Throughout the school year, there are a few times when we get to put ourselves in front of the greenscreen and create something awesome. This past week, my students answered the question: "Is Chardon Middle School having a Renaissance?" They interviewed people around the school (including the asst. superintendent!) and came up with some great scripts to support their claim.
How can you make this happen in your class?First: ANY classroom and ANY age group can complete this type of assessment. I have been astounded by the achievements of kids and what they can do given the opportunity. Starting to think about an activity like this and automatically saying, "I don't think my kids could handle this," isn't the right attitude. Anyone can achieve anything! With any assessment, you have to have a question in mind first. What objective do you want them to meet? Start there, and like any assessment, make sure you have a general rubric written for students to follow. Next, think about the technology and resources are available to you. Tech: If your school has iPads, a great app to use is Do Ink (click here for the app store information). If you have Chromebooks or PCs, WeVideo is my personal favorite. To use the greenscreen feature, it does cost per student, but it's inexpensive and you can choose a plan that fits for you (click here for their pricing information). You can also record directly in WeVideo. If you aren't 1:1 with devices, you can still make this work! If you have the ability to checkout devices for your classroom, you would only need one per group. If you have desktops and are able to let students use their own phones or devices to record, they can upload directly to Google Drive and store videos there. Brainstorm the possibilities or ask around and see how others have made something like this work in your school or district! Resources: Greenscreens are surprisingly CHEAP! You can order them from Amazon for less than $20. You can also bribe your maintenance staff to paint a wall green as well! I've also accumulated a costume box over time with some funny props for students to use (not necessary, but a fun addition!). Finally, allowing students to work through the video process on their own is the key. You can give as much or as little direction as you want, but it's important to let STUDENTS take ownership. If you want more structure, give them a blank storyboard to create. If you are comfortable giving them they question and letting them run with it, go for it! That process is completely based on student and teacher comfortability. When it's all said and done, you've got an amazing assessment that is outside of the norm but something that students will enjoy and talk about for years to come. Here's an example from my students: Some other resources:Happy creating!
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