Awhile back, I came across a collection of lesson plans online that was a collaboration between Google Play and the makers of the film "Interstellar". On the site, there were inventive and innovative lesson plans created by Google Certified Teachers to get students excited about the sciences and storytelling.
One of the lessons that really caught my eye a Video Time Capsule project written by Michael Hernandez, an amazing GCT from Los Angeles. Its basic premise is that students will create a multimedia time capsule that collects the best of life on Earth at this moment in time. When I pitched the project to my 7th graders, they absolutely loved it and got right to work.
It's interesting to see how my 7th graders interpreted the project and what they chose to include. I plan on differentiating the project to include a focus on scriptwriting and soundtrack with my 8th graders to see where they take it. Still, I am thrilled with what my 7th graders put together and hope you enjoy it too.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Minding the Middle
Teaching middle school may be a daunting and scary idea for many, but it is honestly where I happiest as a human and a an educator. Middle schoolers are a crazy, funny, brilliant bunch and I love spending every day with them.
WNYC is currently did a weeklong series called Being 12, and one of the posts was about the teachers crazy enough to teach middle school. It is an insightful and honest piece about teaching middle school, and a glimpse into our lives in the middle. Enjoy!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Creative Commons Music Spotlight: Podington Bear and Dexter Britian
One obstacle that my students (and myself) run into when making films is finding the perfect music. Specifically, music that is Creative Commons friendly. My students are expected to use only Creative Commons music in their films because I think it is tremendously important to give and respect the credit that creative work is entitled to, which often times does not happen. And while my students try their best to find CC-friendly music, it is rather difficult to find great songs. Over the years, I have found some artists that I absolutely love to listen to and use in my films and thought I should share them all along with you.
My love for Podington Bear knows no bounds-this man is amazing. Since 2007, Podington Bear has been making music that is featured on several NPR shows and podcasts like This American Life. You can get all of his music on Free Music Archive, but below are some of my favorite tracks.
Dexter Britain
I first found out about Dexter Britain after watching a beautiful film about migrant workers in Singapore that Alex Fortmann, a brilliant filmmaker and former SAS student, created and posted on YouTube.
Dexter Britain has some of the most beautiful instrumental music out there, and I often times put it on in class or when spending a quiet evening reading because it's so well-done. It was Dexter Britain's song, Nothing to Fear, that I used for my Apple Distinguished Educator video, which was the perfect soundtrack for the feeling I wanted to deliver in my application video. Besides making beautiful music, Dexter Britain also allows you to name your price when you buy his music, which is awesome. Here are some of my favorite tracks/albums below.
My love for Podington Bear knows no bounds-this man is amazing. Since 2007, Podington Bear has been making music that is featured on several NPR shows and podcasts like This American Life. You can get all of his music on Free Music Archive, but below are some of my favorite tracks.
Dexter Britain
I first found out about Dexter Britain after watching a beautiful film about migrant workers in Singapore that Alex Fortmann, a brilliant filmmaker and former SAS student, created and posted on YouTube.
Dexter Britain has some of the most beautiful instrumental music out there, and I often times put it on in class or when spending a quiet evening reading because it's so well-done. It was Dexter Britain's song, Nothing to Fear, that I used for my Apple Distinguished Educator video, which was the perfect soundtrack for the feeling I wanted to deliver in my application video. Besides making beautiful music, Dexter Britain also allows you to name your price when you buy his music, which is awesome. Here are some of my favorite tracks/albums below.
My intent is to also keep up my search for the great CC-friendly music to keep sharing with my students and readers, so keep checking back for more CC Music Spotlight posts. Happy listening!
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Project Overview: A Day in the Life
In my Digital Storytelling course, there is a huge emphasis on creating films that move audiences that are character-driven. The project and illustrates that concept and pushes my students best to excel in good storytelling is the Day in the Life film project.
To begin the project unit, I spend a day going over two different types of storytelling styles: The Basic Plot Chart and Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. Teaching the students about these storytelling styles and showing them examples of it in film and literature ignites the students' interest in how they tell their stories. They especially love learning about The Hero's Journey and how it applies to so many different stories. I then give my students a blog assignment where they take a film, show, video game, or novel of their choice and break it down using either the basic plot chart or hero's journey stages.
On our second day into the project, the students are then introduced to the Day in the Life project and review the criteria and gracing rubric. I update the document I use below for every semester, so please feel free to make a copy of the document and modify for your classroom.
To give the students some inspiration for planning out an inanimate objects' story, I give the following presentation and we watch a YouTube playlist of other Day in the Life films to begin brainstorming for our film. I tend to wait to show my students other student films until the project is done to make sure they really tap into their own creativity rather than imitating other's work, which middle schoolers like to do to play it safe.
To help them plan out their character's story, I give them the following document and ask that they submit to me either using Google Classroom or their blogs before beginning to film so I can give feedback and suggestions.
The timeline for this project is about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, and I find that whether the students work at home or at school, they need the time from start to finish. This project always delivers some of my favorite films from the semester, which I have put together in a playlist below. I hope your students enjoy this project as much as mine do. A Day in the Life always delivers beautiful storytelling and I look forward to it every single semester.
To begin the project unit, I spend a day going over two different types of storytelling styles: The Basic Plot Chart and Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. Teaching the students about these storytelling styles and showing them examples of it in film and literature ignites the students' interest in how they tell their stories. They especially love learning about The Hero's Journey and how it applies to so many different stories. I then give my students a blog assignment where they take a film, show, video game, or novel of their choice and break it down using either the basic plot chart or hero's journey stages.
On our second day into the project, the students are then introduced to the Day in the Life project and review the criteria and gracing rubric. I update the document I use below for every semester, so please feel free to make a copy of the document and modify for your classroom.
To give the students some inspiration for planning out an inanimate objects' story, I give the following presentation and we watch a YouTube playlist of other Day in the Life films to begin brainstorming for our film. I tend to wait to show my students other student films until the project is done to make sure they really tap into their own creativity rather than imitating other's work, which middle schoolers like to do to play it safe.
To help them plan out their character's story, I give them the following document and ask that they submit to me either using Google Classroom or their blogs before beginning to film so I can give feedback and suggestions.
The timeline for this project is about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, and I find that whether the students work at home or at school, they need the time from start to finish. This project always delivers some of my favorite films from the semester, which I have put together in a playlist below. I hope your students enjoy this project as much as mine do. A Day in the Life always delivers beautiful storytelling and I look forward to it every single semester.
ADE Asia Pacific 2015 Application Video
For the past 3 weeks, I have been working (and procrastinating) on submitting my application for the Apple Distinguished Educator program for the Asia Pacific region. I am not going to lie, this was one of the more intense applications I have had to fill out. Apple asks you to really examine your teaching philosophy and bring it to life in not only video, but words as well.
Getting into ADE is notoriously competitive, and I have to confess that competition is not one of my strengths; actually, it demotivates me. There were individuals at my school who I think are the most brilliant and innovative teachers that applied and did not get in during the 2013 application period, which made me hesitate about submitting my own application. Nevertheless, I work with some incredible people who kept encouraging me to apply, so I did. It was time-consuming, but in the end I am happy that I put in the work to submit my application. I created a film that really captured who I am and what I believe as an educator, which I would not have made time to complete if I didn't have a reason.
If you would like to see my application video, check it out below. I wish good luck to all the other applicants out there, you are all rock stars in my eyes!
Getting into ADE is notoriously competitive, and I have to confess that competition is not one of my strengths; actually, it demotivates me. There were individuals at my school who I think are the most brilliant and innovative teachers that applied and did not get in during the 2013 application period, which made me hesitate about submitting my own application. Nevertheless, I work with some incredible people who kept encouraging me to apply, so I did. It was time-consuming, but in the end I am happy that I put in the work to submit my application. I created a film that really captured who I am and what I believe as an educator, which I would not have made time to complete if I didn't have a reason.
If you would like to see my application video, check it out below. I wish good luck to all the other applicants out there, you are all rock stars in my eyes!
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