At Oconee County Elementary, the adults aren’t the ones delivering the news of the day — it’s the students.
Every morning, a group of fourth- and fifth-graders work together to interview, inform and create OCTV, the school’s in-house broadcast.
Led by media specialist Rachel Carter, the students film birthday shoutouts, holidays and library news in the morning, and meet Tuesday afternoons to interview students and teachers.
“They’re having to get comfortable in front of a camera,” Carter said, “which can be really scary when you’re 9 years old and you know that your whole school will be watching.”
On-camera talent is based on a daily rotation, with a different group each time.
“I like that the whole school can see me when I film; I like to be seen a lot,” student Marjorie Bellinger said.
It’s not just students who are enjoying it. Parents and teachers have seen kids coming out of their shells as the class has progressed.
“She’s such a joyful child, and I love that others get to see it,” OCES parent Ashley Brooks said of her daughter’s experience. “I love that she gets to shine in the way she was meant to.”
When they aren’t on-air, students work together in groups to make graphics and edits for the show on Canva.
They hear the news, so we may as well start training them on what a valid source is, and we do teach them what’s trustworthy,” Carter said.
Carter said she hopes what she’s teaching them, on and off camera, will be something they look back on fondly and carry on with them into the future.
“I definitely see the kids, and I see them as their future selves,” Carter said. “It makes me really proud of them, because I think I could see them being so many different things.”
Abby Halpin is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Georgia.
Show Comments (0)