Channel 550 gets the news
—Courtesy photo Sagle sixth-graders Olen Neu, Austin Smith, Haylee Wilson, and Daniel Combs take part in a Channel 550 broadcast.
By KATHLEEN MULROY
Contributing writer
SAGLE — Liz Gollen and Jewel Shea, sixth-grade teachers at Sagle Elementary, are excited about what their students are learning from Channel 550 News, the school’s very own, student-run broadcasting station, made possible by grants from the Panhandle Alliance for Education.
Shea says the sixth-graders are learning a multitude of skills by running their own station. “There’s such a high level of collaboration among the students; they’re developing skills including teamwork, speaking in public and technology. And they are learning leadership skills by acting as role models for the younger students, who look up to the sixth-graders as real broadcasters.” She adds enthusiastically, “Hands-on learning projects like Channel 550 News are the reason that I love to teach.”
Through the Channel 550 news project, Sagle Elementary’s sixth-grade students learn about everything involved in television and radio broadcasting, from green screen manipulation to how to speak on the air. Each school day, after warming up, two broadcasters — students rotate through various jobs — are on the air and being heard by students in every classroom. The broadcasters lead the pledge of allegiance, announce lunch options and talk about school news.
The students involved in the broadcast this particular morning were eager to share what they like about Channel 550. Haley: “I like being live on the air.” Daniel: “I like talking on the air!” Nina: “I enjoy talking about events that are happening at my school.” Austin: “I’m learning the academic skills involved in the technology, like using a green screen and cropping photographs.” Lance: “I like to mess around with the green screen and I like being able to know how to crop it out the right way.” Olen: “I really like operating the laptop; I’ve been involved in that since the beginning of the school year.”
Two of the students say that because of their involvement with Channel 550 News, they’re interested in becoming television meteorologists one day. Shea says several of her sixth-grade students from last year have gone on to take broadcasting and journalism classes at Sandpoint Middle School.
When they enter Sandpoint High, they’ll have additional opportunities to pursue these career areas.
In addition to all they learn from running the station, students are also learning about current events in the U.S. and the world by watching Channel 1 News in the classroom for 10 minutes each morning. Channel 1 News is geared toward upper elementary and middle school students. After watching the news, the sixth-graders discuss the stories and critique the broadcasters’ public speaking techniques.
Liz Gollen says, “Channel 550 News is a coalescence of media technology, public speaking, information gathering … and just plain fun!”
Panhandle Alliance for Education is a local not for profit corporation dedicated to promoting excellence in education and community support for the Lake Pend Oreille School District. PAFE invests in children’s education through awarding competitive teacher grants and funding strategic programs like READY! for Kindergarten, Step-Up to Writing, the Lake Pend Oreille School District’s Comprehensive Wellness Program and Instructional Coaches for Teachers.