Homeschooler takes on assignment
Photo by Christy Porter
Homeschool student Alex McConnell (right) with younger brother Greyson read an old edition of The Licking News dated Friday, September 24, 1909, while visiting the newspaper office.
By Christy Porter, Managing Editor
with Alex McConnell
Homeschooler Alex McConnell visited The Licking News as part of her education last month. Her brother, Greyson, and mother, Tammy, joined Alex on the quest of learning more about how a newspaper is produced.
“On Wednesday, October 18, Alex, Tammy and Greyson (McConnell) went to The Licking News office to learn about making a newspaper.
“Alex was learning about Benjamin Franklin and how he ran a printing press, so she thought it would be fun to go see one,” wrote Alex, completing her assignment of writing a news article.
While the actual printing of the newspaper is no longer done in-house, Alex took advantage of learning how it was done long ago via pictures (a large Norman Rockwell print of the Monroe County Appeal in Paris, Mo., 1945) and explanations, and then how it is done today.
After reading several items from old newspapers and reviewing the most recent edition, Alex took on the challenge of taking what she had learned and writing her own article.
Photo by Alex McConnell
While on “assignment,” Alex McConnell took photographs, this one of her brother, Greyson, and mother, Tammy, who visited The Licking News with her.
The article requirements for Alex to include were: who, what, why, where, when and how; and Alex wrote her notes in a Reporter’s Notebook. She took photographs to accompany her news article and Greyson also tried his hand with the camera.
Alex was excited to find additional information while on the microfilm machine related to an educational experience at a farm. She had visited a dairy farm, and then while at The Licking News found an ad for Producer Creamer Co., a whole milk pick up service.
Perhaps Alex was a bit surprised at the many pieces it requires to produce a newspaper, but The Licking News was happy to share with her and to have her visit.
