave him nicknames because they had seen him. Maybe I also said his nicknames on camera, but there were times when I might not have thought about it, and we were scrambling. So, really look at your candle. Your candle. Really look at your calendar to make sure you have a consistent schedule. The next tip for setting up your school-wide video news is to have scripts. 90% of the time, I did not let the kids talk off-script.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:06]:


They were not allowed to do that. I told the kids this is different than creating videos at home. And for fun, that's different. I do that, too. I create fun videos, blah, blah, blah. But I would even show them my videos of my podcast. So, I do record videos of my podcast while I'm doing this simultaneously. But I did show them the videos.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:30]:


And for the most part, I do have a script. So, I'm not reading word for word, but I am using a script while I am talking to you guys. But I told them that there are different videos for different purposes. Anybody can turn on a phone and take a video, sure, but the purpose of our school-wide news is to deliver information. And with that, we do have to have a script so that we get the information accurate and that we are keeping it consistent for our audience because they're depending on us for this important information. They got so good at reading the scripts. They were a lot like Will Ferrell in the movie Anchorman because they would just read it, and then they wouldn't always know what they were saying. And it was funny because sometimes they realized after the fact that they said something, and then they would start giggling, or they would be surprised to be like, oh my gosh, is that really happening? Because they know what's going to happen ahead of all the other kids a lot of times.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:31]:


And so they got pretty good at reading this script. So it was really cute when they would get excited about an event happening because they were finding it out as they were reading it again. Having a script is really important. It sounds boring, but trust me, it's not boring. Having a script is really helpful for the presenters because they know the flow of how the script is going to go. And I had a lot of kids who actually struggled at reading, who wanted to be on my news club. It was totally voluntary, nobody was forced into this. But I had a lot of kids on there, and there were certain parts that they knew that they could be confident at reading because the script was the same all the time.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:12]:


Some of the content would change, but the exact format of it was exactly the same every single time. This was also helpful for my editing team. So we recorded on one day, and we edited on the next. Now, I did mention this in another episode. I was the editor for the first half of the first year, and I did watch every single video before they were posted, every single one. So I watched 300-plus videos? So, I got pretty fast at editing. But this helped the editing team because as they were editing same for me, we had the script pulled up, and then we had the video right next to it.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:51]:


So we would actually edit in partnerships where they would go through the script and make sure that the kid said everything. Sometimes, here and there, recording groups would actually miss a section. So my editing team had to record and put that section in, or this was sometimes really sad. Sometimes that, the other groups, the kids who are recording, their microphone wasn't on. I have had that happen to me on my podcast. Their microphone wasn't on, and then the editing team had to record for them. So, having a script was really helpful because we didn't have to recreate that information. And also, having a script is helpful for your audience for the rest of the school.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:34]:


The school knows what we're going to say. They knew exactly the format of what we were going to say. We even said birthdays and lunch. And if we didn't say somebody's birthday, there was an uproar for sure. I definitely got emails and texts about that, and we had to add that in. So, knowing that consistency and format was not boring for anybody. It built into that routine because kids knew how to fill it out. There was some ownership for the kids who were presenting.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:03]:


They did have to help fill out part of the script. But there was a whole system to this, and trust me, it will make your life easier. And the final tip when getting started with your video news is to use easy to use equipment. We didn't really use a lot of fancy stuff. There are a few reasons for this. The first year that we recorded, we used iPads and then some tripods that I got from a grant. The next year we had different student computers, and it worked out a bit better, and I was trying to streamline things even more. I'm always working on efficiency in everything that I do.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:43]:


But the second year, we used student computers, and students recorded directly in WeVideo. W-E-V-I-D-E-O. We video all one word, no spaces. So we use that platform so students would record in WeVideo. And then, the same video was opened up the next day for our editing team, and the video was there for them. So, we used very simple tools. Eventually, we added in a few more fancy things like we tried green screen. When the kids were able to present on camera efficiently and effectively and work together as a team, I showed them how to record and set up their green screen.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:23]:


And then also my editing team, I showed them how to edit the background. We also started to add in microphones. We played around with that. So you really don't need that big of equipment to get started with this. Also, this is a huge benefit of not going live. I didn't have to worry about the internet issues. Let's say the Internet was down that day, the kids just couldn't watch it. But I wasn't dependent on the internet, always working at all times, which wasn't always the case.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:56]:


We use very simple things, and honestly, there were times we just use my phone to record. So if you just have a phone, if that's the only thing you have, you don't have iPads, you don't have student devices, use your phone, and you can get started with some video news. Another reason why I did this is for one, let's be real budget. I didn't have a big budget to buy all that fancy equipment and lighting and all of those beautiful things, but I didn't want to. Yes, I wrote a grant for Tripods. That was something I did want, but I really didn't want to get super fancy things because I wanted to show the kids what you can do with constraints. The tools we were using were not fancy, but we were able to publish something that was better than just a basic home movie. So I wanted to show kids those hacks.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:53]:


And guess what? With this podcast, I don't use a whole lot of fancy stuff, either. I have a podcast microphone that I actually won at a conference. It was definitely meant to be because it was right before my podcast actually launched. I use my phone camera as my camera for the video version. I have a desk lamp that I got at Walmart and a stand up light that somebody gave me in my computer. So I don't have a whole lot of fancy things either. I'm not in a fancy recording booth. And I wanted to show kids that you can create something with very, very simple supplies.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:32]:


So keep that in mind when you're getting started. As a recap, here are some three simple tips that you can use to get started with your school-wide video news. First, have a consistent schedule. Next, make sure you write those scripts. And third, use easy to use equipment. In the next episode, I'm going to be talking with two of my friends who also run their school-wide news, and they use the exact system that I did after passing it along and talking with them. And so this episode was a lot of fun chatting with these friends, so make sure you don't miss out. And while you're at it, before you hang up this podcast or turn it off, make sure you check out the show notes and check out my workshop, where I'm going to be sharing with you even more tips and the whole system that I use for setting up my school-wide news.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:29]:


You can grab that at naomimeredith.com/newsworkshop.

setting up your school-wide news

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

school-wide news club

What You’re Missing By Not Having a School-Wide News Club [ep.117]

What You're Missing By Not Having a School-Wide News Club [ep.117]

school-wide news club

Check out the full episode on What You're Missing By Not Having a School-Wide News Club:  

 

 

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Watch the video version of this episode here:

Episode Summary

If you've been considering hosting a school-wide news club but are unsure if it's worth it, today’s episode is for you. There are so many benefits to starting a school-wide news club. In today’s episode, I will be sharing three benefits that you’re missing out on by not having a school-wide news club and sharing some of my personal experiences from hosting one when I was a STEM teacher.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What led me to start a school-wide news club
  • 3 things you’re missing out on by not having a school-wide news club
  • How starting a school-wide news club benefited my school

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:


Thinking about hosting a school-wide news club, but not sure if it will be successful. Are there even benefits of hosting this type of club, or is it just one more thing to do? Honestly, having a school-wide news club is something that I wish I had started sooner when I was a K-5 STEM teacher. In this episode, I'm going to be sharing with you what you're missing out on by not having a school-wide video news. Maybe you already know before listening to this episode that hosting a school-wide news club is definitely something that you want to do. And if you're still unsure, I'm gonna get into that in this episode, but either way, I am going to be hosting a live 2-hour workshop where I'm going to be sharing all the secrets of starting your school-wide video news club, and the students never have to go live.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:33]:


That is a huge benefit of this. I'm gonna be taking you through the whole process from setting up the club to what it looks like when you are recording some tips and tricks for editing, some fun segments, and all of that process from start to finish and how you can manage it throughout the year and the doors are officially open. So make sure you jump in on that at Naomimeredith.com/newsworkshop where you can join us live for the workshop. And if you can't make it live or if you're listening to this months later, don't you worry. The whole experience is recorded, and all the resources and templates are in there for you so you can go about it at your own pace. If you are listening to this podcast or video in real time, then the benefit of being there live is you get a chat with me and other teachers while it's happening. So, you definitely don't wanna miss out on this experience. It'll be a lot of fun and something I'm very passionate about.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:37]:


So make sure to check it out in the show notes for that link. In the last episode, 116, I talked about 8 different types of STEM after-school clubs that you can host. And one of them is the one that I'm gonna be talking about today. And that is having a school-wide video news team. And in the 11 years of being a teacher, this was the one club that I was totally obsessed about. I will say Battle of the Book I hosted was pretty much up there. It was a competition, and we won in the district. So that might be why I'm a little bit biased about that club.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:17]:


But other than that, I loved, loved, loved having a school-wide news team, and we actually called it the RHL News crew. RHL is our was our abbreviation for our school, and it was a whole experience. and I love this club so, so much. I know video news isn't a new concept. whether it's live or prerecorded. Ours was pre-recorded. I know this isn't new, but there's a reason why I actually started this at our school. When I first got my K-5 STEM teacher job, the announcements were over on the intercom, and they would come kind of at random times.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:05]:


It was within this 20-minute block where they would randomly come on, and they were extremely loud. Like, so loud I had to cover my ears. They were extremely loud. And I know some schools have the opposite problem. You can't hear them at all. So either way, they were super loud, and they sometimes took up to 10 minutes. Now this was during my planning time, so a lot of times, I had meetings during this, so I had to mute myself because they were going on forever. But then, the times I was covering in classrooms, I noticed that when the announcements came on, kids wouldn't stop and listen.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:44]:


It just maybe wasn't part of their routine, or they knew it was gonna go on for a long time that the teacher just said, hey, just keep doing what you need to do because it's gonna be a while. But the biggest thing that I realized is that the content and the announcements were really good, but It wasn't getting absorbed. It was like in one ear out the other. And I really felt that way with teachers and students. even for myself, I wasn't listening to them half the time because I knew it would take forever, and it was kind of the same old same old thing. You might even have a similar experience at your school. So one summer, just really thinking about the passion that I have for creating videos and podcasting, I figured I’d pitch to my principal that, hey, I wanna start a video news crew, and I had another teacher who was willing to help me with this.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:42]:


I wanna start this out. Here's how it's gonna go. We're gonna figure it out. And thank goodness. I jumped in, not having a clear plan. I had some idea, but I'm so glad that I did because this was definitely an experience. Not only by me hosting the club, but it was something that brought our school community together in ways I had never ever even imagined. And it was just a favorite of not only me but everybody in the building. So I'm gonna be sharing with you those things that you might not even know.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:21]:


These are things that I didn't even know that I was missing out on until I started doing it. There were experiences that I didn't know could exist. So let's jump into those reasons. Now if you're feeling like, you know what? Who cares? Like, we should just keep the announcements the way they are. Sure. Go ahead. Turn me off right now.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:41]:


But I'm telling you, this was such an amazing club and worth the work, worth putting in all the systems and routines because it brought up those amazing experiences. The first thing that you're missing when not having a school-wide news video club is helping your school community be better informed. Not to say that your school isn't informed, but maybe your school was like mine. We got a lot of information, but our information was coming from all sorts of places. There was a sign outside of school when you would drive in. There were signs inside of the school, whether they were paper or digital. Multiple emails from our admin, emails from our PTCO of events coming up, and emails from teachers who were hosting various after-school clubs and their own events. There were all sorts of ways that information was being thrown at us.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:47]:


It wasn't really streamlined, and it was very easy to miss what that information was. Likewise, all of the ways that this information was being thrown at us was really teacher-centered, which is very important, but the kids weren't really aware of what was going on. They had to rely on their teachers and their parents to let them know, which, yes, that's what we're doing in the video news. But there wasn't any other way for students to access that information. So if they had a substitute or long-term sub, they might miss out on some things, or just depending on their parents' communication style, they might be missing out on things. So there were a lot of holes in how information was being communicated in our building, and that was something that I definitely wanted to streamline where everybody could hear that information all in the same place. I also told you about our announcement, where I guess this is where kids would get information.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:51]:


They weren't very consistent, whether it was the person who was saying the announcements or the time that it went on, or sometimes they didn't go on at all. There was a lot of information that was being missed, whether it wasn't being said or just being missed where people weren't listening. So, again, there just wasn't really any consistency in the way that information was being delivered, and I thought that we definitely needed something that was student-centered. Student to student, where we are really communicating and putting everything in one place and something that they can count on. Think about the regular news, like everyday news. It's on at a certain time, and people can count on it. There are certain things that you know are going to be said, and you're going to get information.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:43]:


I wanted the same thing for our teachers and our students. The information still was coming out in random places, but I figured out a system where I could gather all of that information in one place, and teachers were able to communicate those upcoming things in one place, so it did help streamline everything that was coming in, and the teachers were more informed about what was happening and so were the students, like, actually informed. So much so informed that if I ever made a mistake, kids would come up to me right after they watched it in their classroom and let me know that there was a mistake. like, I would mess up a club, or I didn't say their birthday. I would get all the texts when something would go wrong, but at the same time, It didn't bother me as much because I knew people were paying attention. This was never an issue before. So people meaning teachers and students, were very into watching the news to get the information for the day. You're probably wondering how I kept all of this information together and kept it organized so that it would come out on time for the news.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:00]:


I am going to be sharing my whole system inside of my workshop, Naomimeredith.com/newsworkshop, and that template and system will be explained there. It's really not very complicated once you get the rhythm of it. And so this is how all the information was organized in one place so that we could produce a daily news show that everybody could depend on and actually get useful information that they needed. Another thing that you are missing out on when not having a school-wide video news club is another opportunity for students to build skills that they need for their future. We hear about this all the time. We need to be preparing kids for jobs that don't exist. And that's absolutely true. I never knew that I would be creating a podcast and have an online business when I was in 2nd grade. had no idea, but somehow the things that I learned led me to this position today.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:02]:


Likewise, that's for our kids. There are things they think they might wanna do now, and it might actually happen, but there's also a ton of different jobs that are out there that don't even exist, and we need to build up their skills now. A big thing with that is video. I know a lot of students, and you probably too, that when they grow up, they want to be a YouTuber or a Tiktoker. And it does sound pretty silly, but they're really not that far off. In fact, there is a lot of research out there showing that YouTube is the number 2 search engine compared to Google. And you might be thinking to yourself, oh, I'm going to Google it. And if I can't find the answer by reading, then I am going to find a video to teach myself how to do this.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:56]:


I did this the other day. I found a video of a person who explained very, very clearly in 5 minutes how to fix your microwave if it won't stay closed It was a great video. Really well done. It explained everything I needed, and I fixed my microwave in 10 minutes. So not only that, whether students become YouTubers or not, just having the skills to be able to talk on video is a skill. It's an absolute skill. Think about when you might have had to teach online during COVID or even another time. Now pre COVID, I had been making videos and talking on video for a long time.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:42]:


So that was definitely a skill that I was completely comfortable with, and teaching online wasn't a big deal for me. So whether aside from that or not, this is just a skill that I already had. Also, for the students, this is something they need as well. If you're not even that convinced, there are common core based standards about producing work in a digital platform. They're writing standards about this. and there are speaking and listening standards about being able to communicate ideas clearly, and this can also be in the form of digital content. digital content, especially video, is definitely not going away whether you like it or not. What's really funny is my teacher, honey, who's not my husband, but he is a high school Spanish teacher, and I wanna say he's someone who is super techie.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:37]:


He's not bad. He actually is pretty good. He does actually ask me for advice on Instagram, which is pretty funny. But he would see me come home and edit these videos from school, and he would watch and giggle, and I would show him all the bloopers and all the little segments. And even for him, he would say many times how great of an opportunity this is to have a school video news, and he wishes that his school, the high school that he teaches at, had this, which may be really sad that his high school didn't have anything like this, but it is something that kids are really passionate about, and we really wanna play upon things that kids are passionate about and that they love. Not only that, whether it's just something they're passionate about, this is a skill they'll need in a job. Being able to present on video, whether it's in a video meeting or creating content for their job, or talking to students if they do become a teacher. So this is a very helpful skill being able to be on camera and having a school-wide news after-school club can definitely play upon this experience, not only for the students who are on camera but the kids who are watching. This will help them build their skills, and I'm not even kidding you.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:58]:


I did this for 4th and 5th grade, who were on my news crew. But when I had my younger students make videos, just videos explaining their work in Seesaw, K-5 did this with everybody, even the kids who were not on my news crew would talk in a certain way on their videos and try to explain their thinking a lot more. and even tried to explain their thinking better because they saw a video every day of their peers presenting in a clear way. And I could even use that as a teaching point where, oh, when we make a video, we don't want the camera to be shaking the whole time, just like our RHL news. Do they do that? No. Oh, when we talk in our videos, we need to speak clearly, and we're not making silly voices because that's not what we do in our school-wide news. And I'm watching you so you could be on our news one day. So it really helped the kids who were not even on the news at all. They saw what high-quality kid videos can look like.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:01]:


But you also might be thinking, oh, but what about the kids who don't like to be on camera? Sure. There are those kids as well. And so that's why when you set this up, another great benefit to this is what's happening behind the scenes. Another excellent skill is being able to edit video to make it not only interesting for others to watch but also where it can clearly display the information in our video news, which I will definitely show examples of during our workshop. We added fun little segments that we recorded on the side, whether it was something about the artwork or crosswalk questions, which is something that I love to do, but adding in fun segments and video overlays and tech and adding in all of these different elements to really make it engaging for our audience. Not all kids like to be on camera. It is something they need to learn how to do, but there are kids who like to edit more. For me, I like both. I do actually like to be on camera, and I also do like to edit videos, but there are kids who like that too.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:12]:


So both skills are super powerful and having both. You have kids who are on camera, and then kids who are editing. You are able to mesh their skills together, and they are collaborating in a really interesting way. The third thing that you're missing out on by not having a school-wide video news crew is you are building your school community in a creative way. There are lots of ways to build your school community. And the two biggest ways that I thought were my actual news crew and everybody else who wasn't on it, so everyone in the school. With my news crew, especially the 1st year that I hosted it, I built this really special relationship with these kids. Now maybe you're a STEM teacher who wants to get started with this, or maybe you're not. Maybe you're a classroom teacher.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:04]:


But the kids that you do this with, you really build this special relationship with them all year. And for me, it was like having my own class again because teaching all the kids in the school, you're pumping out kids really fast, in a sense. They're going in and out of your classroom all day, so your relationships are just different. But having this news crew that we met every week was really, really special, and we got to know each other in a different way. Also, this RHL news crew was a brand. Let me tell you. I definitely branded this whole experience. We had a logo.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:39]:


We had shirts that the kids would wear on camera and they would wear around school. There were parents who were emailing me. Oh my gosh. Can I get another shirt, or my kid who's in kindergarten really wants to be on the news. Kids would see another, like, a little kid would see an older kid, and the older kids wearing the new shirt, they're like, oh my gosh, are you on the news? The older kids would feel so proud and say yes. I am. Or I would be wearing this shirt, and kids in class would be wearing this shirt. and I'm like, oh my gosh, I'll see you later for news club, or I'd say, oh, I like your shirt.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:14]:


Who designed it? And they would laugh to say, you made it, Miss Meredith. I'm like, oh, yes. I did. But it was just a whole thing, a whole brand, and it was something that kids really strived and wanted to be a part of. And with that, with building the school community, there was everybody else who wasn't on the news crew, but we created ways to involve them in the news. So, yes, they watched it in their classroom every day, but we did some fun segments that I mentioned before. We did some fun segments to involve more of the kids, even if they were officially on the crew. One of the ways that we did that is we had teacher segments. So we interviewed every teacher in the building.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:58]:


We asked the same five questions, and the teachers responded to those questions, and we would throw those in. I also did something called crosswalk questions, where on my crosswalk duty, when it was during slow points, I would have a question of the day. I had a little small microphone, and I actually interviewed kids with their responses. I'd put all of their responses together, and that would be a fun little video clip that we would do. We also promoted our school clubs when it was time to sign up for our clubs. Me and the other special teachers PE, art, and music, and other teachers who had after-school clubs, created little commercials to promote those things. We even had a joke box that sat in our school library since kids had library every week. Students could submit a school appropriate joke that we would possibly read on the news, and we would also share their names.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:49]:


And then we also read birthdays every single day. So, yes, we have the kids who are the stars. I have, in quotation marks, the stars on the camera and the kids who are editing, but we involved the other kids in the building as much as possible. And again, something that everybody looked forward to. This was also really powerful when we were doing our school fundraiser. When we were getting those sign-ups for clubs, we got an overwhelming amount of response because the kids would hear about it every day, and their parents were getting emails, and the teachers were getting emails, and everybody was informed and knew what was going on, and they were excited about it. My PE teacher even wrote about this.


Naomi Meredith [00:22:34]:


She was really sweet, and she said that our news program was such a great addition to our elementary school. Kids paid more attention to the morning announcements because they were listening to other kids. Now we set up an easy way for teachers to submit announcements and items that needed to be included in the news. I truly believe that the news was the reason our fun run funds did so well the past 2 years, we shared important info and exciting videos about the run that was in front of all of our students every day. So our PE teacher was sweet and wrote that comment. It was such a great experience. Everybody thought, why didn't we start this years ago? Because it was such a positive experience and something that they are continuing as well. Also, this whole system of setting up the school was such a success that even my friends at a neighboring school implemented the same exact system that I set up, and they're still using this, and I'm actually gonna have them on the podcast in a few episodes, and make sure you don't miss out on that one.


Naomi Meredith [00:23:37]:


As a recap, here are the three things that you are definitely missing out on by not having a school-wide news video club. First is keeping the school community more informed. Next is building skills that kids need for the future. And third, you have the opportunity to build your school community in a creative way. In the next episode, I'm going to be sharing with you some tips for getting started with your school-wide video news. And if you're ready to dive in and get all of the ideas on how to start it from start to finish, Make sure to join in on the workshop. The doors are open. You can grab that link in the show notes or go straight to Naomimeredith.com/newsworkshop.

school-wide news club

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!