Learning and Leading - December 2010/January 2011

Twilight | www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VKgsjW4w1JI

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0fX8kUP9HZM

So B. It | www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7SJte8Vsxw0

Warriors: The Sight | www.youtube. com/watch?v=EE_7C13Tw1s

They’ve brought stories to life using their imaginations, and they’ve transferred that creativity to an audiovisual experience for all to enjoy.

ments such as “I never wanted to read
that book until I saw your movie,” or
“I liked your transition in between
the second and third picture, but your
timing was too fast on the text.”
This also gets students excited about
reading other books—books they
may not have ever considered before
watching the trailers. Students grade
their own projects using a rubric that
they get when I assign the project, and
I grade them using a similar rubric.
I don’t know that my students will
look back on this project 27 years
from now and be filled with pride as I
was, but I do know that they enjoy the
process, are thoughtful and imagina-
tive throughout the project, and are
glowing when their trailer is played
for the class.

At the end of the process, students take away a one- to three-minute trailer containing details about the plot, characters, and setting of the books they’ve enjoyed. They’ve inspired and excited their fellow classmates to pick up new books and try out different genres, they’ve brought stories to life using their imaginations, and they’ve transferred that creativity to an audiovisual experience for all to enjoy.

Keith Ferrell is the technology integration specialist at Singa- pore American School. He has been a classroom teacher since 1996 and has taught everything from 2nd to 12th grade. He has always integrated technology into the curriculum, even back when he only had one Apple IIe for 34 fourth graders.