Where Students Become Creators Inside Raceland's Growing Media Program

Where Students Become Creators

Inside Raceland's Growing Media Program

James Collier

The Ashland Beacon

Life is certainly a journey that keeps us guessing about what’s next. Whether it is furthering education or pursuing a different career path, you’d better be ready for change and opportunities to come knocking. Such is true for local radio announcer James Collier. If you’ve listened to local sports for any period of time, you’ve heard him painting a picture of what’s happening on the field or court as you listen.

James is currently an instructor at Raceland Worthington High School where he teaches math and media courses. His students create RNN (Raceland News Network) broadcasts that highlight the happenings in the district and now further growth is on the horizon.

Being a teacher wasn’t something that was on Collier’s radar until 2011 when he attended Marshall University. While needing a course to fill his semester, he decided to take a journalism class and his journey was set in motion.

When asked how his broadcasting career began, Collier admitted that it was almost by accident. “When I returned to school for my teaching degree, I never dreamed of doing anything broadcasting related. However, from the first time I got to work a game covering Marshall Athletics, I was hooked.” After years of coaching and spending time on the sidelines with his son, this gave James an opportunity to return to something he loved.

Mr. Collier has now been at Raceland for four years and has seen excellent growth in the media production program. His students learn the basics of journalism along with the essential parts of live production. The class produces a live segment called Raceland News Network each Monday where they highlight upcoming events and news from the previous weekend. They work the remainder of the week to put together a Friday show called Raceland Review where they talk about the week’s events and have a little fun along the way. Students learn how to use cameras, microphones, greenscreens and the programs used to produce a show.

In recent months Mr. Collier has launched the new Rams Sports Network which is a branch of Rams News Network (RNN.) The channel produces live school related events and focuses on Raceland Sports. Their YouTube platform allows the shows to be seen around the world and showcases the talents of the kids on the field and behind the cameras. This growth could not have been possible without the growth of student interest in media productions.

Just a general observation of school-aged kids and you’ll see that they are continually immersed in technology. The media arts courses allow kids to become creators not just consumers of technology.

While watching a Rams Sports Network presentation you will certainly notice the professionalism put into the work, and that’s part of Collier’s vision. “I want to provide a viewing experience that emulates something that one would see on a major network production of a collegiate or professional sport. I want our program to be seen as one that has a professional look to it and is something that one wants to turn on to watch.  Our graphics program we use is used by some of the major players in sports coverage. Our basketball scoreboard is the same that can be seen on ESPN College Basketball games.”

The broadcasting and presentation of the events are both stellar but it’s the impact on the students that has James raving. “The best part of this so far is getting to watch the students work in the program. I have one student who is working as a camera operator and had never stepped foot on a baseball or softball field until this spring, and her progression has been amazing. I have two other students who handle interviews with players and coaches in postgame that we use to post material to our social media platforms. I have several plans for my students to have new roles with our broadcasts starting this fall.”

These opportunities can become more than a high school experience for the students as Collier hopes to continue expanding possibilities. “I want my students to continue to work in a way that is beneficial to their desires of how they can take what they have learned in the program and apply it to their next step in life either in college or the work force. The greatest skill this program teaches is problem solving and conflict resolution.”

Just as technology is ever-evolving, Collier hopes to keep the media arts program growing at Raceland and the pieces are slowly coming together. “This fall the courses that I will be teaching will be a part of a new career pathway we will be offering at Raceland. Classes will range from introduction to media to advanced classes for students who have or will be working for me on the network. We hope to also partner with one of the local colleges to provide an avenue for our students to work toward once they graduate.”

With more and more careers requiring technology literacy, the media courses that Mr. Collier is teaching at Raceland will produce results and perhaps another voice behind the microphone in the years to come.

You can view their past productions and follow their upcoming live streams athttps://www.youtube.com/@RacelandNewsNetwork.