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A dynamic Lori Hoover gives her IMTV class instructions on
one of their
community service projects.
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A
Teacher Making A Difference
By Paige Burns
IMTV Reporter
GREENVILLE - “IMTV has been involved in many community service
projects, building communication and bonding young people with their
home community,” said Lori Hoover, Greenville High School Interactive
Media Instructor. She added, grinning, she looks forward to each day in
class as “(an) opportunity to grow and a chance to make an impact.”
As the instructor of IMTV, Hoover chooses to let her students make
decisions on their own. By giving them encouragement and guidance, she
notes that she is teaching them many important skills such as
leadership, time management, and communication.
Under Hoover’s leadership, GHS IMTV students learn to edit and record
videos, take pictures, Photoshop pictures, use the computer to make
animations, plus many other media skills. Hoover encourages her
students to serve their community by dedicating their computer and
media skills to helping community projects.
"Mrs. Hoover is a great teacher because she actually cares about her
students and helps them with real-life problems," said Tabetha
Westfall, a junior in IMTV. Hoover is outgoing, vibrant and her
students see her as a passionate educator and mentor in both
interactive media and community service.
The class is offered through GCTC (Greenville Career Tech Center). It
is available to juniors and seniors, and students are accepted based
upon character, recommendations and attendance. Students in IMTV
provide their media services to the community all year long. Each year,
the senior class works on its biggest project, which is dedicating a
video called Senior Sendoff to the graduating seniors. The junior class
of IMTV is heavily involved in school events and community projects
such as Big Brothers Big Sisters. A new IMTV endeavor will be to create
a video for Empowering Darke County Youth.
She assigns these projects to her students to get them familiar with
working as a team and with their community. Hoover also works with her
students one-on-one to guide them to success. By participating in these
projects, the students learn leadership and communication skills
because Hoover lets them take complete control.
One of the community projects the students of IMTV are associated with
is Channel 5, a Greenville local public access station. The students
take charge of recording local events and running the community message
board. Another project IMTV partners with is the Greenville Veterans
Memorial Park & Digital Library. In this project the students
record and highlight stories of veterans in a series called Never Stop
Serving. The students of IMTV impact the community by participating in
many projects such as these.
Not only does Hoover help the community through IMTV, but she also
plays an active role in her students’ lives. Hoover provides her
students with many opportunities to better their futures and knowledge.
For example, she gives her students information on important
opportunities that the students may not know about. A few things she
provides information on are job shadowing, college visits and financial
aid.
Hoover
has worked as a teacher for 32 years; 26 years at Greenville
Junior High and six years as the Interactive Media instructor at
Greenville High School. She said she was very nervous about a new
position after 26 years, but added "change is good!" She soon began to
love her new job at GHS.
"(I want) to make a difference in their lives,” she said, glancing at
the students working at their stations, “to encourage them to be
successful, work hard, set goals and reach for them."
Hoover said that she always wanted to be a teacher because the majority
of her family were teachers. She went to Ashland University for her
undergraduate degree in Secondary Education and Wright State University
for her master's degree in Curriculum. She also studied High School and
Comprehensive Business Education, Computer Science, Supervision and
Professional Development, and Computer Coordination.
“I come from a long line of family educators and I am a life-long
learner,” she said with a grin that has almost become second nature to
her students.
Hoover is always striving for diligence in her students. With her
caring attitude and perseverance, she helps IMTV students take active
roles in their community, their goals, and their lives.
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Hoover helps IMTV student Mikayla Bailey with her current project.
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