Rockford students learn the ins and outs of journalism with new pilot program

Future journalists? Maybe.

Better consumers of news? Definitely.

Students at Flinn Middle School are learning to distinguish between fact, opinion and advertising as well as what is news and how to write stories.

Language arts teachers Aubrey Barnett and Cara Wolfe are teaching the students the University of Oregon's Journalistic Learning Initiative, a pilot program for Rockford Public Schools.

The Journalistic Learning Initiative teaches students how to research, think critically, write, collaborate and enhance their oral communications skills. The students also are empowered to use their voice by putting their thoughts into words to tell a story.

"Anytime you have an authentic reason for writing, the better," Barnett said.

Over the past quarter of the school year, the students brainstormed to come up with a variety of topics to write about as well questions to ask sources for each story.

Students interviewed school security at different campuses to learn about the problem of vaping in schools. They spoke to officials at Remedies about domestic violence. They spoke with an official at the Department of Children and Family Services about how abused children can become abusers as adult. They interviewed officials at Midway Village Museum about why manufacturers left Rockford, and they spoke with an alderman about creating more activities for children in their early teens.

"The most exciting one was we had a group of students interview the judge (Magistrate Judge P. Michael Mahoney) who oversaw the People Who Care lawsuit," Wolfe said.

Eighth-grader Christian Klasnja said, "Normally, I don't talk to people that I don't know. So having to interview people on Zoom or in person or even emails — those were fun activities. I really enjoyed it."

Barnett expressed her appreciation for the work the University of Oregon did to create the adaptable curriculum.

"It's also a very, very good resource," she said. "It's nice to have a college-level resource because that lets you know you really are preparing them for the next level of education."

Wolfe found value in how the Journalistic Learning Initiative teaches students to advocate for themselves.

She said, "Children have voices, and they need to know how to use it."

Chris Green is a Rockford Register Star general assignment reporter. He can be reached at 815-987-1241, via email at cgreen@rrstar.com and X @chrisfgreen.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford students learn ins and outs of journalism with pilot program