Take:

* One (1) group of students who sign up for a Digital Photography class. Preferrably, the course should be an elective. You can almost guarantee that if a student can actually choose his course, it is because he/she has a genuine interest in the topic.

* One (1) digital camera per student. If your resources don’t allow it, at least try to have 1 camera per no more than 3 students. We’re not talking about the high-end, top-of-the-line digital cameras. Anything in the price range of $75-$150 will do.

* The amount of periods per week will be determined by yoour administrators. I get my kids four periods a week for one semester of class. This is more than enough to work with them.

* One (1) educator who can transmit what he/she knows about the topic.

Instructions:

1. Introduce the students to digital cameras with a hands-on presentation on the topic. Recommended resources: the Utah History for Kids page has an amazing page on the history of photography. Visit the Science Junction page on Digital Cameras for an amazing intro to every aspect related to digital cameras. They even include Quicktime movies!  (Thanks, Daniel Morris, for helping me revise the resource list. A former student, my friend Daniel is truly a master on the topic).

2. Add an introductory lecture on the following topics:

a. The Elements of Design. Check out the following link for a good handout on the topic.

b. The Elements of Composition. I found this incredible page on the topic, and I share it with my students. Why shouldn’t I share it with you? Click here to see it.

c. The Rule of Thirds. It is incredible how of an impact this little rule has on the quality of the student’s work. Like I tell the students, if there is one thing closely resembling a “secret” for taking a good image, it is the Rule of Thirds. You don’t know what it is? Check out the following link for information on the topic.

 3. Add a photography exercise! Here’s where you get more opportunities to get creative. I’ll give you one example: when you can’t take the students out on a field trip, take them on a trip around school grounds! The satisfaction they derive from exploring every nook and cranny of the school is fascinating to watch, and the products will astound you.

Of course, I’ll add more details on this “recipe” as days go by. The images in this blogpost were produced by our students following the instructions I sketched above. Feel free to comment!

I feel validated!

Check out the following article from ZDNet. The writer, a teacher who works with technology, is sharing his insights on the same topics I’ve been talking about here: situations surrounding the process of teaching students how to properly work with video editing.

One of the beautiful (and challenging!) aspects of being a technology educator is that you can take your students on journeys that are only limited by your imagination.  One of the favorite journeys I like to embark my students upon is the creation of a Farewell Video for Senior students, who are about to leave the “nest” and become college students. The Video is played during a “Senior Farewell” assembly. After 9 years doing Senior Farewells, I can guarantee you, there will not be a dry eye in the house when your video plays.

These are the specifications I have been giving my assistant students for the last five years:

a. You want this video to capture happy faces and happy moments throughout the schoolyear.

b. You need to feature every single Senior student! Easy task in my school, since my largest Senior classes are around 50-student strong. Good luck to those out there with a couple of hundred (or dare I say, thousand?) students. Hey, you love a challenge! That’s one for you to deal with.

c. You need short clips. Avoid slow-motion as much as possible.  Use the “movie” feature of any little digital camera! These produce little clips that are just ideal for our project.

d. Last but not least, you need a song. A song that will play to the visuals, as well as conveying a statement about the spirit of that particular class. In my case, the type of songs we end up using are defined by the “vibe” projected by students themselves, upon watching the assembled footage.  I take suggestions from them about the music used, but the choice is ultimately exercised by the teacher. Do not underestimate the musical taste of your students! It’s not all punk rock or trash metal in their world. Of course, ”Fair Use” applies when it comes to copyright issues! This project is NOT for profit.

Check a sample of the Farewell Video. This one was done back in 2003. What do you think of the idea? Care to implement it?[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/GPQnCJwcrDI" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

As part of my work as an educator, I have to explore new and emerging technologies and bring them into my classroom. This is just another way of saying “I get to play with really cool toys, and then I teach the kids how to use them”.

When you first bring the capacity to create videos to the attention of your students, you will open doors that you never ever knew existed. I guarantee you, their eyes will open wide. This is about empowering the kids. Of course, before immersing yourself in a video project, you need rules and guidelines! That’s where the teacher has to step in. But when the project gets going, and you see the kids involved in what they’re doing, you will see wonderful things happen.

As an example of what the students can accomplish with a little guidance and creativity from their part, take a look at this video we put together a few years back. The message we wanted to convey was that the new Seniors were bold. And special. Fearless. Funny. Very creative. They then set about to brainstorm little sketches that would prove to the world “who they were”, keeping the whole project light in tone. From there, we realized that if it was going to keep an audience of 7th thru 12th graders, we had to make it look and sound like a “Looney Tune”, the old Warner Brothers cartoons from the 1930′s and 40′s.

In summary:

a. The project was conceived, written, storyboarded, filmed and edited by the kids (with a few nudges here and there from the teacher, of course). For more information on the importance of storyboards, and an introductory video project, visit this link from the Adobe Digital Kids Club

b. The software we used was simple: “Windows Moviemaker”, which is already bundled in your Windows XP. It’s simple, yet effective.

c. The hardware was also surprisingly simple: a computer Windows XP, and that’s it. To film and capture video, we used the school’s JVC Optura 10, which isn’t the newest camera around either, but any camera with a port that allows communication to a computer will work.

d. All the music and sound effects we used are available from Warner Bros cd’s. Please note that this is a *non profit* project! “Fair use” applies.

Enough talk! Take a look at the video, and tell me what you think! If you have any questions or comments about this project, ASK AWAY. Have fun! [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/cqnFokTDDd0" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

I hope that, with this blog, I can share information, articles, experiences and projects I have accumulated as a Technology educator.

Living and working in schools for the best part of my life, I’ve come to appreciate education as one of the most rewarding experiences anyone can enjoy. It is my pride, my joy and my passion.

Learning is a lifelong process. We are never experts on anything, because there is always something more to learn; something new and exciting is just around the corner. That is one of the most rewarding feelings you can experience, once you become an educator.

I hope you find something useful in these pages! Enjoy. And please, comment on what you see! That’s what blogging is all about.