"Teaching a teenager to read a newspaper is like teaching a teenager to watch black-and-white television. It's old and boring. Why would they do it?" Kristy Roschke.
All last week I was debating whether or not to make the switch to an online paper. Then, in a facebook conversation Dylan Smith was able to convince me of it's value. Since then, the message has been loud and clear. Get online. The only issue that unsettled my mind was "how do I convince my administration?"
Our newspaper has had over a 100 year tradition. It's tough to change something that has been a consistent medium for so long. In fact, I have had others in the English department tell me to keep the print medium going and avoid online for as long as possible. I now realize how terrible the idea is!
This opinion was coming from teachers who think it means an end to journalism if the paper stops being printed. What they don't realize is that we are actually hindering journalism if we don't teach our students in a way that will prepare them for a modern career in journalism.
My path is clear and I have started creating a plan to implement an online publication for my class this year. I know I will be met with much disagreement from my department but Kristy Roschke provided me with a good tool to counter their arguments. I will simply ask them "Would you try to convince your students that black-and-white tv is better than color or hd? Why would a newspaper be any different?"
Sarah Noah
Goshen High School
Goshen, Indiana
Sarah Noah
Goshen High School
Goshen, Indiana
Sarah, I've had some experience convincing old school folks who really, REALLY value tradition to step out of their comfort zones. You can either ease them into it... baby steps style, or you just rocket past them and do it so well there is no room left for complaints.
ReplyDeleteIn the second scenario you'll be moving so fast, they won't catch up and then they'll give up. Like old people on the freeway. :)
Could it be that "old school folks" are not necessarily reluctant to step out of their comfort zones; rather, they are reluctant to leave behind generations of hard earned wisdom? Perhaps resistance comes from the unwillingness of "new school folks" to recognize and appreciate the "zones" from which the old folks come. My son works in the film industry. He is also a photographer. He loves black and white because of the shadows and nuance that he can uncover in an image. When I showed my drama students Bela Lugosi's interpretation of Count Dracula, I wanted them to see how the effects of the darkness and discreet use of light can help an actor build his or her character. Rather than see digital replacing print, why not show how digital can enhance print and how print can enhance digital. A little humility might be in order here, even though its profitability will only be realized over time.
ReplyDeleteSarah, excellent supportive argument. I had a 50-year old print program when I came in, and I agree with you. In order to education this generation to be professional journalists, we MUST be online. I also connected with Dan Gillmore when he said that it was an exciting time to be a journalist. He said that journalism was not dead, it was just expanding. I agree with him. Because of all of the startups and expansions in journalism, it is an exciting time to see what medium journalism will expand to next. But in order for those new mediums to have journalistic writing, we as educators must teach journalistic skills on all of the mediums we possibly can so that our students can take those fundamental skills and apply them to the new mediums of tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck! Let us know in the fall how it all goes for you.
Linda Hopson