Now that we have determined what our message is going to be about, we have been figuring out answers to more specific questions. Those include, “How long should it be?” “Narration. Yes or no?” “How should we present this information?” “Soundtrack?”
After we have determined what we should do in response to these questions, storyboard writing and filming should begin within the next few weeks.
Such a project has not been successfully created by a group of middle school kids before. If we actually succeed in making this video a very popular one, then we have accomplished an incredible feat. It is very interesting to be doing something more like producing a video with a topic we care about over writing and answering questions.
-Ryan
edevolution.wordpress.com 
The process you describe amazes me because I can see how focused you all were — and probably still are — on every aspect of this project from its inception to its completion.
Your focus demonstrates your motivation and illustrates how important student motivation is to education. If students aren’t consulted about how they learn best, they will be taught according to what others think.
I’ve always believed a child’s voice has the same weight as an adult’s, and when kids speak, those with an open mind will listen. Great ideas don’t have an age requirement any more than they have a gender requirement. A great idea is a great idea in and of itself. Thank you all for demonstrating that fact by creating such an incredibly persuasive video!
Collaborative learning using project-based and self-selected curriculum will inure to the benefit of our country if we give our students the tools and technology needed to succeed–as they define ‘need’ (and not only as well-meaning adults long graduated and out of the system and in bureaucracies define ‘need’).
You all did a great job by explaining what is needed. Thank you.
By: Nan Waldman, Esq. on May 25, 2011
at 5:27 pm