The transformational power
of a high school journalism program set up as a learning community
- why it works.
- Intrinsically motivates students by feeding
into their primary teenage psychological needs for independence
- Reinforces important skills: reading, writing,
- Integrates skills taught in English, social
studies, technology, fine art, math, science.
- Showcases student work in a socially esteemed
format motivating students to perform at superior levels.
- Reinforces the importance of the press in a
- Teaches the role of the press in a democratic
society and reinforces the importance of that role.
- Teaches students important interpersonal skills:
communicating effectively, working as part of a team, handling
feedback and criticism well, setting goals and achieving them.
- Teaches important life skills: understanding
how to run a small business, getting to known the local community,
and understanding the local political process.
- Enables students.
- Can provide an important public service for
Why setting up the program as a learning
community is the key to the success of the program.
Most journalism programs in this country are considered
the black sheep of the English department. No one wants to teach
them because they don't want to be in a position of always
fighting with the staff for control; they don't like the long
hours associated with the program; they hate having their students
work produced publicly for everyone to criticize. These problems
are minimized when students are functioning in a student directed
learning community. Few experts would disagree with the statement
that the peer group takes on powerful a powerful role during the
If teachers, administrators, and community members
would look at the tradeoffs, they would jump at the opportunity
to get students highly motivated to excel.
Journalism can motivate even the most recalcitrant
student. I have had many students who hated school and who were
not motivated. I have seen these same students transformed by the
program. They changed from D students who cut often, hated learning
to B or even A students; they started to care about the world because
at last they felt they had a way to impact the real world. They
felt respected and important.
What distinguishes a typical high school
program from one set up as a learning community?
- In a learning community, the adviser acts as
an adviser, not a teacher. That is, the teacher relinquishes some
of the power and control he/she normal has to the student leaders.
Adviser censors only for libel, obscenity and inciting to riot.
- Each person in the community has a real-world
role and they work together as a team to accomplish their project.
The teacher advises or teachers, but does not do it for them,
no matter what.
- Students feel truly empowered because they are.
Impediments to a journalistic
Ways to overcome the impediments:
- Hold community meetings to explain the benefits
of giving students freedom of expression: by having some real
power to make changes in the community it makes its members into
See this website entitled Controlling School Newspapers