Student Writing from near and far

Check out this blog from Wilson High

http://thehitchingpost.wordpress.com/

and this school newspaper from Illinois

http://www.lanewarrior.com/Lane_Warrior/Print_Archives.html

Summer Journalism Workshop

The 59th Annual California Scholastic Press Association Journalism Workshop will be held July 18-30 at Cal Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. It is limited to 25 high school juniors and seniors.

Students will attend several press conferences, publish their own newspaper, publish blogs, report on a simulated major disaster, learn how to cover a simulated breaking crime story, tour a daily newpaper office and television station.

Tuition is $1,025 which includes meals and lodging. There are a limited number of partial scholarships. Deadline for applying is Friday, April 16, 2010.

For more information, go to wwww.cspaworkshop.org

Technology is Good

I was impressed with how well everyone worked together today. Thanks to Adam for jumping in and teaching half the class how to use InDesign. I was so excited that I added some files (see box above) on using design. Thanks to Mr. Benainous for setting up the Box.net account so that I can post those (I've been carrying them around on a CD since July). For how to crop in InDesign, see the tutorial link at right.

The rest of the editors are also to be commended for making good use of a shortened day, as are the staffers who expressed interest in ad sales.

Keep up the good work!

Newspaper Exchange Critique, Story Ideas

Your critique is due Monday. This is a good way to see what other schools are doing, to practice reading critically and to get ideas for future issues.

Be sure to introduce yourself to your beat contacts. Tell them your name and that you will be covering the assigned beat and that you will be checking with them weekly about possible stories. Encourage them to contact you if they have a story tip.

MET: contact George Benainous, lead teacher, Room 123 and Antonio Manriquez, video teacher, Room 120
Teaching Academy: contact Kelly Bender, lead teacher, Room 315
Social Justice: contact Susan Von Manske, lead teacher, 310

Congratulations on the February Issue

I'm really proud of this issue. There is something interesting and worth reading on every page. There are also some firsts: our first commissioned comic on the editorial page, our first Q and A with a school board member on the news page, and our first advice column on the features page.

Now we need to work on our distribution. Next time, I will need a couple students to meet me at say, 7 a.m., and stuff the teachers mailboxes before they go to their classrooms in the morning. I think this is easier and simpler than having people run around and deliver copies of the paper.