Student-lead news broadcast in elementary

How do we leverage student creativity and communication in the digital world? 

At the beginning of the 2014-15 school year, students at North Elementary received a chance to expand the way the connect and communicate with one another. Tiger Pride News, created by students in grades 3-5 at North Elementary, are using 

These three 5th graders are part of a team that broadcasts live news every day through Google+ Hangouts On Air to their 3-5 elementary school building. Classrooms can tune in live, or visit the recorded news broadcasts later in the day when the schedule requires. All broadcasts are on-the-fly. They don't edit and video, simply cover what is happening around their school and community in the best way possible. The idea of create now, refine later, can explain how our students approach learning in the digital world. Students want a product to share. They want to learn what they need to engage an audience, with a tangible product that can be shared with anyone, simply by sending a link. 

Keeping their friends and family up to date on what is happening in their elementary school may be part of the motivation, but they do take their job very seriously.  Armed with a Chromebook, webcam and tripod, they also cover live events like the Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner's visit to North Elementary in Princeton, Minnesota, today. 

They occassionally have a Roving Reporter, live interviews held outside of the studio (but within range of the school's wifi or at home) from an iPad, join in on the Hangout broadcast. 

View the student-lead coverage of Commissioner, Dr. Cassellius' visit to North Elementary here.