Former student gives commencement address. Instructor promises not to cry.

One of my star students at Wilkes University, Ms. Laura Joy Perales is a high school teacher at the Nashville School of the Arts in TN. This week she received her master of science degree in Instructional Media and was asked to give the commencement speech. Laura Joy was the kind of student that made being a teacher so rewarding and her words at commencement I think can inspire everyone facing new beginnings. The Wilkes Instructional Media Program is conducted entirely online and commencement weekend was Laura's first visit to the Wilkes campus, in this was the first time I've ever see her or heard her voice, funny right? I think this all means good things for distance and online learning. Learn more about this program at www.wilkes.edu/instructionalmedia

Lights, Camera, Learn! Workshops now represeted by Premiere Speakers Bureau

I'm proud to announce that I've joined the ranks of Premier Motivational Speakers Bureau and am in the heady company of such EdTech luminaries as David Warlick, Alan November, Will Richardson and Marc Prensky. 

 Feeling a bit like Ringo Starr...'Whatever you lads decide, I'm just happy to be here'... 

To inquire about workshops or speaking at your EdTech events contact Ryan Giffen

Premiere Speakers Bureau (615) 261-4000 ext. 1018

 

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Don't forget to drop by and say hi as I present my new session 

"10 Lessons for Better Video in the Classroom" 

at the San Gabriel Valley CUE Tech Fair.  

Presented by San Gabriel Valley CUE and 

Pomona Unified School District
When:
• Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012
• Time: 8:30–3:00 PM
Location:Village@Indian Hill Conference Center 1460 E. Holt Avenue, Pomona

Lost in Transition: Using good screen grammar in the edit bay.

Video stories are comprised of scenes, sequences, and shots or clips. A scene is a part of the story that takes place in one location. Scenes are created from sequences and shots. A shot is a single piece of video created when the camera begins recording until the end of the recording. Shots are usually edited (trimmed) into clips and combined into a series of clips called a sequence. A sequence shows the same action from different perspectives to move the story forward. A transition is used to join clips. You have probably viewed many video transitions on television and in movie theaters.

I've written in this blog in the past about making smart choices when editing your project and how like good punctuation an editing transition can hanlp tell you story in the clearest visual language. The most basic transition is called a cut. A cut is a simple switch from one clip to another. In most cases a cut is the best choice to keep your story moving. When using cuts in the video editing process you should question the reason for your choices. Cutting may:

• Change the scene
• Compress or expand time
• Vary the point of view
• Build up an image or idea

Less abrupt transitions are achieved with the fade, dissolve, and wipe but chances are your editing program has many many other types of flashy, 3D or motion transitions. Editing transitions are fun to use, but they have narrative meaning. Like bad punctuation, flashy effects that look cool often do real harm to your story.

Watch what happens when you take a classic movie action scene and use the worst possible transitions to keep the story moving. I call it 'Cutting like an 8th grader'.

'Nuff said? : )

New grants announced for Arts Education Professional Development

I'm pleased to announce my Lights, Camera, Learn! workshop series has been listed on the LA County Arts Commission's ARTS for ALL Professional Development Directory.

LA County Arts just announced over $600,000 in new grants for 'professional development in arts education customized to the needs of Los Angeles County school districts'.

Grant applications are due Wednesday, April 4    ...Get Some!

Headed to the Computer Using Educators Conference in Palm Springs?
Drop by my session "10 Lessons for Better Video in the Classroom"
and say Hi!

My Middle School Residency ends with students making movies and a teacher making plans for change.

Lisa Scaltrito's 8th grade class presented their 'American Stories' short films at the Skirball Center recently, culminating my month-long residency with Notre Dame Academy. The projects, which screened as part of AFI Fest 2010, explored themes of immigration and identity and challenged the production teams to research their own cultural heritage and tell the story of a fictional immigrant to America. In addition to an intensive week of basic digital storytelling training, the students had two field trips to the Skirball Center to gain inspiration from the Center's "American Journeys" & "Thousand Journals" exhibits.

This project was based on the "Thousand Words" lesson I use to teach basic storytelling in editing technique and was modified to align with the Notre Dame's social studies curriculum and Skirball's Arts in Education outreach goals.  Six student teams were given a basic outline for their immigrant including; Age, Gender, Country of Origin and a decade of immigration.  Student teams wrote character bio, a 1 page story narrative and finally 2 column video script. They used online resources like the Library of Congress' American Memory Archive and others to find images that represent their immigrant's life and finally combine the images with narration, music and sound to create their own unique immigration story.

Team Wei's Journey to America tell the story of a young girl's immigration from China. One of two teams that narrate their movie in the native language of the country with English subtitles.


Team Alejandra produced this story about a young woman fleeing a civil war torn Cuba and making a new life in America and also make some astute observations about assimilating in American culture. Notre Dame Principal Lilliam Paetzold volunteered her own family photos to be re-interpreted by her students.


All the students wrote self-evaluative essays following the final screening at the Skirball and many wrote about how they'll never look at TV or film the same again and how they were amazed about how much they learned about working as a team, managing, problem solving and creating. Their veteran teacher, Lisa talks about being transformed by this experience and by the leap of faith she took to get out of her students way and to let them drive their own learning.


Both Lisa and NDA's Principal are planning to build on this experience by doing much more media and technology infused projects at all grade levels in the future. I was moved and inspired by my experience at Notre Dame Academy; Lilliam Paetzold and Vice-Principle Ellen O'Shea and their supportive staff for giving Ms. Scaltrito the faith and freedom to really engage with this project. I'm grateful to Emily Mahon and The Skirball Center for the opportunity to work with such bright, talented and creative young filmmakers, the Notre Dame Academy Class of 2011.

>>Quick Plug<< I'll be leading a 1-day Storytelling in Editing workshop at the LA County Office of Education in Downey next month and in January I will present more about this residency and modeling the Thousand Words Project at Macworld Conference and Expo, 2011 in San Francisco. Click on the banner below for 15% discount on your conference registration.

Frank's Fall Workshop Series. Get the best of Lights, Camera, Learn! before Winter break!

Registration is now open for a series of my workshops sponsored by the LA County Office of Education's Instructional Technology Outreach including deeply discounted tuition on a 2 day classic Door Scene training and if you've been following my Digital Storytelling residency at Notre Dame Academy and want to know more about the "1000 Words" project, then you might be interested in my December workshop "Storytelling in Editing.   
These 'make & take' workshops are very popular and you will learn:
• Basic visual grammar and the difference between a shots and scenes
• Organize and improve filmmaking with storyboards
• Experience hands-on how to use video cameras
• To access free images for educators from the Library of Congress.
• Basic editing with the latest version of iMovie.
• Proper narrative use of transitions and effects.   

Lights, Camera, Learn!: Opening the Door to Video in the Classroom
11/12  04:00 PM - 08:00 PM
11/13  09:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Register Now!

Lights, Camera, Learn!: Storytelling in Editing
12/11  09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Register Now! 

I know my old Screen Ed vets out there would get a lot out of this! Need a refresher? Bring a friend and start a film unit at your school!  >>>Download the Flier<<<

Flat Classroom Conference Beijing 2011 opens registration, with me as presenter!

My friends Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis have announced the speaker line up for the 2011 Flat Classroom Conference in Beijing, China and I'm honored to be among the distinguished line-up of educational leaders like, Bernjean Porter, Kim Cofino, Andrew Churches and of course our hosts Julie & Vicki!


The Flat Classroom™ Conference is a unique limited-seating conference including students and educators to envision the future of education as they use leading technology tools such as wikis, blogs, social networking and multi-media storytelling. The conference is diverse in participation while allowing smaller groups with leading world-class presenters in a "flattened" environment where virtual participants join in the conversation from remote corners of the world.

Educators will leave the conference understanding how to collaborate globally and with contacts in hand to start projects. Students will leave the conference with leadership skills, technology skills, presentation skills, and a better understanding of diverse cultures and collaboration.


Registration for the Conference and I'm certain a life changing experience in China is now open at the Flat Classroom™ Conference website. I had the privilege presenting at the Flat Classroom gathering in Doha, Qatar and it was amazing! If you have the travel bug and wish to learn and teach with colleagues from around the world won't you join us in Beijing February 2011?
Register Now!
More on this to come...