Communications

The purpose of this performance-based course is to improve communication skills, with emphasis on speaking before groups of people. Students will give a variety of speeches, including informative and persuasive. This course gives attention to listening, delivery, construction, and content. 

This course is designed to develop an understanding of the impact created by the evolution of the media in our society. Students will reflect upon media issues and trends while exploring how the various mediums use their power to persuade, control, entertain, and inform media consumers. Newspapers, magazines, television, radio, film, and the internet will be analyzed according to the following: (1) the way each medium works to influence the behavior of society at large, (2) the way each medium works to influence the behavior of the individual within our society, and (3) the role of economics and its relationship to the media.  This course is a prerequisite for the broadcasting courses.

Broadcast Theory builds upon knowledge gained in Mass Media and is designed to develop basic broadcast journalism skills. The course focuses on writing for broadcast; radio production; and the video production process, including basic camera use and editing. Students form small, collaborative production units where they employ creative communication strategies and 21st Century Skills to develop a deeper understanding of the broadcast process through project-based learning. 

This laboratory course requires students to work independently and collaboratively to produce, direct, edit, write, film, report, and anchor original television programming for our cable show UA Alive! Students will also write and produce local radio programming to air on Youth Beat Radio. Additionally, all students will employ creative communication strategies and 21st Century Skills while working on a service-learning project for a local organization where they will put their broadcast production skills into professional practice. 

Students can apply for this course in the spring of their junior year after successfully completing all prerequisites. This laboratory course is primarily for the production of the live school television program, Kickin' It Live. Students will also have opportunities throughout the year to produce content for Youth Beat Radio, explore extended learning opportunities in the community, and produce additional video content for UAHS. This student-centered course is designed to further extend broadcasting skills and to prepare students who might be interested in exploring broadcast journalism or communication disciplines in college or as a career. 

This course will provide students with the opportunity to connect with and engage with various aspects of UAHS student life while providing direct service to the UAHS athletics department and other school organizations that require the use of the video scoreboards & live streaming.

Journalism I is for students who want to expand their writing skills. This course covers the principles of journalistic writing in a variety of genres, including news writing, feature writing, and editorial writing. Other instruction includes interview techniques, copy editing, and understanding the rights and responsibilities of the student press. Primarily a writing course, Journalism I is the introductory step into Journalism II, which students should schedule the following semester if they plan to be a writer or editor for Arlingtonian. 

The primary goal of Journalism II is to prepare students for the various demands of working on a publication staff. Continuing with the principles of journalistic writing from Journalism I, the course covers column writing and the logistical, legal and ethical considerations of investigative reporting. Journalism II also provides instruction on publication design and typography, web publishing, headline and caption writing, and the various financial aspects of running a publication. The writing and editorial staff for Arlingtonian will be chosen from this class, which will also produce the news magazine's annual spring supplement. 

This course is for the Arlingtonian newsmagazine staff, chosen from Journalism II students who will apply for specific staff positions, including editors. Small- and large-group instruction—including writing, researching, interviewing, editing, and diverse storytelling—will help students fulfill their individual staff assignments. Students are responsible for writing, editing, and publishing a newsmagazine every quarter during the school year as well as ongoing publication on the staff website arlingtonian.com. The student-staff will be exposed to business practices connected to running a newsmagazine, including advertising costs and processes. Interested students should be strong enough academically to devote the time necessary to produce the magazine.

Students in this course use higher-level reading and writing skills to produce the high school's yearbook: Norwester. Small- and large-group instruction—including writing, researching, interviewing, editing, and diverse storytelling—will help students fulfill their individual staff assignments. In addition, instruction in the basics of yearbook ethics, design, and production occurs in the early weeks of the course. Successful Norwester staffers are strong writers who are creative, detail-oriented, motivated, and disciplined. Interested students should be strong enough academically to devote the time necessary to produce the yearbook.