Fighting its reputation as only a detriment to education, television is becoming increasingly more prominent as a teaching tool in the Jericho school system, as students are discovering that exciting job opportunities in the communications field await them.
And if the parents of students taking television production in the high school want to see if their kids are taking their classwork seriously, all they'll have to do is turn on their TV set and watch.
The Jericho school district presents JET-TV, student-run programs that air monthly on and Cablevision's public access network, Channel 25 (or 80 for Optimum cable viewers). Each show is filmed and edited by students, who also comprise the talent. Just one year ago, such productions would have been impossible, but new technology and an enthusiastic new teacher, Michael Malkush, now allow students to touch their community through the airwaves.
Malkush, who prior to this year had taught technology and television in the Plainview-Old Bethpage school system, sought to define a new agenda and image for the high school television program to complement the new equipment.
"What I saw was that Jericho really needed an identity," said Malkush, who eventually conjured up the catchy name Jericho Educational Television - JET-TV.
Next came JET-TV's slogan: "Everybody is a star."
"It really means everybody has importance," said Malkush. "We're a team. You're a star whether you're in front of the camera or behind the camera. That's really what I'm trying to teach the students."
For his students' first show, Malkush decided to produce a variation on a program Jericho kids worked on last year, Hawk Talk. The program would have a talk show format, and the episode would focus on homecoming weekend, featuring interviews with school officials and clip montages. Both his early morning novice class and late morning advanced class worked on this project which aired earlier this November. The episode, hosted by Benji Turchin, a Jericho High School senior, captured the carnival atmosphere of homecoming through dynamic visual and audio images.
Malkush said that the fact the program would air was plenty enough motivation for his neophyte students to learn the technology and his advanced, experienced students to take their leadership roles seriously.
"It's wonderful for the students because now their work goes beyond the classroom, and there's just a sense of pride in their work," said Malkush. They take the work more seriously, now that we have to do a more professional job, because there's an audience for us," he continued.
Dan Han, senior and editor of Hawk Talk, said the television course has enlightened him about aspects of production he never appreciated. "When you watch regular shows, you don't really know what's behind the scenes. You think it's like light, camera, action it's done, but it's so much more."
"It's a good feeling," said Turchin of appearing on television. "I hope it's not the last time because I plan on doing it for a lot longer," he added.
"I think it's more of a great feeling knowing that this is my fourth year taking the class, and how much it's evolved," said Gregg Knepping, who directed Hawk Talk. "The program has improved so greatly."
The improvements include a new set of cameras, a revamped control room, an advanced graphics system and an editing machine. The older equipment, still usable, has been shipped to the elementary schools, where studios are being constructed so that students as early as third grade will be introduced to video production.
"It's like heading into the year 2000," said Malkush, acknowledging that the very same technologies sometimes blamed as distractions to education - computers and television - are exactly what is enriching education in Jericho today.
Malkush encourages all students to try the course, and explore avenues in the communication field, as many of his students plan to do professionally now. "It's only going to help them in college or their careers," he said.
JET-TV's next show will air on Friday, Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m. and will feature women and technology.
