The inability of many of today’s students to evaluate information online for truthfulness has become a crisis in American education. Even though most students now use the Internet as their primary tool to learn what’s happening in the world, the education system has been slow to acknowledge the problem and begin a serious search for solutions. I hope you’re ready to do your part, and that you’ll find what I’ve shared here useful in shaping a better educator response to a global trend...
There has been an influx of reading lists for white Americans to more deeply understand the long history and enduring egregious examples of systemic racism in our country in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. This is a rational and important reaction: we know that reading increases knowledge, understanding, and empathy. I am a white educator in a predominately white county and school. Too often, segregated white spaces are insulated from needing to do the urgent work of dismantling...
My name is Jane Bannester and I’m a teacher at Ritenour High School in St. Louis, Missouri. On Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown Jr., an 18-year-old black man, was fatally shot by 28-year-old white police officer Darren Wilson in the city of Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis. It happened on a Saturday. Our school began its first day of a new school year that Monday. Ritenour High School was in the circle of protests that ran several weeks. It is only 13 miles from Ferguson, separated by an airport. At...
Bokeh results in visually appealing photographs. It forces viewers to focus their attention on one main focal point, while the background of the image becomes a unique blur. Often, that blur takes the form of dots of blurred light. That light can come naturally through trees or be done with Christmas or fairy lights. The word bokeh actually comes from the Japanese language. The word boke translates as “blurred,” hence the name for the unique blurred background in a bokeh image. With that said, obviously to create a good bokeh image, a photographer needs a Shallow Depth of Field. The photographer will also need DISTANCE between the main subject and the background to create this effect. For...
One-third of Americans currently believe the First Amendment “goes too far.” Limiting our freedoms was not the intention of the founding fathers. That is why SchoolJournalism has hosted the First Amendment Matters PSA contest for the past five years. Our contestants go through two rounds of judging. The first judge looks to make sure time requirements are met, as well as reviews for any potential copyright infringement. The second judge looks deeper into the PSAs. The first judge had this to share: “While reviewing the PSAs, I noticed that this year’s entries did a much better job at adhering to the time constraints and not violating copyright laws. Attention to detail does matter,...
The First Amendment was written to protect individual freedoms. Yet today, one-third of Americans believe it “goes too far.” Limiting our freedoms was not the intention of the founding fathers, but how can we spread awareness about the importance of the First Amendment? The answer is YOU. Here is an opportunity to spread the message in a PSA about why these freedoms should not be limited. It is SchoolJournalism’s sincere hope that you will not only participate in this contest, but also share your entry with your school and community. Do note that judges look for PSAs that not only follow the specifications as listed below, but they also are looking for a PSA that demonstrates...
