Finding Common Ground

In a previous post, I commented on the benefits of being a STAR Discovery Educator and explained that I had questioned the amount of marketing I was doing for them. My attendance at a MICCA  workshop last week was sponsored by Discovery Education, due to the fact that I am a Discovery Educator with STAR status. The workshop was conducted by AFI and the focus was 21st Century Filmmaking in the Classroom.

It was interesting to learn that the American Film Institute has a screen education program that is correlated to the writing process. The screen education process goes through 5-6 steps and at each one there is a direct connection to the writing process. However, in my opinion, the filmmaking process is much more engaging than the writing process and the end product may be more valuable. In addition, the entire process requires a lot of group discussion and reflective thought on the part of each participant. Students evaluate each other, but more importantly, they’re evaluating themselves – the product they created and how they participated in the process. Students are motivated to continue the process and even start another one. Does that happen with the writing process? I don’t think so!

The final step in the process, The Final Cut, allows for audio, effects, and transitions to be added to complete the production. I see this as a step beyond the writing process. As we use the writing process, the last step is the rewrite which is not much more than taking the last draft and making it look nice. Additional adjectives may be added, but that’s really nothing like the last step in video production. This is the step where a written piece would have to stand on its own or be read to an audience. Often students don’t even get to the final step in the writing process, due to time constraints. That may be the same with this process, although the students will be anxious to get here (and may work harder to do so) in the video production scenario.

I was able to take away that the screen education program would be a valuable addition to a content area course at the high school level/middle school level to build the teaching of reading and writing across the curriculum. Screen education develops critical thinking and problem solving skills, communication skills, creativity and innovation skills, collaboration skills, as well as information and media skills. These skills are all 21st Century learning and thinking skills that need to be developed as students encounter core content material.

Oh, and all the steps in the process can be found in unitedstreaming! Check them out!

Filed under: Learning From and