Frenship students across the district have the opportunity to get involved with the Broadcast Media program all through middle school and into high school.
The broadcast courses at the middle schools are designed to give the students an insight into the daily procedures of different media outlets. The intro level of broadcast deals with the various types of broadcast media like newspaper, radio and television. Students gain a basic knowledge of the different types of media while learning to write scripts, make storyboards, create graphics, and record audio and video for news stories that are compiled into the daily TigerVision newscasts.
The advanced broadcast course works on the application of what was learned in intro to broadcast while working in a newsroom-like environment. The students work through the same story process that many news stations use. They pitch ideas for stories to the teachers or ‘producers’, develop a production strategy, then execute the plan and use the results to prepare a script for the anchors on a newscast. Broadcast students use a program called Final Cut Pro in the beginners classes and a program called Premiere Pro in the advanced classes.
At the middle schools, advanced broadcast classes are coded as Intro to Arts, AV Tech and Communications and the students receive high school CTE credit.
Students have creative freedom with their assignments and are encouraged to search for the angle that best represents Frenship. Much like a newscast, they are responsible for organizing the piece, shooting, and making final edits before it goes to air.
At the high school level, the Broadcast Media program continues to prepare students for a career in media. There are no prerequisites for taking Audio Video Production 1 (AV), meaning any student from any grade may take the course. Hayden Rush and Diana Smith, media teachers at Frenship High School, provide the knowledge and equipment once students join. Students who decide to stay with the program can take AV 2 and the practicum where they work on getting Adobe Certified in Premier Pro and After Effects.
The broadcast classes at the high school allow the students to learn and operate professional-grade cameras and edit their videos on Adobe Premier Pro. They produce feature stories, short films, and cover news broadcasts. The students are taught how to operate all equipment in the studio, which includes an audio board, graphics, video playback, teleprompter, and a production system known as the NewTek Tricaster. The AV Program also allows students to get more hands-on experience with some part-time work as camera operators after school. The students also have the opportunity to help with live stream.
Additionally, Broadcast Media is the only CTE program that offers courses in Spanish for the Dual Language Program. The Dual Language Program begins at the early age of 4 (Pre-K) and is carried all the way through to 12th grade. Students in the DL Program are required to complete academic courses and electives in Spanish. Upon completion of their High School academic requirements and exams, students are then allowed to obtain a Biliteracy Seal on their Diploma. This certifies that the student is officially a Bilingual student, signifying they are fluent in two languages, English and Spanish. Thus, creating many career opportunities.
Broadcast Media is an excellent program for students who are interested in perusing journalism or newscasting careers after high school. All the broadcast media teachers at Frenship do an exceptional job preparing the students for their future careers in media.