SchoolTube Teacher of the Week
For the week of April 27, 2008
Karen Fredrickson: Langston Hughes Elementary School
SchoolTube nominated Karen Fredrickson, a video production teacher from Langston Hughes Elementary School, as "SchoolTube's Teacher of the Week". The following is the story of Karen's video teaching career and her passion for teaching the next generation of broadcast journalists.
The answers in this interview were given by Karen Fredrickson, a teacher at Langston Hughes Elementary School.
SchoolTube: How long have you been teaching?
Karen Fredrickson: I have been an elementary teacher and librarian for 30 years.
ST: How long have you been teaching video?
KF: Langston Hughes TV was created in the 2001-2002 school year so about six years.
ST: What subjects do you teach or have you taught?
KF: I have taught Kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th as a classroom teacher. I also teach every class in the school- K through 6 as a Library Media Specialist.
ST: Did you always want to be a video teacher?
KF: The possibility of video in the classroom was not available when my teaching career started, so I can't say I always wanted to.
ST: What is your favorite part about teaching video?
KF: Several areas are especially exciting about teaching elementary students video. They are enthusiastic and take their jobs very seriously. Working on a video crew lends itself to a team approach. Many students that do not shine in other areas in school are accepted as a valuable team member.
ST: How did the video program at your school start? How old is it?
KF: When the school was built, it was configured for a media-rich environment. We visited other elementary schools that produced video broadcasts. With the support of our PTO, we purchased the necessary start up equipment and went on the air live in January of 2002. We have had a daily live news broadcast since then.
ST: Why do you consider video a class worth offering at the K-12 level?
KF: It provides a unique opportunity to allow students to grow in a variety of areas and offers hands on real-world experience. It plants the seeds for further exploration in the broadcasting field.
ST: Do you have any advice for other video teachers?
KF: Be flexible and have fun. Programs are hardly ever perfect.
ST: Do you have any memorable stories from your teaching experience?
KF: We have had everything from crawdads to celebrities, as well as feature spots such as 5th grade "Robot Rumble" and 4th grade "Biography Squares" on LHTV. However it's the daily broadcasts that bring laughter and enriches our day.
ST: Do you have any other comments or stories you'd like to add?
KF: Before taking on a project like this, staff must be committed to spending the time needed to making the program work. Start small and continue to grow!