I am an adviser Jonathan Rogers, and this is our newsroom
What is your name?
Jonathan Rogers
What school do you teach at?
Iowa City High School
What city and state is your school located in?
Iowa City, Iowa
What different media are produced at the school?
The Little Hawk newspaper, The Little Hawk Online (www.thelittlehawk.com), Red and White Yearbook, LH TV
How many students are involved at the media program at your school?
60
Describe your space for us.
2109 and Little Hawk classes have changed a great deal in the past ten years. It has transformed with the times or tried to with the advent of digital journalism. To utilize much more of the area for collaboration and digital stories. In the middle of the first room is a space with a white board table, moveable furniture, a podcasting area, and our new backdrops. The backdrops are 12 foot rolls of paper hung on the wall with white, black, and green screen options.
On the walls, I have also added an All-Star Alumni area, past editors area, great designs area, awards area, and new inspirational art. Students chose to paint WRITE WHAT SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN and SEEK TRUTH AND REPORT IT on the walls this year. Letting students own the space a bit and showcasing great work is a huge part of the design philosophy in 2109.
What do you think are some of the benefits of the workspace you all have?
It is a good balance of a computer lab with a new open space for collaboration and multimedia shoots.
What do your students like most about the workspace you have?
The Keurig for making hot chocolate and oatmeal. I think most students are starving.
What computer programs and/or apps is your staff using on a regular basis for their work?
Adobe CC 2015 (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.). We also use web based InDesign through Jostens called Monarch.
What tech equipment are your students using on a daily basis?
30 iMac desktop computers, six Canon DSLR cameras, 1 Panasonic video camera, microphones, lights, and an iRig to hook mics up to iPhones.
Aside from the computers and the programs, what are one or two pieces of equipment that you have that you think other programs should have.
USB microphones are great for podcasting and iRig for plugging a real microphone into an iPhone is really nice. Video without good audio is worthless.
How is your workspace funded?
Our district funds our program, but we also sell ads and get private donations.
Do you have anything on your wishlist for your space? If so, what do you have and why?
Lighting is still problematic right now. I would like to put the big lights on the ceiling so they are out of the way. We always need more cameras and lenses.
(This is one of a series of posts where high school newsrooms are showcased. We’d love to showcase your newsroom on the site. To find out how, check out the information here and submit yours today.)
