What's included
6 live meetings
4 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students will be responsible for writing an article of at least 300 words every week for class in an area of their choosing.Assessment
Optional assessment can be requested by the parent, but otherwise, assessment will only be in the form of feedback from the instructor on the articles submitted.Class Experience
US Grade 8 - 11
Each week, students will come prepared to talk about weekly ideas for articles they would like to write (the "pitch meeting"). They will outline who they might interview for their article, resources they might need, if they will be getting a photo, etc., and how they will accomplish getting their article written for the following week. Before the next week's class, students will turn in their articles to the instructor (the "editor in chief") for review and edit from the "copy desk." If an article needs editing, students will have a few days to turn their articles in again. Students will also determine if they want their article to be published in the classroom for the class to see, but this class will be great for building a writing portfolio. Students will be able to write whatever kind of piece (news, feature, opinion/editorial, sports, review) they would like, but branching out and writing new styles is encouraged. The weekly meetings will also discuss the writing process and include skill sharpeners to address the weaknesses in the writing of the group. Each meeting will follow the same pattern, which will be the following: 1. Instructor will ask if there are any questions from any learners before we get started and see how the writing process for the prior week went. 2. Instructor will facilitate the pitch meeting and allow learners to bring up new ideas for articles they would like to write as well as allow other learners to ask questions and provide feedback. 3. Learners will outline the following in their pitch: What section of a newspaper would this article fall into? Who will need to be interviewed for this article? Who is the audience for this article? Does one week feel like a doable timeline for this article, or will it be worked on for multiple weeks? Is there any way the instructor can help? 4. The rest of the week will be spent communicating in the classroom and learners will be able to post their articles in the classroom for edit from the instructor or send it via messages. Once the learner has received feedback, the article can be edited again or kept as is. Learners will be able to share their articles with the class for feedback from their peers if they would like. It is not mandatory to have journalism experience writing for a paper, but students who have not written journalistic pieces may want to arrange a quick intro with the instructor or take Journalism101- Socially Distant Journalism first.
Learning Goals
Students will learn how a newspaper functions on a managerial and written level and build skills they can take into further school publications. As well, students who publish on the class blog will build a portfolio for their writing.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Though this class is not inherently one that parental guidance is needed for, understanding that students are writing their own pieces and being given liberty to write their opinions, thoughts, and impressions of the world, so long as they follow journalistic standards, will be allowed and will be publishable if the student wants to publish them on the class blog.
Supply List
I will provide the materials and build the class blog.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
As current events are likely to be discussed, I will use the skills I have acquired within 8 years of journalism experience to discuss events with tact and objectivity and respect all opinions that students bring while also showing them that as journalists, most of the time we have to be objective, fact-based, and balanced.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$35
for 6 classes1x per week, 6 weeks
45 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
3-10 learners per class