Context-

This movie was created in Jeff Goodman's CI 3750, Integrating Media and Technology into Teaching.  It was a group project that was completed during spring semester of 2007.  This movie is our rendition of The Napping House by: Don and Audrey Wood.

Impact-

By using a similar project in an elementary classroom I could teach a variety of students.  Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners would benefit from completing this project.  This project could also be useful for non-English speaking students.  By acting out the book, the student could gain understanding of what is going on in the plot.

I would assign groups of three or four for this project.  I would start by having small groups of students choose either a picture book if they were in lower elementary or a novel if they were in fourth to sixth grade.  Students would then create a story line based on the book they chose.  They can either ignore parts of the story or emphasize them more than the book did.  Choosing what to include will have students learn what is an essential part of the story so that it makes sense.  I would show my video as an example of the project.  I would have the students point out important things that were included and have them point out anything else that I could have included to make the plot clearer.

Students would then transfer their story line to note cards which would include only one camera action at a time.  For example, one card could include zooming in on the main characters face.  The next card could mention the transition to the next shot.  They would turn in their note cards to me so that I can check and make sure that they understand the different camera angles.  

When their note cards were approved they would get cameras and start shooting.  Each student would get a chance to video tape scenes as well as either act or help set up scenes so that they get equal opportunities with the technology.

When students finish filming each scene on their note cards they can download the video tape to the computer and edit the tape.  They should include music, transition effects, and a logical sequence.  Other viewers should understand what is going on in the movie without much explanation.  The students should also include a title and a page that shows what each student did in terms of completing the project.  Each student will be expected to edit on the computer.  The students will take turns in the computer lab and if I see someone who is taking more time than others, I will need to ensure that they switch places.

Students would be graded on whether their movie was well related to the book they chose.  They would also be graded on equal participation, inclusion of music and titles, transitions, creativity, and their note cards.  Since this is a group project, I would probably include student evaluations of each member in the group in the final grade.

Alignment-

By completing this assignment I have met these NETS-T Standards:

I-B-  This project has helped me to grow in my knowledge of technology.  I have never completed a video before this project.  I have learned how to use a video camera, how to import the movie clips from the camera to the computer, how to edit the video using imovie, how to download the video to Quick Time, and how to export the edited movie back to the tape.

II-A-  This project meets the needs of many learners because it is hands-on, which is beneficial for kinesthetic learners and ELL students, it is adapted from print and is acted out, which is beneficial to visual learners, and it is spoken out loud with music, which is beneficial to auditory learners.

II-D-  This project would enable me to manage the technology resources because students will each be expected to use the video camera and the computer.  The students will be graded on whether they used the technology equally so there is incentive to participate.  Also, I would be in the computer lab with the students while they were editing their movies, so I would be able to monitor how students were sharing.

II-E-  This project enables me to manage student learning because I would have the students read the project assignment.  Then they would analyze my video not only to see what they need to include, but also to see how they can change a book into a movie rendition of the same story, which gets the students to apply critical thinking skills.  The students would also point out things that I could have included or that I left out of my movie.

VI-A- Using a student release form for this project enabled me to model legal and ethical practice related to technology use.  Students would need to know that before including a picture of someone or before using someone in a video the person would need to give permission to the student.  Without permission, the student would not be using legal or ethical practice during their technolgy projects.

I have also met these NCDPI Standards:

Standard 1 Indicator 5- Students construct meaning from the text by looking at the context and their previous knowledge which is then transferred to the video that they create.