I’m adviser Lisa Stine, and this is my newsroom…

What is your name?
Lisa Stine

What school do you teach at?
Bryant High School

What city and state is your school located in?
Bryant, Arkansas

What different media are produced at the school?
Yearbook, Print Newspaper, Online Newspaper (www.prospectiveonline.com)

How many students are involved at the media program at your school?
54 students

Describe your space for us.
When our high school expanded several years ago and built a new building, our principal asked Margaret Sorrows, the adviser at the time, to design the new journalism room, so we are fortunate to have a space that was custom-designed for our needs (by an H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year, at that). We have a spacious main classroom area with tables and chairs and five iMac desktop stations along the wall. We also have a computer lab with 15 iMac desktops and a printer, as well as a small storage room with cabinets, drawers, a closet, a refrigerator and microwave. The east wall of the classroom is all windows that overlook our parking lot, so we have a lot of natural light and only use overhead lights when we have to. I put up all the awards students win on the walls, and we also have a quirky assortment of posters, artwork, inspiration that students have cut out from magazines, stuffed animals that students have collected on trips over the years, and other fun items that just make the space feel unique and like home.

What do you think are some of the benefits of the workspace you all have?
While most of the classrooms in our building have desks, we have tables, which are much more conducive to the group work that journalism students must do. We also have enough computers in the classroom (either MacBook Pro laptops or iMac desktops) for every student on staff to use one at the same time. Having the computer lab within the classroom is great–it serves as headquarters for our photographers and gives them space of their own to focus on editing during class while designers and writers work on pages in the main classroom area. The storage room has space for a refrigerator and microwave, so students often come in during lunch to eat and work together.

What do your students like most about the workspace you have?
Here are some answers they gave me:

• “It’s really comforting. It’s somewhere I know I’m really safe and always welcome.”
• “I love that the room is a compilation of the unique members who have been on staff throughout the years. Everywhere you look is another trinket that may seem random to an outsider but holds precious memories for the staff.”
• “There’s always something to do–you’re NEVER bored. You’re either working on a computer, cooking some food, looking at a magazine, answering the phone, etc.”
• “We have so much nice equipment. We are so fortunate to have professional-quality computers and cameras for the staff to use.”
• “The layout of our room makes me feel like we should always be working together.”
• “It’s like a home! We all bring things that are important and meaningful to us and make it feel like our space.”
  

What computer programs and/or apps is your staff using on a regular basis for their work?
Adobe InDesign CC, Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Adobe Bridge, Gmail, Google Drive, GroupMe, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat.

What tech equipment are your students using on a daily basis?

• MacBook Pro laptops
• iMac desktops
• Canon Rebel and D-series cameras
• Canon, Tamron and Sigma lenses
• Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II scanner
• HP Officejet Pro x551dw printer
• HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn printer
• Wacom Bamboo Pen Tablet

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.
Our graphic designers have been able to create some awesome graphics and artwork with the Wacom Bamboo Pen tablet. It is also a lifesaver for us to have our own scanner for parent-submitted senior tribute photos.

How is your workspace funded?
The school has purchased some equipment for us from the general budget, but we mostly fund ourselves with our yearbook program and ad sales.

Do you have anything on your wishlist for your space? If so, what do you have and why?
My newspaper students have been experimenting more with video and podcasts lately, so I think our next investments will probably be a nice microphone to record podcasts, shotgun microphones for cameras, tripods, and other audio/video accessories.

(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.)