The Bring Your Own Device pilot program, which allows seniors in English teacher Mike Palshaw’s Writing class to bring their own laptops for class, began mid-January. Of Palshaw’s 68 students enrolled in the course, about 15 have turned in their paperwork, and some have started using the program to their advantage.
Senior Emma Descamps is one of the few students who has begun to bring her own laptop to school, noting, “I’m really excited to bring my own computer. You know your own laptop and how it works so you can go faster, and you can do whatever you want about your settings.”
Other students, however, find the new program less attractive.
“I don’t want to risk getting my computer stolen or broken at school,” senior Billy Rudiger says.
While the new program hasn’t won over all of Palshaw’s students, other students outside of the Writing classes want to be a part of this program.
“I want to be able to bring my own computer to school because it has all my stuff on it, and I know how to use it,” senior Taylor Mikel says. “The school computers are great and all, but I think having your own stuff just makes things easier.”
BYOD’s success will be evaluated over the next month before administrators determine whether it will be offered to the rest of the student body.
-ALEX BURNS
Everyone has seen the video bulletins; however, most students never put much thought into the work that goes into the process of actually making it.
The process of producing the video bulletin can be a little tedious. The theme is usually picked by the students following Brian Granbery’s guidelines.
“They all sign up for the jobs they want to do,” Granbery notes.
Once everyone and everything is ready to go, they start recording on the morning the video bulletin is slated to be shown.
They choose from available positions like anchors, camera person, teleprompter and floor director.
Each specific job plays a vital role in the process of making the bulletin.
For example, the teleprompter is in charge of rewriting the bulletin so the anchor can read it. The cinematographer is given specific instructions to follow like whom to focus on and record. In all, the bulletin is filmed in five to ten takes.
Junior Stefan Robles acknowledges that one of his “favorite roles is being the director.”
Students are graded on their participation and their overall engagement in the process.
“All in all it’s a fun process, but it can be a little frustrating,” Junior Max Ritter says.
-KATTY MENDEZ
