Pal-Mac High School Technology Education

Posted by Tom Breen

Pal-Mac High School Technology Education
Communications – TV and Video Production

Living up to the Rotary in our club’s name, our May 16^th meeting took place in the library at the Palmyra-Macedon High School. This was so that we could be shown around the high school’s TV and Video Production studio by Technology Education teacher Kevin Schlegel. Another bonus of meeting at the school library – this meeting was to be run by the Interact Team. They didn’t have far to travel.

Mr. Schlegel explained that Technology Education has changed since most of us were in school. There are 3 paths available now – Traditional, Engineering, and Communications. Wood shop and Metal shop, which many of us remember, are now just a part of the Traditional path. That path now includes courses dealing with construction and with the ever-changing role of technology. The Engineering path instructs students in design, digital electronics, bio-technical engineering, civil engineering, and architecture. The third path is Communications, which includes digital imaging, mass communications, web page development, and TV and video production.

Students involved in the TV and Broadcast classes put together the morning announcements program each day. This is a 6 minute live show seen in every classroom in the high school. It can also be seen on FLTV, cable channel 6. Students have different roles in the production: on-air talent, camera operators, director, writers. The students collect information and write a script covering school events, sports and weather. Once the script is written, rehearsals begin, and at 9:10 each morning, the show goes live. Our club got to see a re-creation of Wednesday’s broadcast performed for us, right in the studio.

It is a fully-functional studio, with multiple hi-definition cameras and green-screens on two sets. Using the green-screen technology, a digital news studio or other graphics can be placed behind the performers. For the weather segment, a weather map is displayed behind the performer just like the professional newscasts.

The TV and broadcast program is growing in popularity as well as in size and scope. It started with 9 students and 1 handheld camera. Now they have a full studio and production facility, with 29 students signed up for next year’s course.

Mr. Schlegel is to be commended for his efforts in leading this program for our students. They put on an entertaining and informative presentation each day, and our club enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at how it is done.