Good Morning McEver, directed by Media Specialist Mrs. Wagoner, is produced by our fifth grade students and broadcasted school-wide every morning. Our news program is designed to promote communication skills while acclimating students to current events and making routine daily announcements fun.

Our fifth grade students at McEver work the newsroom on a rotating basis, working as a team of two anchors and two crew members. During the live broadcast the crew runs the cameras, computer, and mixer and the anchors share the daily news. Staff and student guests are invited to give book talks, share projects, highlight school events, and make special announcements.

The morning news program is a learning experience that helps our students build teamwork, responsibility, and effective communication and technology skills. It is a privilege the students look forward to as fifth graders and makes the morning news a fun part of the day.
 

How it works: Every other week a new group of four fifth grade students run the news program. On their last day, the old team train in a new team. Each day the news crew arrives at 7:30 a.m. After helping start up the computers in the media center, they head to the news room to prepare for the live morning news program that begins at 7:45. The two anchors fill out the white board with the names, the date, weather (checked daily on www.weather.com), character counts word of the week, announcements, lunch choices, patriotic song of the day, school mission, birthdays, and a daily send-off (i.e. fun friday).

The two anchors prepare the equipment. One crew member prepares the camera for recording. The other crew member turns on opens up the daily Power Point containing an opening screen and the music and lyrics for the daily patriotic song. Classical music is played before the annoucements for classes to enjoy before the announcements start. The mixer is also prepared to switch back and forth between the computer screen and the camera. When the clock hits 7:45 the tech crew gives the cue and switches over from the computer to the anchors. Over the closed-circuit the whole school starts the day with "Good Morning McEver". The news program lasts 5-10 minutes depending on special features like guest speakers. At the end of the program they shut down, clean up, and are back to their rooms by 8:00 a.m.

Why Use Broadcasting

Technology can be a wonderful tool for addressing the educational programming needs of all learners. Exposing students to real-world application of technology provides insight into career choices. By having students participate in the production of a daily school newscast, they learn first-hand the importance of technology and its role in the production of broadcast news. By assuming the roles of practicing professionals in the field, such as reporter, news anchor, videographer, and sound technician, students learn how a team of professionals work together to produce a daily news broadcast.

Essential Understandings

• Good communication skills are necessary for success.
• Writers compose information in various formats to communicate with others.
• The audience must be considered when successfully choosing expression.
• Expression and patterns of communication continually evolve.
• The media has the ability to persuade people by their choice of words and phrases