Category Archives: Youth Media

Events, Local, Research, Youth Media

Guest Youth Blogger: Night Before Presentation

Written by Sydnee Logan
Posted on April 14, 2012
Okay, so this has been a very exiting trip so far! My classmates and I have been stressed out, but still super exited about being in Canada, I personally cannot wait for us to get in Canada and see the communities of Vancouver. The early morning (3am!) trip to the airport was very new to us and we loved every bit of it. The wait on the plane was worth it. It was the first time flying for one of my classmates and I, and it was great to see that experiences firsthand. When we took off the plane ride was pretty bumpy and moving faster than I thought. When we got above the clouds it was smooth sailing from there. Soon everyone was falling asleep and even myself later from total fatigue.

I awoke to the loud voice of the flight attendant, my ears ringing and popping from the air pressure. I think that moment was the worst moment of the whole flight, but I also realized we were flying above Seattle. We finally landed in the airport and walked to the check in place then got us our vans and we tried our best to leave but the garage was like a maze with spiraling avant-garde art. We finally start driven and we finally came up to the border of Seattle and Canada. We get through, but the car full of my other class mates got pulled over in the border lines and they had to get out the car and give the information to the border patrol. We then are able to leave and we immediately headed to the AERA convention center, were Step would be presenting. I am looking forward to seeing my friend’s excel tomorrow. Working to be at our best we then practiced one more time and left to see the beautiful communities of Canada. We then got to our rented home in the north of Vancouver. The house looks really nice we ordered some pizza and everyone got back to work practicing their scripts, I know we will do great tomorrow. I will be recording the whole thing and posting it up on YouTube with my blog.

Here are the comments of my classmates about the first day.

“Hey I was pretty happy about the plane ride because I haven’t been on one for a while. The car ride was okay because I got to see the nice buildings of Canada then it was a pretty long ride. I am exited about presenting I literally cannot wait!” –(Nixon Callejas)

“I felt very nervous about the plane ride and I felt like it was too long. The car ride was even longer; we were sitting in those cars for hours I think my bottom fell asleep. I can’t wait to present tomorrow but I so nervous I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight. I also thought that the buildings were very unique and something I didn’t expect from Canada over all this is an exiting experience.” –(Rebecca Pine)

Events, National, Research, Youth Media

Guest Youth Blogger: Build Your Own School (BYOS) Project Presentation

Written By Sydnee Logan

Currently, a few of my classmates and I from Step are preparing to attend and present at the American Educational Research Association Conference also known as AERA. This year the conference is being held in Vancouver, Canada on April 13th through the 17th. In our previous two years, my classmates presented at the AERA conference in New Orleans and Denver. AERA is a convention for teachers, researchers, and other people that are interested in learning about effective schooling, teaching and pedagogy.
The reason we are attending this conference is to present on our Build Your Own School (BYOS) project. The unit is about us literally trying to tell people about the resources we need as a community to improve Oakland Public Schools, and schools like it in America. For this project we conducted our own research and will share what we found. The reason we feel this is so important is because we attend an Oakland Public School and know how ineffective they can be, but also know effective schooling with our Step program. We believe that we should have the best opportunity to learn and experience school, like everybody else.
To prepare for this trip we have been working hard every day (weekends and on our spring break!!!) on our power-point to practice our presentation and put finishing touches on the short films we created. We look forward to sharing our research with people in Canada and around the world.
My classmates and I have a mixture of excitement and worry going into this trip. The School Structure research team consists of Rebecca Pina, Darrell Tingle, Charlie Va, D’Shari Frison, and Daryl McDaniel; and the Leadership research team consists of Nixon Callejas, Mohammed Taleb, Naja Herron, Javote Long, and Nick Ross.

Here are some of their initial reactions:

“I am stoked out about leaving the country, I am going to meet as many people as possible and I am buying so many souvenirs.”-Nick

“I am excited about leaving. I am excited about getting on the plane and happy about doing a presentation in another country. My main worry is that we have to come back to Oakland so soon.”-Nixon

“I am excited and can’t wait to meet new people and explore Canada. Well my biggest worries/fears is to get on a plane and to be away from my mother.”-D’Shari

“I am very excited about leaving to Canada and being in a new place because I am very nervous. Well I don’t have any worries because I have been on a plane before so I know what to expect.”-Rebecca

Local, National, Research, Youth Media

Guest Youth Blogger: Sydnee Logan

East Oakland Step to College Graduates

Written By Yo Ann Martinez

KQED is excited to partner with the Step to College Program at Fremont High School in Oakland, California as they prepare to present Build Your Own School (BYOS) project at the American Educational Research Association Conference (AERA) in Vancouver, Canada.

Sydnee will be blogging about their presentation, his classmates and thoughts on traveling to Canada. He will also share a video highlight reel of the trip. We look forward to it!

Here is Sydnee in his own words:

“Hello everybody, my name is Sydnee Logan. I’m a 17-year-old native of Oakland, California. I am currently a junior at the John C. Fremont High School in Oakland, attending a smaller school named Mandela Law and Public Service Academy. In my free time I play sports, hang out with my friends, and have participated with the Step to College Program since my 9th Grade year.”

Stay tuned for his first submission.

 

Events, Local, Research, Youth Media

Video: How Does Tutorpedia Fight The Drop Out Crisis?


Written By Emma Bundy
Tutorpedia fights the dropout crisis by providing critical academic support to students. Through personalized, one-on-one tutoring, students receive the individualized attention that is often difficult for over-extended teachers to provide in the classroom.

By collaborating with teachers and academic advisors at students’ schools, Tutorpedia tutors reinforce school curriculum and support lessons in dynamic ways outside of the classroom.  As Ms. Moyenda, a veteran SFUSD teacher explains, “It’s not just me saying to the tutor, ‘here give the kid this.’ It’s me getting the information back from the tutor that says, ‘here’s where your focus needs to be.’ I think every kid needs their own one-on-one tutor because now we can no longer give that one-on-one instruction.” Tutorpedia tutors develop relationships with their students to focus on specific academic needs while also addressing issues that impact learning within the classroom environment.

Tutorpedia tutors are experts in education who are passionate about student learning. Experienced tutors develop creative ways to help students understand in order to make education real, relevant, and rigorous. By connecting academic success to real-life, tutoring helps students engage with school and graduate. Since 2007, Tutorpedia has provided more than 6,000 hours of tutoring to low-income families through the Supplemental Educational Services program and through the generosity of private donors and grant-making institutions. Learn more about Tutorpedia and the Tutorpedia Foundation.

National, Research, Youth Media

Pinterest: Why I Go to School

Pinterest is an online pin board. Why I Go To School is the topic of this pin board. Students share why they go to school as part of the American Graduate project focusing on the high school dropout crisis. If you would like to submit your motivation for why you stay in school, email us at newshourextra@gmail.com. Please include your first name, age, grade in school and brief blurb in addition to your Pin. For teachers, here is a lesson plan to get your classroom involved. Check out our recent reporting.

National, Research, Youth Media

Celebrity Calls Urge Students To Get Up, 'Get Schooled'

PBS News Hour
December 14, 2011
Written By Veronica Devore
A teenager punches the snooze button again and is contemplating skipping class to stay in bed when her cell phone rings. Tyra Banks is on the line telling her to get up, go to school and do what she has to do to graduate.
Pre-recorded robocalls from the likes of Banks, rappers Nicki Minaj and Wiz Khalifa plus many other celebrities are behind an initiative from the Get Schooled Foundation — in partnership with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation*, Viacom and other major sponsors — to increase attendance in American high schools. Students and parents can sign up for the twice-weekly wake up calls that, in combination with school-wide attendance challenges and activities rolled out in 90 schools across the nation, encourage teens to get up and get to school.
Listen to celebrity wake up calls.

Local, Youth Media

Progress At Media Academy In East Oakland

Media Academy
12.4.2011

Oakland high school students drop out for many reasons: drugs, pregnancy, problems at home, lack of support, etc. But who better to investigate the contributing factors than Oakland teenagers?

At Media Academy in East Oakland, high school students are  reporting and producing short videos as part of the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs project. KQED’s Caitlin Esch is mentoring students as they report intimate stories that really dig in to factors that lead so many teens to leave high school before graduating.

Last week, students interviewed teen drop-outs about their experiences in and out of high school. In these photos, Ricky Vargas (grey hoodie sweatshirt) interviews Brandan Lem (red sweatshirt and hat) and Ken Perry (blue Abercrombie sweatshirt and black glasses) about their decisions to leave school at 15 and 16, respectively. Lem eventually returned to high school, while Perry did not. Tony Srimoukda was working the camera.

Youth Media

Video: What would you do?

KQED and Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) youth programs; BUMP Records and The Factory are collaborating to create local videos by youth that address the high school dropout rate in Oakland, CA.

Here is an example of what is to come in the following months.

This piece asks the question – What would you do with $260,000? – and shows how you can get it. Directed by Lauren Lindberg