For seventh-grader Brannon Hughes being a part of the morning news show at Lincoln Middle School gives him the chance to dive into his interests of performing and using technology. A Lincoln Middle School student uses the new mobile studio while directing the news show.

“My favorite role is anchoring because you get to find the more interesting news stories,” said Hughes. “I like seeing the end product too. I’m a bit of a technology freak.”

Hughes is one of 16 students who produce the Lincoln Lancer News, a three to five minute morning news show that broadcasts every Monday through Thursday at Lincoln Middle School, an International Baccalaureate school. The class is divided into two teams, which rotate jobs of being on-air talent (anchoring news, weather/lunch, features and sports) with the behind the scenes technology of directing, running the Teleprompters and cameras and editing the news show.

Lincoln’s broadcast class recently received a $4,995 Supporting Partnerships in Innovative Education grant from the Poudre School District Foundation to purchase a Tricaster mobile studio. The mobile studio is a broadcast control room in one simple box that allows students to create a virtual studio with switching six cameras live while they are recording the show. The technology also allows students to report in front of a live green screen, with the ability to instantly swap in and out different weather maps, backgrounds or locations on the green screen.

Before they received the mobile studio equipment, students would spend many hours editing in those graphics after they recorded the show.

“Now we can do it live,” said Kirk Petty, Lincoln media specialist and broadcast teacher. “It’s great for the newscast. It really makes the broadcasting experience more real for students and gives them more of a professional experience.”

Hughes and his classmates are quickly picking up on the new technology. “I like the new equipment. It’s very useful. We’re still trying to figure out how it works, but the news looks a lot better now,” said Hughes.

In addition to the morning news show, the mobile studio, which also offers live video streaming, has been useful to record other school activities like athletic and music events. “We can plug in the six cameras, monitor them and switch between the cameras. We can zoom in on a person playing the flute if they are going to do a solo,” Petty said.

Petty said the broadcast class has been a huge asset to all participating students, but especially to the English Language Learner students, helping reinforce their writing and communication skills.

“It is amazing to watch our newcomer ELL students go from speaking no English at the beginning of the year to proudly giving the weather forecast or interviewing a teacher by the end of the year,” he said. “The best part is seeing them grow.”

Seventh-grader Rafa Abulobaida, whose first language is Arabic, has been a part of the Lincoln news team since she was a sixth-grader. “Reading the teleprompter and writing the scripts have helped me improve in writing,” she said.

Eighth-grader Lilia Marquez says being involved with the TV studio gives her a chance to do something she really enjoys – writing. “I’m really good at writing and reading. I know how to read articles and make them kid-friendly,” she said.

Episodes of Lincoln Lancer News can be viewed online!