CHS readies for new technology

Students in the media literacy class at Carson High School staged a trial run Friday for a new class that will change the way the school communicates.

Media Teacher Brian Reedy is preparing a class, Video Production Plus, in which students will read the daily announcements on a news-like format and special events such as school elections will be broadcast instead of gathering in a school assembly.

"The school communication is going to increase 10-fold," Reedy said. "The students are going to be in charge of the whole thing."

Every morning, students will air a five-minute broadcast with school announcements, the Pledge of Allegiance and a weather forecast. Elections, now a 40-minute assembly, will be 20 minutes in each classroom on television.

Reedy's students practiced all the different functions of the broadcast.

Seventeen-year-old junior Ronda O'Neill said her experience in front of the camera as anchor will help her later in life.

"It was fun and I had a good time," O'Neill said. "I want to be a singer. It gives you a sense of being in front of the camera, and I love being on camera."

Reedy said the class will teach a variety of skills that will serve in the workplace.

"Our main goal is to teach them workplace skills," he said. "They're going to learn a lot of multimedia presentations that are all over out there."

He said the students will be able to complete various tasks.

"We're teaching them communication skills," Reedy said. "Every single student will have time at every single station."

Christina Husson, a junior, said being in front of the camera was a new experience for her.

"It's something I've never done before," Husson said. "It's kind of a cool experience."

Candice Chilton, a junior, said she plans to take the production class next year.

"I want to do something in TV and it will be really good experience," she said. "It's fun learning all the new technology."

She worked in the control room and said she learned how hectic it can be.

"It's nerve-wracking because we have all the pressure from the outside cameras," Chilton said. "But it's fun. I like to do it. It's cool."

Reedy said the class will be a cooperation among different departments at the school.

For example, he said the backdrop of Carson High was done by the art class and the Web design class posted the announcements on the Internet.

"It's going to give these kids a greater idea of how school works," Reedy said.

He said community support is also an important part of the class' success.

"We've had incredible support from AT&T who donated the cable so we could wire the whole school," he said.

He said Adobe also donated $15,000 worth of computer programs.