WHS students go digital

WASILLA HIGH -- Over the past year WHS English teacher John Notestine and Principal Amy Spargo toyed with the idea of an Intro to Media class entirely dedicated to the digital world. They have now made it happen.

Over the summer, Notestine remodeled, refurbished, and repainted room 126 at the school from an ordinary classroom into what It is now home to a new digital pathway. It is equipped with new high-end video editing retina iMacs and awaits a new recording studio. If Notestine has his way, it’ll be just a matter of days.

Wasilla High’s students will have the opportunity to learn how to use recording equipment, green screens, radio managing and video editing all through the new digital pathway. The class was open to any interested student and before the room even had a microphone enough students had signed up to create two sections of digital media, Intro to Communications Careers and Digital Communications.

“Digital media knowledge is a necessity for so many career fields. The digital media class is great for students interested in the media field. But, media is going to be everywhere, so it will benefit all students no matter what their future plans,” Notestine said.

The digital pathway with Notestine is a series of four year-long classes that students will sequentially learn more and more about media equipment, become fluent in its use, and eventually be able to independently produce media. At the end of the series of classes students earn a digital badge. In the meantime, Notestine is looking for an official industry-tested certification that students could earn that could lead directly into a job after high school.

“This class will provide me with more internship possibilities and more job opportunities. So that’s pretty cool.” sophomore Elijah Cook said.

Notestine’s vision for a digital pathway couldn’t be possible without the collaboration with Colony High’s Brian Mead, or the support from the Mat-Su Borough School district, the CTE department, and Mr. Ray Depriest who according to Notestine, “We owe a huge thank you.”

“Teen Talk” is the first project students will tackle with the recording equipment. Students choose different jobs for the project: music director, reporter, show host, or technician. These jobs all add up and fit together to create a one-hour weekly radio talk show aired through KVRF 89.5 Radio Radio Free Palmer every Friday night at 9 p.m. The show consists of many different topics ranging from high school sports to special coverage of events to concerts, book or movie reviews. Colony High also produces Teen Talk and the two schools plan working together on this activity, too.

Later on in the year students will use the video editing equipment Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. Notestine plans for the class to broadcast three to four live events this semester. They include the Doc Larson Roundball Tournament, The Region III Wrestling Tournament, and the varsity volleyball team’s senior night, all accessible live through thecube.com.

Notestine understands the industry and high demand for employees through his summer business, Vivid Sound and Lighting. In the end, coupled with enthusiasm and experience, he anticipates WHS digital pathway students being job ready and certified for career options in the business world.

Eli Ickes is a senior at Wasilla High and Journalism II student.