"Where's the Flip camera? Something's happening!" The scramble for our single Flip camera begins like this. Sometimes, the Flip is available and out the door the reporter goes, press pass flapping. But often, it's being used and an opportunity to serve the community is missed. They need more Flips.
My journalism students are sophomores, juniors and seniors at a public high school in California, and they produce an online student newspaper in an era of little funding and massive changes in the professional media.
They write, photograph and produce video for students, staff, parents and their larger community. This year their publication has been honored as All-American by the National Scholastic Press Association, a great accomplishment since it's only its second year in existence! The videos they create with their single Flip camera range from serious to funny, capturing life at high school and out in the community. They are one of the most popular features on the website.
My Project
With three more Flip cameras, many more students will be able to learn the craft of capturing a story on video, editing it and uploading to the web. Over the course of the year and for years to come, three times as many students will have the opportunity to use the cameras. Flip HD cameras are perfect for 2-4 minute news stories. The single Flip that my students have now takes beautiful high-definition video with sound that is so clear they do not have to use a microphone. The cameras are the size of a cellphone but deliver so much better video and sound than a phone can. My students can be true "backpack journalists" with these cameras, and their website can continue to serve the tech-savvy generation who may only get their news through the web. We can't wait to show you the many products that will be created from the gift of three more Flips!
Some of the best learning comes through discovering which stories should be told, which voices must be heard.
With a video camera and a journalism assignment, the world becomes a playground and a platform from which to explore, analyze and create. These cameras will allow the next generation of journalists to step outside the classroom, capture history and share it with anyone in the world.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Wantz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.