School Docs

SCHOOL DOCS: HARNESSING THE POWER OF MEDIA FOR EDUCATION

Presented by: AFI SILVER's Educational Programs

Two Days, June 18-19.
Day 1: Panel Presentations at Montgomery College, Takoma Campus
Day 2: Hands-On Workshops

Wednesday,  June 18

8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Lee Building and Montgomery College

Registration Open
(If you’re attending only the School Docs sessions today, you can pick up your pass at Montgomery College)

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Montgomery College
EDUCATOR/FILMMAKER BREAKFAST

9:00 - 9:20 a.m.
Welcome and Remarks

READING IN THE DARK: A Two-Part Session
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Montgomery College

Today's students are inundated with media images, but they rarely possess the skills to decode these images.  Advertisements, television, movies, and the news media all work to influence our students' consumer, political and personal choices. Often the media's reach far exceeds the grasp of parents and educators. Indeed, schools can also become part of the problem with irresponsible use of the media during instruction time. Students often report that when they view documentaries in school, they receive the information passively, usually only writing down the “facts” that are presented. But since we know that all texts have a point of view, we need to help students to view documentaries with a more critical eye.

Films discussed will include AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, SUPER SIZE ME, WAR/DANCE, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, THE BOYS OF BARAKA, THE MURDER OF EMMETT TILL, JESUS CAMP, JUST FOR KICKS, GHOSTS OF RWANDA, THE LARAMIE PROJECT and many others.

PRESENTERS
John Golden, author of Reading in the Dark and Reading in the Reel World
Dr. Renee Shea, Bowie State University, Editor, AP® English Language and Composition Curriculum Module: Using Documentary Film as an Introduction to Rhetoric and Teaching Documentaries and other Nonfiction Texts


9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Montgomery College
READING IN THE DARK, PART ONE: USING DOCUMENTARIES TO TEACH CRITICAL THINKING
This introductory session will provide teachers with classroom-tested strategies for using documentaries actively. Presenters explore documentary film as argument by examining how documentary filmmakers use the visual, audio, and text tracks to present their positions, and will analyze the role that editing and ethics play in documentary film study. This session will include presentations on the principles of documentary film and strategies to promote active viewing.

11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Montgomery College
READING IN THE DARK, PART TWO: TEACHING ARGUMENT USING THE DOCUMENTARY: CRITICAL LITERACY SKILLS
This session will focus on how nonfiction, visual culture and argument—three essential components of reading and writing that converge in documentary film—make it an ideal medium to introduce students to the fundamentals of rhetoric. Presenters will offer specific classroom approaches and examples of student writing. In smaller groups, participants will explore issues raised in the presentations, and discuss ideas and challenges from their own educational settings. At the conclusion, participants will be prepared to instruct their students to engage critically with documentaries inside and outside the classroom.

12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Montgomery College
EDUCATOR/FILMMAKER CONNECTION LUNCHEON
Sponsored by Apple Education

 2:00 - 2:45 p.m. Montgomery College

USING CHALLENGING AND CHALLENGED FILM SEGMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

This session examines literary and social study topics and texts that have become sensitive issues, as well as topics and texts that could become sensitive. Mark Twain scholar and former Harvard professor Dr. Chadwick will share the best approaches for teaching them in the K-12 classroom, using video, film, and images.  She will also discuss the challenges of aligning texts to local, state and national standards and rationales.

PRESENTER
Jocelyn Chadwick, Ph.D., Director, Assessment and Curriculum Development Discovery Education, DCI

3:00 – 3:45 p.m.  Montgomery College

WEBBING THE CLASSROOM: An Introduction to AFI ScreenNation™
 

How can teachers use the Web to engage students as they learn?  How can teachers quickly catch up to their students’ technological expertise in filmmaking?  This session will offer attendees a guided tour of AFI ScreenNation, a free online video-sharing community where filmmakers aged 13-18 post their videos, which they made in classrooms, in clubs, in after-school programs, and beyond. AFI ScreenNation is an exciting place where young people can share their stories and receive recognition and prizes for their efforts through contests, challenges and showcases.

PRESENTER
Nick DeMartino, Senior VP, Media and Technology, American Film Institute

4:00 - 5:15 p.m. Montgomery College

Lens On The Education Market: Stakeholders Roundtable
 

Which media work and which don't work in a K-12 classroom setting? Fimmakers, teachers, administrators and distributors offer the inside scoop as they discuss the triumphs and challenges of making, using and distributing films for the education market.  What do filmmakers need to know about ratings, delivery, length, standards of learning and content issues? Attendees will find help in their search for timely and relevant material to fill the documentary media gap. 

MODERATOR
Elizabeth Pringle, Education Director, MHz Networks

PANELISTS
Donelle Blubaugh, Director, K-12 education, PBS
Betsy Brown, Director of Curriculum, Montgomery County Public Schools
Daniel Anker, President, Anker Productions
Ken Ellis, Executive Producer, Edutopia - The George Lucas Educational Foundation
Amy Malone, Teacher, IB Program, Richard Montgomery High School

RESOURCE ROOM
www.pbsteachers.org 

Thursday, June 19

9:00 – 10:30 a.m. DISCOVERY CONFERENCE ROOMS
Media Integration 1.0: A Beginner Workshop In Using Film Segments In The Classroom

(limited to 20 participants, advance sign-up required)

Do you want to do more than have your students read the text and watch the movie? Expert trainers from Discovery Educator Network and Apple will teach the basics of meaningfully incorporating film clips into lessons. Educators are encouraged to bring a lesson they want to “spruce up” with multimedia. More resources are available to support curricula than at any time in history. Putting them together into a meaningful form is an exciting challenge. This overview demonstration for educators explores the hardware, software and processes for content integration. Explore classroom-friendly and economical educational applications that integrate digital video, graphics, writing and music. This will be a hands-on activity employing Apple and PC platforms.

Trainers
Matt Monjan, Account Manager, Discovery Educator Networks
Paul Faust, Senior Account Executive, K-12 Education, Apple

There is no additional fee, but advance sign-up is required for each workshop. Please RSVP by e-mail to conference@SILVERDOCS.com if you would like to participate. You must be a registered Educator Pass Holder.

Resource Room:
http://www.apple.com/education/digitalauthoring/ilife.html
http://www.apple.com/education/k12/applemediaseries/
http://www.apple.com/education/documentary/
 
11:00 - 12:30 p.m. DISCOVERY CONFERENCE ROOMS
Media Integration 2.0: An Advanced Workshop In Using Film Segments In The Classroom

(limited to 20 participants, advance sign-up required)

Expert trainers from Discovery Educator Network and Apple will teach the advanced techniques of incorporating film clips into lessons for educators who have already have a comfort level with using film clips.  Educators are encouraged to bring a lesson they want to "spruce up" with multimedia.  Take a magical tour of the video editing tools that come free with the Mac and PC: adding plug-ins for digital moviemaking, enabling laser beams, pointers, word balloons and more!

Download educational video clips from the web into iMovie, Movie Maker and other applications, have students add their own narration, visual highlights and other tricks.  Take learning through media to the next level!

TRAINERS
Matt Monjon, Account Manager, Discovery Educator Networks
Paul Faust, Senior Account Executive, K-12 Education, Apple

There is no addictional fee, but advance sign up is required for each workshop. Please RSVP by e-mail to conference@SILVERDOCS.com if you would like to participate. You must be a registered Educator Pass Holder.

RESOURCE ROOM
http://www.apple.com/education/creative/
http://www.apple.com/education/highschoollabs/
http://www.apple.com/education/settoscreen/
 

OTHER CONFERENCE SESSIONS OF INTEREST TO EDUCATORS
(See International Documentary Conference Agenda for full details) 

9:30 - 11:00 am DISCOVERY HD THEATER
Generation Digital: Award-Winning Shorts From GenNEXT
 

11:30 am - 1:00 pm ROUND HOUSE THEATER
The Legal 411 on Film and Media in the Classroom

Friday,  June 20
 

9:30 - 11:00 am DISCOVERY MULTIPURPOSE ROOMS
Technology of the Future in Today's Classroom

11:30 am - 1:00 pm  DISCOVERY MULTIPURPOSE ROOMS
Groundbreaking Content on the Web for Educators