I have the most spunky, creative students this side of the Mississippi, and there is never a dull moment in my classroom. Two of the courses I teach are composition classes, which are writing intensive. My students joke that after completing one of my composition courses, they have the stamina to each write their own novel. I have high expectations, but my students always exceed them (and we have a lot of fun too). Their writing makes me laugh, cry, think, and question. I would not trade this group of writers for all the gold in Kentucky.
My Project
In the upcoming months, I will be planning a journalism unit for my students. One of their major assignments is to write a newspaper-style profile of someone in our community. They will be responsible for selecting their interviewee, setting up a time to conduct the interview, and writing their own interview questions. I expect them to choose political figures, coaches, law enforcement personnel, public employees, farmers, business owners, and personnel from our three local colleges.
The struggle that many public school teachers encounter is limited access to technology.
Our school has a computer lab, but both the high school and middle school share it. As you can imagine, it’s almost impossible to get a class in there to research or word process their writing.
A handwritten newspaper just is not the same as one created on the computer. Without access to technology, my students will have to write their newspaper profiles by hand and tape their required photos to the paper. Undoubtedly, a word-processed document looks much more professional. I know my students will take this journalism unit seriously and will do their best work, but I want more for them. I want their final products to be something they can be proud of. I want a newspaper that looks professional and can be shared with our school building and community members. To make this wish a reality, my students need unlimited access to computers.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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