Advanced students from journalism and publications pose with some of the tools they use daily.

True, journalism and publications students are the ones who get to use the big, fancy digital cameras. They carry lenses worth thousands of dollars, look official with press passes and are known as experts with Flip video and every mobile device imaginable. They carry laptops, digital voice recorders and more.

It’s fun to play with the latest tech toys, and it’s fun for students to express themselves, show creativity, have work published and tell important stories.

But spending time involved in WHS publications has more than just a short-term wow factor. The payoff extends beyond high school, as research confirms that students involved in some type of high school journalism (newspaper, yearbook, or other publication) achieve higher scores on standardized tests and perform better in college, earning better grades and out-performing their peers in writing and analytical skills compared to students who did not participate in high school journalism.

See for yourself in High School Journalism Matters.

So yes, using all of those high-tech gadgets is cool. But it’s just the beginning.