Absegami High School Media Class Has Appeared on Classroom Closeup

Absegami High School's Media class has become the focus of the television program

The program is a televised magazine program that focuses on innovative education in New Jersey's public schools.

According to its website, Classroom Close-up is a "30-minute weekly series featuring the students, teachers and communities who create and participate in successful school projects and events."

The high school's media program teaches students about media communication. Subsequent classes teach the students the process of filming, editing and more.

Everything they need to prepare them for life, according to teacher Ed Johnson in a recorded segment shown to the Greater Egg Harbor Regional Board of Education Monday night.

Fellow media teacher Michael Pitrowski, during Monday night's  meeting, said that the school's media program became a focal point for the television show last fall. Students were at the New Jersey Teacher's Convention covering the event in addition to interviewing different people, including CNN reporter Soledad O'Brien.

The work the students were doing during the convention caught Classroom Close-up's attention. It approached the school about doing a segment on the program.

That segment aired for the first time this past Monday night. It will air again at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 16 on NJN.

"It's not about us," Pitrowski said, referring to what he and fellow teacher Ed Johnson do in preparing the students in their media studies.

Instead, he said, "it's about them"—the students themselves.

As for the students, they each said that participating in the media program has helped each of them to become more self-reliant and self-confident. It has helped them in being able to talk in front of a large group, such as before the board and those who attended the meeting.

For others, it had a life changing effect.

"I actually changed my major because of this class," student Chris Hansel said. He indicated that he has decided to change his major to TV production.

Hansel is a senior at Absegami and will be graduating this June along with fellow media student Tyler Gadner, who also attended Monday's board meeting.

Other students who also appeared and spoke were Chris Graves, Mogan Kirner, Bria O'Brien, Laura Petro, Wyatt Sergeant and Selena Sudol.