Welcome to Journalism/Video Production
I am honored and excited to introduce myself as your child's journalism teacher for 2023-24. This will be my 11th year at Cario and 18th in the classroom. Currently, I oversee the production of Cario's award-winning daily news show. Before entering the teaching profession, I spent 16 years as a reporter at The (Charleston) Post and Courier newspaper where I wrote mostly sports stories and human interest pieces. My published works include a book, Guts & Glory: Memorable Moments in Citadel Athletics, and a number of articles in national publications, including The Washington Post and Athlon Sports. In video, I co-produced a short film called Cool as Ice that was shown at the prestigious 2019 Woods Hole Film Festival in Falmouth, Mass.
My amazing wife, Grace, and I have been married 27 years and reside in Mt. Pleasant. We have two grown children, Kyle, a budding lawyer, and Emma, a talented artist, plus a quirky mixed terrier named Kirby. Besides my family, I'm crazy about tennis (I coach the boys and girls teams at Wando High School), old cars (especially classic Corvettes), the Cleveland Browns and the South Carolina Gamecocks. When reading for fun, I like action/crime thrillers by such authors as Allan Folsom, Clive Cussler and Andrew Klavan. Among my favorite binge-worthy TV series are Breaking Bad, Longmire and Vikings.
Course Basics
All of my courses introduce 6th, 7th and 8th graders to journalism (print and broadcast) with an emphasis on video news production. Here, students learn the basics of reporting, shooting and editing with video. Finished stories are broadcast on the Cario TV News show -- known as CTV News -- presented each morning to homerooms via Promethean Panels on the school's computer network.
In recent years, CTV News has been recognized statewide for "Excellence" by the South Carolina National School Public Relations Association. Students use real news stories as models for much of their work, with assignments tailored to their grade level. They use Canon Vixia camcorders to record video and Google's WeVideo for editing.
Class preparation requirements
Students should expect to write every day, either on paper or computer via Canvas. They need to come prepared with a pencil or pen. Bellwork journals will be checked weekly.
Grading policy
Students will be graded on their classwork (50%), video/writing assignments (40%) and quizzes (10%). Students are responsible for making up missed work and are subject to earning zeroes for work not turned in. Parents can keep track of their child's work through PowerSchool.
Behavior expectations
Disruptions won't be tolerated. Students who behave in such a way as to detract from other students' learning are subject to consequences ranging from a warning to removal from the classroom. Parents should expect to be notified if their child exhibits negative behavior.
Contact me
The best way to contact me is via direct email: robert_lang@charleston.k12.sc.us
To set up a conference, call the school at 843 856 4595.
Thank you for supporting and encouraging your child in his or her schoolwork. With your help, we'll have an exciting and productive year.
Go Comets!
