Journey to Mastery

A New Media Journalist's Path to Storytelling and Education - New Media Style - For more about me, Please visit LinkedIn or My Portfolio

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New Media Journalism Final Project

“The final project will be a collaboration of all the knowledge learned thus far, and will provide me with a continuing vehicle for my future work. It will also prove to be a portfolio of sorts further enhances my title, Master Storyteller.”

“Goal: To create a vehicle for my work and produce a portfolio project”

These are the words I wrote almost a year ago. I did not fully understand what this course, and even this whole program, really meant. Journalism equaled news. New Media Journalism meant news on the Internet. I understand now that I knew nothing at all. The only thing I got right was I knew in my heart I should be in this program.

Let’s start with the end. The final project was a feature multimedia news story and thesis paper about creating that story. Even closer to this class, I still believed I needed to prove something about my project topic in my thesis. In reality, the thesis is all about the process of creating the story and the results the story itself generated. It was an analysis of the analysis.

I did get something else correct. I do have a vehicle for my future work, not only a portfolio of sorts, but an actual, working website with quality content that I can maintain … for the rest of my life, if I so choose. I do choose. How can I ever give up on the gifts I have received throughout this program?

I worked in the newspaper business as a copy editor many years ago, and I was given an opportunity to write a few articles. They were bad, just … bad. Until this program, I did not really understand what journalism writing was. True, I struggled more than half way through the program trying to figure it out. Now I understand the difference between creative fiction writing (my first love) and journalistic news writing (my new love). Now I understand the process of writing a thesis paper.

In my Bachelors program, I discovered a love for creating videos. This program gave me the gift of understanding what makes a good video, from interviews to storytelling and more. My family now calls me “Cecil B. DeJenn.”

Another lesson I learned: late-breaking, current news is not the only news out there, and not the only use for my skills. World-wide companies have their own company news sites to keep their employees informed. eLearning development companies create content using the same skills we were gifted with.

With all these gifts, and so many places to use them, the future looks bright.

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Alternative Education Funding Stipulations Keep Gap Open

Alternative Education Funding still leaves students falling through the cracks. (Image created by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell, using graphics from TrueMitra)

Alternative education programs close the gap certain at-risk students fall thought. However, current funding stipulations for alternative education in Indiana restrict school corporations from receiving state funding for their programs if the student does not meet all the criteria.

Blended learning programs like the Warrior Academy, the program discussed in the feature article Blended Learning Programs Help Indiana Students Graduate On Time, help students who need an alternative to traditional classroom settings. Any program a school offers costs money, and Indiana offers financial help to schools for students who qualify to participate. Yet there are still students in need who do not meet all of the qualifications. These are the students still falling through the cracks.

“We have students who need this program, yet don’t meet all the requirements for funding,” says Karen Butler, teacher for the Warrior Academy. “These students are falling through the cracks.”

According to the Indiana Department of Education’s Frequently Asked Questions, a student must meet one of the following criteria to be eligible for an alternative education.

Student intends to withdraw for has withdrawn before graduation

Student has failed to comply academically and would benefit from instruction offered in a different manner from the traditional school

Student is a parent or expecting parent

Student is employed and employment is necessary for support

Student is disruptive

These five criteria, set throughout Indiana Code 20, identify the student as eligible or at-risk. However, to be eligible for funding, the code also requires the student attend the program for a minimum of three hours. There are students at the Warrior Academy who only need help in one class or subject to be able to graduate on time. Then there is the question of students who are not at-risk.

“The State of Indiana does not recognize alternative education, or alternative students, unless they are at-risk. They don’t recognize the student who is doing a C job, who could actually be doing an A job if the material was presented in a different format,” says Butler.

Butler sees the future of education, particularly the Warrior Academy program, as a way for students to be able to work at their own pace, and on subjects they want as well as need, a program without restrictions on class size or availability.

“Teach to the student’s ability, not to where you think they should be, or where the state mandates they should be.”

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New Media Publishing and Distribution

In the first month of my New Media Journalism program, we were asked to describe what we expected from and what our goal were for each class.

My expectations: “This course will help me learn the different avenues and revenues I will encounter producing content. It will help me decide what media is best for my content and what technologies are trending.”

My goal: “To discover the best venue for my content and trending avenues for revenue.” 

This course required us to complete our capstone projects and develop distribution plans for our work. We also learned how to monetize our work by writing pitch letters, creating media kits, and even adding advertising to our sites.

For our capstone projects, we generated a soft launch that allowed us to review what we had, make changes where needed, and add what might be missing. This helped us publish solid, professional pieces. After making the needed adjustments, we set our projects to go live. We were given a chance to give and receive feedback from our peers.

Distribution plans were made after researching and gathering data concerning our social media analytics. This allowed us to determine which outlet would be most effective in our distribution plan, and to determine which social media outlets need more attention to be effective. Once we had a plan in place for our capstone project, we executed those plans. After a few days, we analyzed how effective the plans were. Armed with this data, we can determine where we need to concentrate our future efforts.

Earning a living with our work is the ultimate goal in life. Creating quality content is key, but knowing how to monetize is right next to creating. For our capstone project, we wrote pitch letters to local media outlets, offering them a chance to read and link to our sites. If no one knows our work is out there, how can they see it? Why would they hire us? We generated Media Kits to send with future pitch letters among other things. Media Kits are a one-page ad selling yourself and your site, showing what we have to offer. While we wait to be hire by a company, or as freelance, we were shown ways we can make a little money with ads on our sites.  

All the content of this class is helpful to learning the processes of a professional journalist. If I had to choose just one, it would be the distribution plans and strategies. Analyzing the most effective way to reach my audience, and how to increase the effectiveness is very important to being successful.

This course has prepared me to focus as much on distribution and getting the word out to my audience as I do writing the content for my audience. If no one knows about it, no one can read it.

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Public Relations and Reputation Management

In the beginning there was just my misguided understanding of what the New Media Journalism Masters degree was all about.

From my Brainstorming Research I said, “All media content producers need to know their audience and how they react to information given to them. Ethical responsibility plays a major part in the practice of content development. This course will help me discover my audience, and help me give them responsible content.”

I set as my Mastery Journey Goal “To find my audience and learn responsible content development.”

Both of these statements are true. They state that I needed to find my audience, beat, website topic. Defining these elements has been a struggle all these months. Now that I am rounding the last curve and have the finish line in my sights, I think this class has finally answered these most important questions!

All of the assignments have been helpful, enlightening, and enjoyable.  I love getting feedback from my peers. This will always be one of my favorite parts. However, I my most favorite assignment was submitting my website address to the website evaluation/analysis generators. This gave me the answers I have struggled with since creating my website – what is my beat and who am I writing to? I enjoyed writing and covering all the articles I posted. I do not regret a single one! They just didn’t seem to gel together to form a single entity for me until the keyword cloud discovered “education” was the most used word on my site. Alternative, student, read, and family were also more prevalent than the rest.

The SEO topics will be a great help to me as a journalist. I discovered I do not know enough about coding to work with SEO on a technical basis, a problem I plan to remedy soon. However, I did learn I could be effective with SEO content writing.

Public Relations go hand in hand with journalism, and sometimes I wonder why they are taught separately. We have the same goals, for the most part – imparting knowledge to the public, although I guess journalism deals in broader subjects and public relations can be product specific. In other words, I learned the difference in our perspectives and how to see a news item through the eyes of a public relations professional.

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Girl Scout Cookie Sales Raise Funds For Trips

It is Girl Scout Cookie sale time again, a time many people look forward to all year. Customers purchase cookies to eat, and Girl Scout troops raise money for trips and other activities.

“Last year our troop took a trip to Marengo Cave in Marengo, Indiana,” says Mary Conner, the leader for Cadet Troop 47609 in Winamac, Indiana. The troop plans a trip to Holiday World in Santa Clause, Indiana.

“We are also planning a big trip to Savannah, Georgia in the next few year,” says Mary. “We want to visit where the Girl Scouts of America began.”

Image courtesy of ClipArtBest.com

According to the official Girl Scout website, the first Girls Scout troop was formed on March 12, 1912 by Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low of Savannah, Georgia. The first cookie sales came five years later, in 1917, when a troop in Oklahoma baked their own cookies and “sold them in its high school cafeteria.”

Today there are many flavors of Girl Scout cookies, including gluten-free and vegan options. Nutrition Facts about these cookies are available on the official website. Fun Facts, like Thin Mints are the top selling Girl Scout Cookie in America, and other Frequently Asked Questions can also be found on the website.

Thin Mints are the top seller in the United States. (Girl Scout Cookies by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar – February 20, 2010)

Cookie sales fund troop activities, however, each girl can earn incentives based on how many boxes they sell. Incentives range from a special patch to prizes based on the year’s theme. They can even earn cookie “dough,” money the girls can spend on council activities or at the council store.

Cookie sales end March 8, 2016. There are eleven troops in the Pulaski County, Indiana area, so cookies are easy to find. The Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana Michiana has links for nearby cookies sales, or to order online. However, ordering online does not help a specific troop or girl. It is also important to remember not all cookies are available in all areas, and some cookies are called by different names.

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Reading Promotes Literacy and Health

The Statistic Brain Research Institute states that 14% of adults in the United States have a reading level below the basics. This translates to 32,000,000 people who are considered unable to read. Twenty-nine percent have only a basic level of reading. The World Literacy Foundation’s August 24, 2015 report, The Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy, states that “illiterate people earn 30% – 42% less than their literate counterparts” because they lack the skills to advance their education.

  According to The Children’s Book Review website, exposure to reading at a young age increases a person’s literacy. However, increased literacy is not the only benefit of reading.

Photo by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell

Reading stories to children helps them develop language and thinking skills. Stories help children cope with their feelings and help them develop confidence. The Women’s and Children’s Health Network offers a great health topics page that gives advice and tips about reading for parents with young children. The Health Fitness Revolution’s Top 10 Health Benefits of Reading include stimulating the mind, improving memory and concentration, and reducing stress.

Photo by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell

When a child is exposed to reading early in life instills a love for reading that could last a lifetime.

Finding time to promote reading can be a challenge, however, there are options.

Photo by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell

The Pulaski County Public Library in Winamac, Indiana offers many events that promote reading, including a Story Time every Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

The Indianapolis Public Library All Year Reading Programs include Wrestle Mania Reading Challenge and World Read Aloud Day.

More information about reading programs can be found by contacting your local library, school library, or your child’s teachers.

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Social Media and Online Community Engagement

In the beginning of my Mastery Journey, I wrote:

Social Media is changing how news is distributed. With the development of virtual communities and social networking, news and information is delivered faster and without censorship. I may consider developing my own news community and will need to understand how to navigate social media.

I also wrote that my goal was “To learn to utilized different social media and develop my own online community for news and information.”

To obtain this goal, I said I would use Momentum Marketing: 5 Keys To Engaging and Driving Online Community Engagement, Social Reading by Jose-Antonio Cordon-Garcia, Julio Alonso-Arevalo, Raquel Gomez-Diaz, and Daniel Linder, and the Lynda.com Creating Better Blog Content tutorial. 

Although I was correct about social media changing how news is distributed, I failed to recognize that social media is also where news stories can be found. I have reached my goal, although I did not use the above tools. There are more social media sites then I ever imagined.

In this class, we researched, analyzed, and utilized many different types of social media. We learned about defining our audience through social media using analytics, like Google Analytics, and how to use our time wisely by using management systems, like Hootsuite.  The most used sites are Facebook and Twitter. Great tools are abundant, like social bookmarking site StumbleUpon, aggregators like Storify, news platforms like Reddit, and of course video sites like YouTube. We also learned that sites like Pinterest, SlideShare, and SurveyMonkey can be great research tools and well as finding a subject specific site.

All of our assignments this month centered on our capstone project subject. This was very helpful. By conducting research for each week, I also collected more research for my capstone project. I now have added story elements I might have missed. In addition, a social media element is required for the capstone. Now I have a better idea of what options I have to fulfill this requirement. 

In the near future, I will create a chart of all the social media we discussed this month, the best times to post, the demographics of each, and then I will post to the most likely candidates. Based on the analytic feedback, I will choose the best options for my content. I will keep this chart to use for all my future postings, not matter the topic.

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Alternative Education Addresses Many Issues

The term Alternative Education is used to describe many forms of education that deviate from the traditional classroom setting. The need for these deviations includes not only how students learn, but the circumstances they are in as well.

At Risk Students

Students at risk are most likely to need an alternative education program to keep them in school. Study.com defines at risk student characteristics as students who do poorly in class, have incomplete or missing homework, have poor attendance, and have behavioral problems among other things. The reasons for these problems can be economic status, an unidentified learning disability, or a less than ideal home life. Teach-nology.com explains that getting close enough to students to learn why they struggle can be difficult. Classroom size may hinder a personal relationship as well as the “fear of accusations of misconduct.” In any case, the teacher can monitor which students might be at risk by monitoring student performance, then consulting with the school principal and guidance councilors.

An article on educationrevolution.org, Ten Signs You Need to Find a Different Kind of Education for Your Child by Jerry Mintz, parents can help identify if their children could benefit from alternative education by answering a few questions. These questions range from “Does your child say he or she hates school?” to “Does your child come home tired and cranky?”

Students, who struggle, for whatever reason, are most likely to drop out of school.

Drop out rates have decreased, but at risk students still need help. (Infographic by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell)

With the introduction of alternative learning, the percent of high school drop outs and decreased.

Alternative Education Tools

David Havens, in his 2013 SlideShare presentation, ReimaginED: The Future of K12 Education, describes the future of education with technology.

John Reinz Mariano’s 2015 SlideShare presentation, Modes of Learning in Alternative Education, covers topics like distance education, eLearning, and home study.

Websites like teachthought.com offer educators ideas on how to utilize social media outlets like Twiducate and MinecraftEdu in their classrooms.

The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network at Clemson University talks about Alternative Schooling options within traditional schools as well as other options. The site talks about The Alternative Classroom, School-Within-a-School, and Separate Alternative School options.

Indiana

The Warrior Academy at Winamac Community High School is an Alternative Classroom within the school. Karen Butler is the teacher in the classroom. For now the program is focused on grade recovery, however the plan is to expand and offer more at a later date.

The Indiana Department of Education offers an Alternative Education Q&A file on their website, as well as other information about Alternative Education in Indiana

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ELearning Has Negative Side for Creativity

ELearning is a big part of Alternative Learning, however for the creative arts, the Internet can fall far short for a complete education.

Every person learns differently, so alternative education can be a great solution to a one directional classroom approach. Nevertheless, to have a well-rounded education, the arts need to be included. As John Williams, art teacher at Winamac Community Schools, tells us the Internet is not the best place to get a full education in art.

Williams shares the idea that the Internet covers just the basics of art. “It just scratches the surface,” he says. The concept that one plus one can equal three is difficult to explain without one on one interaction. “One idea plus one idea can equal a third idea. Now you have three ideas.”

There is a lot of research proving the importance of art in education. Grace Hwang Lynch writes in her article, The Importance of Art in Child Development, that art helps develop motor skills, language development, and decision-making among other skills.

A New York Times article, Art Makes You Smart, the authors explain how just visiting an art museum and learning about that art can increase critical thinking skills as well as social skills.

Onlinecolleges.net lists 10 Salient Studies on the Arts in Education. These studies include USA Today’s Study: Arts education has academic effect, by Tamara Henry, conclude that children who study the arts “are often more proficient at reading, writing, and math.” It also includes the report by The Center for Arts Education titled Staying In School. This report shows that a school with art education has a better graduation rate than one without.

Winamac Community High School implemented an alternative learning program this year called the Warrior Academy. Williams says the Academy handles alternative learning in the best way possible, with qualified teacher supervision and as part of a traditional education program.

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Alternative Learning Spans the Spectrum

Alternative learning offers educational options for students who struggle to make grades as well as students who want to work above grade level.

Some students need more time to work through assignments. Rushing through lessons can be frustrating and cause disciplinary issues. Some students get bored working at a slower pace. This can also cause disciplinary problems. Then there are students who need a combination of more time on one lesson and a faster pace on another. For example, a student who excels in math may need more time in language arts. Alternative learning is flexible, making it a possible choice for gifted children’s educational needs.

Allison Bruning, Author, Publisher, Professional Speaker, and Director of Gifted Educational Services at Mountain Springs Academy also known as Academic Warriors Mobile Academy. She is also working on her PhD in Education from Walden University. With her work with gifted and talented children, Allison recognizes the advantages alternative learning can for gifted children. This is evident in her social media posts.

Google Hangout gave her students an opportunity to learn about sharks from Shark Girl. Allison posted a picture on her Facebook page of the hangout on September 23, 2015. Also on Facebook, Allison shared the book drive for the homeless that her six-year-old student planned and implemented. Some lessons outside typical classroom education are learning tools.

Allison uses Twitter to promote all her endeavors, including the activities of the academy. She advertises that the Academic Warriors are transforming gifted education on a post and provides a link to the website were parents can find more information about gifted education. Allison also shares a post with link to her blog that contains an article on about the special needs concerning disciplining gifted children.

On her LinkedIn account, Allison shares stories like her post about how a brain learns and the problems that can arise with a gifted child’s ability to learn. She also has a post about how to engage the gifted child’s mind.

Allison also has a Google+ account where she posts links concerning gifted student diversities and the biological differences of the gifted brain.

There is much to learn about gifted children and the best educational situations for them. Will traditional academic learning follow and offer all students the advantages of alternative learning?

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Quality Education Still An Issue

No one questions that the education in the United States needs help, especially considering the US rankings according to Ranking America.

No Child Left Behind was a bill George W. Bush signed in 2002 to help boost the education system in the United States. It set federal standards for student achievements through testing. Schools and teachers were judged based on the test scores.

A search on Twitter, #NoChildLeftBehind, shows a major lack of support for a rewriting of this bill. According to the article House to vote on No Child Left Behind rewrite on NorthJersey.com by Jennifer C. Kerr, The renewal date was in 2007, but the argument for less federal regulations for school systems is still and ongoing debate.

Facebook has only a few comments that involve No Child Left Behind, making this social media not a great source for news on this subject.

Another search on Twitter, #AlternativeEducation, reveals this is a major topic with parents, educators, and even celebrities like Michael J. Fox who is quoted (on a meme) to say “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”

Facebook offers more information and news about Alternative Education, including the new Warrior Academy at the high school. This program offers high school students who have fallen behind the opportunity to recover and get back on track with their education. The program mixes eLearning with traditional paper and pencil lessons based on student needs.

Elizabeth Farrell was a pioneer in education in the early 1900’s. As a teacher in New York, she was one of the first educators to realize not every child learns the same way. She established the Council for Exceptional Children and set the standards for special education in America. One of her greatest achievements came with the idea to educate the educators of these special children.

What Farrell recognized over 100 years ago still holds true today. It has been suggested that our public educational system provides a cookie-cutter style of instruction. A standardized set of rules all teachers must adhere to, leaving little leeway for creative alternatives for the students who do not do well otherwise. This begs the question of how effective federal mandated standards can be for individual students. Is the answer to allow states to make these rules? What about funding, and who gets a say in how tax dollars are spent?

Please feel free to leave your comments and ideas. There is a solution out there!

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Multimedia Reporting

In my first month of the New Media Journalism degree program, I did a brainstorming project for a mastery journal project. Part of the brainstorming included a description of what I thought each class would offer me. Following is what I wrote about Multimedia Reporting.

“Storytelling is not just written fiction it is also visual. The audience loves to see real people in “real” life. This course will show me how to use different software and hardware that can be used for many different medias.”

As my goal for Multimedia Reporting, I wrote, “To learn the different types of media used for reporting, and how and where to use them.”

Looking back, it is obvious to me, as it has been most months when I get to this part of the course, that I really did not understand … well much of anything regarding the classes I would be taking. This class is no exception, however, the “how and where to use them” has been part of this class. So I guess I was only mostly ignorant of what to expect.

In Multimedia Reporting, we learned about economy of words, and how to find a news item based on something we have already written. With limited space and fast-paced news, every word counts. News articles can be multi-faceted. We learned to look for a different angle, a follow-up or update on developing news. National news can touch everyone, even at a local level, so keeping an eye on what is happening nationally, and even in the world is a good way to find a news topic to write.

Not every story works well with all the types of media. Multimedia Reporting gave us the chance to determine which media would work best with a story. We also were given the chance to research avenues where we could submit our work, and write a query letter for that submission.

Moving forward from this class, I have gained valuable skills I will use daily. I honed my writing skills to keep clear and concise sentences, helpful to keep my readership interested, yet not overwhelmed. I researched other’s media packages so I can produce a quality product. I learned that a story on the web is more than just words and pictures, it is also about presentation. If the feeling and mood does not match the story, readers will become confused. This will be most helpful with my own website as well. All of the lessons I have learned so far will help me produce a quality capstone project.

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Warrior Academy Addresses Student Needs

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The Warrior Academy at Winamac Community High School addresses the needs of student who struggles with traditional learning by offering alternative education.

Traditional education does not always work for students with special needs that range from physical to mental to emotional. Alternative education may be the answer to help a student who struggles in a regular classroom.

“I get to know each student on a personal basis,” says Karen Butler, the teacher for the Warrior Academy. She gets to know what they want to do after high school, what they like, and what their particular needs are.

The Academy uses computers and school provided iPads to access class work.

“They can work at home if they have Wi-Fi, but tests are only taken in the classroom and are password protected,” Karen said. If the student does not have Internet or Wi-Fi available at home, the school the school provides Wi-Fi time during study halls.

Right now, the Warrior Academy offers recovery classes for students who need help attaining grade level work. However, the future holds the possibility for students who want to advance, or take classes the school cannot offer.

For more information, follow the Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation’s Facebook page.

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Student Loan Debt Not Just A Job Problem

Repaying student loans is an ongoing problem, especially in rural Indiana where jobs that require higher education are scarce and many jobs pay minimum wage. However, lack of good jobs is not the only cause for the student loan problems.

Such is the case for John Shank, a former college student who is struggling to make ends meet.

“I graduated high school in 2008,” John said. He started college that fall, but transferred schools after two years because the college did not offer the degree he wanted.

“John did his research to find the right school, so he had my blessings to transfer,” said John’s mother, Jennifer. “We thought all his credits would transfer, but that was just not the case.”

John spent five years attempting to attain a college education; however, when funds ran out, he had to find full time employment and take online courses.

“I didn’t realize how hard it would be to keep up on course work and work a fulltime job.” John had to drop his classes and did not finish his degree.

John says he would do a few things differently, mostly concerning how he financed his education and how he spent the money.

“Not being able to find a job that covers all my bills is a problem. Really understanding about student loan debt would have been helpful.”

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How to Live a Pest-Free Winter

Ice and snow are common pests during the winter seasons in Indiana. (photo by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell)

In June 2015 on this blog site, an article was published, How to Live a Naturally Pest-Free Summer. Yet, summer is not the only time of year when pests are present. Winter, and even late autumn and early spring, have a pest called ice.

Ice causes damage to windows as well as seals. (photo by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell)

Ice covers sidewalks, steps, car widows, the windows of your house and clogs locks. This makes walking treacherous, getting in a vehicle or home difficult, and destroys seals and window frames.

Ice covers rails as well as steps. (photo by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell)

However, there are ways to minimize the risks involved with such a pest.

  The Dollar Strechter.com suggests using an old sheet or thin tarp to cover the windshield before an ice storm. Keep it in place by tucking it into the car door. To keep your windshield wipers and home door handles ice-free, place old socks over them.

  They also offer a homemade spray-on mixture to help prevent build up, and another to help de-ice.

  Prevention Mixture

3 parts vinegar

1 part water

Mix in a spray bottle and spray on windows and mirrors to prevent ice from forming.

  De-Ice Mixture

Isopropyl Alcohol

A few drops dish liquid

Mix in a spray bottle, spray liberally, and let set for a few minutes. This also works for frozen locks.

Snow and ice causes damage to plant life. (photo by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell)

Thriftyfun.com has some other ideas offered by readers for helping with sidewalks and driveways.

  Ice Melt Mixture

1 part Epsom Salts

1 part sugar

Mix and spread like sidewalk salt. It is reported to be safer on plants and animals than regular sidewalk salt.

A blizzard on US Highway 35 in Indiana makes driving hazardous. (photo by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell)

To add grip and tread to already icy areas, use birdseed instead of kitty litter. It is less messy, and it offers food for birds during the winter months.

Indiana has severe and unpredictable weather. (Infographic generated by Jennifer Shank-Maxwell

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Digital News Production

In my brainstorming project from month one, I wrote the following about Digital News Production:

“Developing interactive content, combining it with news and information, and making it entertaining is one of the best ways to keep my audience coming back for more. The more they want, the more I will produce. Mastery comes with volume.”

I expected my goals to be “To learn all the parts of digital news production.” Sadly, I little idea what went into digital news production back then. This class taught me many things and gave me a better understanding about what digital news production is.

During the course, I was expected to produce a news article every week using different technique and styles of new production, all of which surrounded the use of our Sony Camcorder. Our first assignment was video with nothing but natural sound. Then week two was strictly video and narration only. Week three incorporated video, interview sound bites and narration. Finally, week four was interview sound bites only in the documentary style. In all these weeks, we were expected to research our topic, capture the video and natural sound bites, conduct interviews, and put together a video package to be published with our story on our website. We were required to produce journalistic quality work in every part of the assignments, including Twitter posts. In addition to our regular coursework, we also began our capstone project, with will ultimately involve every aspect of journalism we learned in this class.

All the content from this class was helpful and important, but the most helpful would be the virtual classes. Even when I had to miss a live class, the archived recording with classmate questions helped pull the rest of the content together. Other classmate examples also helped with understanding the class expectations.

As a journalist these days, we need to know how to gather all the elements we need to make a complete digital package, and how to put that package together. The internet and the digital world fly by at the speed of a sound bite, and good stories will be missed if we are not ready to report the moment news happens.

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New Post has been published on Jennifer Shank-Maxwell

New Post has been published on http://www.jsmwriter.com/ocampos-struggle-for-citizenship/

Ocampo’s Struggle for Citizenship

Jose and Ana Ocampo have been struggling to obtain their legal resident green cards since 2002, when Jose came to the United States to work for a pharmaceutical company.

In 2002, Jose Ocampo moved to Indianapolis, Indiana from Costa Rica when he was offered a job with a U.S. pharmaceutical company. Jose was told he would be able to advance his career and eventually become a United States Citizen. From the time he was a young child, he was fascinated with the U.S. and dreamed of the opportunities the U.S. could offer him. What the Ocampo’s did not know was how difficult, how long, and how much money it was going to cost to fulfill Jose’s dream.

Jose worked for the first company for a few years. When that job ended, another company offered to hire him and help him with his citizenship status. Again, the second company failed to follow through. This happened a third time, and Jose was left trying to figure out a way to keep his family in the place they now considered home, Indianapolis. Jose found a job working for Holy Rosary Catholic Church as the Hispanic minister and high school teacher.

During their time in the states, the Ocampo’s have been trying to obtain their citizenship. The first step is applying for their green cards. There are many costs and fees involved and any small mistake can get the application thrown out with no refund of the fees. This happened to the Ocampo’s and they lost everything.

Because Jose is on a work visa and Ana’s and the two older children’s visa are attached to his, Ana cannot work and neither can the two children. This makes life for the Ocampo’s difficult, especially since Jose has not been able to work in his professional field, pharmacy. Ana is also a professional, a dental technician, who has not been able to work for the past fourteen years.

In January 2015, the Ocampo’s got work that their legal immigrant status paperwork was being processed. They hope to hear the good news that they will have their green cards by the end of the year. The next step for them will be applying for United States Citizenship.