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for grub, they just tune in to K.I.D.S. Beavertown Radio, 1580
AM to get a weekly report.
Listeners of the station can also hear school news, birthday announcements,
fundraiser information, interviews of the school principal and other
V.I.P.’s, and songs from recent school productions - all broadcast
from the mouths and hearts of the school’s fifth grade class.
Mary Lou Holland, a teacher at Beavertown school, keeps it all
going. She is quite proud of her radio enthusiasts and says they
rarely get nervous at all.
"We’ve done surveys, interviews. The next thing we will
do is spotlight different classes. The kids have come up with some
really good ideas," she says. "They are just so natural
on the air. Their delivery is so good."
It all started when Holland’s brother, who owns his own business,
wanted to test some AM radio equipment for future sale to schools,
churches and other non-profit groups. His business specializes in
closed circuit radio devices and has installed equipment for cam
ground sites and the Walt Disney parking lot.
"He’s done most of the major airports in the country,"
relates Holland. "He called me and asked if I knew of any classrooms
that wanted to test the equipment."
Holland has a passion for developing writing skills in young people
so the brainstorm was right up her alley. Her brother donated the
necessary equipment - including an antenna on the roof - and, as
of Labor Day, 1998, Beavertown Elementary School has been broadcasting
24 hours a day.
Larry Casey, age 10, admits it’s a little easier because the
broadcast isn’t live. "We get to re-do it if we don’t
like it," he says. The project is open to all fifth graders
and about 10 faithfully stay after school one day a week to update
the on-air broadcast.
The school had a contest to name the station; K.I.D.S. radio does
not need any type of FCC registration. It works similarly to the
broadcasts travelers can tune into as they approach the airprot
or drive down the highway. The other classrooms at Beavertown school
have radios so they can listen to their peers whenever they want.
"This signal goes out for about two miles," explains Holland,
"so some of the kids can hear it in their neighborhood houses.
And, people can tune in as they drive by."
The broadcast has a twelve-minute loop at which point the tape
is re-run. One tape runs for a week at a time. Preparing a weekly
broadcast doesn’t just teach these fifth graders about confidence,
news reporting and good speaking skills. It also acts as a math
lesson, according to Holland, since the students must add munutes
and seconds in order to update each tape.
Samantha Brown, age 10, likes the research phase of radio production.
"I like doing the interviews, gathering up all the information,"
she says. Brown has interviewed the school’s music teacher
and volleyball tournament coach. Meanwhile, Amber Mitchell - also
age 10 - likes writing the scripts the best.
The participants in K.I.D.S. Beavertown Radio, 1580 AM got to meet
other radio buffs when students from nearby Fairmont High School
visited for career day. They also have their own radio station at
school. Holland said all the students instantly found a common connection.
If two students want to do the same task, they flip a coin. It
usually takes about an hour to update the tape each week. Holland
believes getting to interview the principal was an eye-opener for
students.
"They wanted to know about his life outside the building.
They found out he has teenage kids and likes to play golf. They
thought that was neat." In addition to learning new math skills
and conducting the interviews, radio club participants have to understand
what makes writing for radio different than other forms of written
communication.
"It’s a form of stylized writing. We count syllables.
They learn to keep it simple and to the point. We talk about how
to punch different words. They write the script on the board and
underline the words they are going to punch," explains Holland.
Some other classrooms have participated in the broadcasts by taping
a word-of-the-month segment. One classroom was assigned the word,
respect, and gave examples of what it means. "They ended it
with Aretha Franklin music," laughs Holland. "That was
really fun."
Holland isn’t sure where the project will go from here. But
she is certain that these fifth graders are hooked on radio. Brown,
Casey and Mitchell expect to do live radio once they get to high
school, and Casey is especially looking forward to the chance to
cover sports on the air.
After all, with the experience these 10-year olds now have, going
live is just the next logical step. Casey is sure he can do it.
"It wouldn’t be that hard."
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