Student-centered filmmaking at Compass

Lessons learned from a film festival

"Video in the Classroom"Every year, I watch in awe as students take ownership of their films and are challenged to exercise new skills and proficiencies: self direction, creative expression, and problem-solving. I’ve seen this assignment throw some of our most academically-capable and motivated students off-balance.

I’ve also watched many diverse groups pull together to create some powerful, beautifully-shot films.

This may be the most challenging course we offer.

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Making Civil War videos like Ken Burns

Narrating WW Isaac Robbins’ letters home

making Civil War videos like Ken BurnsKen Burns’ epic nine-part documentary on The U.S. Civil War ranks among the most powerful teaching videos available to explain the unexplainable to middle schoolers.

At Edmunds Middle School in Burlington, Vermont, students in grades 7 and 8 had the opportunity for making Civil War videos like Ken Burns when a trove of authentic Civil War letters turned up at their school one day…

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