New Kent instructor using lessons, Trojan television to unite community during pandemic

With the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the essentials of staying in communication with others through the means of technology has become a necessity. A class that started at New Kent High School years ago has now blossomed to the forefront in efforts to connect students and the community to keep them in touch with activities on campus.

David Haviland, an instructor of New Kent High School, is leading his kids through virtual means to create ways to push out information and communication through a variety of means.

Using his background as a former journalist in Rochester, New York, Haviland’s transition to the education field was seamless. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to make its way throughout the world, Haviland wanted to make sure that the kids had a way to get their message out and still have an opportunity to put together a program that kicked the day off at New Kent High School.

“It’s taken my passion, which was working in television, and then being able to work the next generation of kids as we see the technology evolve,” Haviland said in a Tuesday morning interview. “We carry more around in our phone than the first three newsrooms I worked in and I try to impress that upon the kids.

“Everyone is making videos now, whether they want to do it or not,” he continued. “I just figured if I can give a little bit of what I have learned to them and make their videos a little bit better regardless of what they end up doing, it ends up becoming full circle for me.”

With success such as one student who is now at a local television station, Haviland spoke about the unique challenge has placed on his classroom.

“With this pandemic in place, I miss out on the exclusive one-on-one that I can get,” he said. “The kids have a real hard time talking in front of their peers, so I have to explain it again and again.

“When they log out of our Google chat, they are off working for 20 minutes and we have another software so we can see what they are working on,” Haviland continued. “It’s almost like you’re in the room because you can see what screen they’re on and you can send them individual messages.”

New Kent High School Television, more commonly known as Trojan TV, has garnered widespread acclaim for being present at several school functions. Among them include high school graduations at VCU’s Siegel Center, school board and town hall meetings in the auditorium, school assemblies, theater art performances, concerts, and school club induction ceremonies.

For Haviland, making sure his students got their hands onto equipment to continue making quality productions for the station.

“I was able to send the students home with laptops and software that we edit with,” he said. “I can share my screen with them, showing them how to go through the steps, and screen-sharing the steps, all while hoping it helps them understand. If we have to go a bit slower to make sure we all understand, then that’s what we are doing.”

Among the current focuses the instructor is working on, it’s how to meet deadlines, especially with the potential to have upcoming live shows in the future.

“I think that kids know that a deadline is a deadline, period,” Haviland said when questioned about kids remaining discipline through a virtual world of learning. “I still want them to do the work even if it’s late, and there are always extending circumstances.

“I use the example of the wedding cake and they absolutely hate the wedding cake,” he continued. “Let’s say I hire you, we have a wedding at 5 p.m. on Saturday and the cake has to be there at 4 p.m. on Saturday, but you can show up on Monday at 8 a.m. with that wedding cake. Great, you did it, but that is not what the job was. The job was that it had to be done and done the right way and on time.”

Haviland mentioned the students know they must do the work, but said they have the discipline they need to be truly successful.

“This year, I’m hoping that we are back to normal and we can do what we did in years past and that’s my crew of five people,” Haviland responded when asked about future productions. “We would go down to VCU and set everything up [for graduation] like we usually do every year and we roll with it. That is my goal and that is what I hope we end up doing it.”

Haviland is also hoping for an opportunity for some of his students to come in and have some hands-on production experience. With Winter sports around the corner, the opportunity is there for his crew of students.

“The county has purchased a video package to mount a camera in the gym and on the athletic field,” he said. “It has a couple of cameras on it and anybody who can pay a subscription fee and they could watch all the games and all the events.”

“I’m open to helping them set up,” he added.

With the expectation that no fans will be allowed at Winter sports events for New Kent and a two-month window before the service can be implemented in the school system, the opportunity is available for his group of students and for Trojan Television to touch the lives of others while others are confined inside of their facility.