Lights. Camera. Action. The Glen Rock Board of Education added a new class to the curriculum this school year, Broadcast Media instructed by second year teacher, Ms. Mara Siegel.

The show is student run, meaning the students are the ones who make the production possible by putting together film and research with a lot of hard work. The students are currently learning about filming footage, different parts that define a good segment, writing a storyboard, and editing their work on Adobe Premiere Pro CS6.

“I don’t see this as my TV show; it’s the students’ TV show. I’m the guide and the leader but they’re coming up with ideas. So, if someone has an idea, it could be a segment that goes into the show,” Siegel said.

The class was added to the curriculum based on a recommendation by Dr. Paula Valenti, the district superintendent.

“A lot of the premiere schools in New Jersey have television programs and our superintendent Dr. Valenti wanted to introduce a broadcast media class to the school,” Siegel said.

Siegel also teaches Sculpture 1, Art Design, and Web Design 1.

After several months of planning, board meetings, and learning how to run a broadcast media class, the Board of Education approved the groundwork for the course put together by the high school’s administration.

The class was designed to help students understand the art of live television and familiarize our students with Adobe Premiere and the production of video content.

The goal of the class is to produce a television show that is anchored by the 65 student hosts who are enrolled in the class.

“It’s telling the story of Glen Rock students,” Siegel said.

Although the Broadcast Media class has started this year, Siegel expects that the students will become more involved and interested in broadcast journalism. The hope is for Glen Rock to offer higher level classes in the course.

“In a sense it’s like Journalism,” Siegel said. “Except we are working in a visual medium.”