Case study of how one middle school used student created video as a project deliverable for an 8th grade social studies world geography project

1. USING STUDENT CREATED
VIDEO - A CASE STUDY
Mary Alonzi, Springman Middle School
Erica Roberts, Jefferson Junior High School

4. SCHOOL BACKGROUND
• Approximately 685 students (6th, 7th & 8th)
•2 8th grade teams (200 combined)
• 15% free and reduced lunch, many without Internet access
outside of school
• 2:1 Macbook
• Professional
Learning Communities focusing on Common
Assessments

5. PROJECT BACKGROUND
• 8th grade Social Studies Research Project
• Previous years’ projects were PowerPoint
• Approached teachers to change project outcome
• Teachers used new approach to forming groups

6. ALIGNMENT TO ILLINOIS
LEARNING STANDARDS
English Language Arts State Goal 5 -
“Use the Language Arts to acquire,
assess and communicate information.”

7. ALIGNMENT TO NETS
STANDARDS
1. Demonstrate creative thinking, construct
knowledge, and develop innovative products and
processes using technology.
2. Use digital media and environments to
communicate and work collaboratively,
including at a distance, to support individual
learning and contribute to the learning of
others.

8. ALIGNMENT TO NETS
STANDARDS (PART 2)
3. Apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information.
4. Use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct
research, manage projects, solve problems, and make
informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and
resources.

9. REVISED PROJECT TIMELINE
• Cross team project
• Specific topics about Africa
• Groups selected their 1st, 2nd & 3rd topic choices
• Social Studies teachers assigned topics & created groups
• Library Media Specialist reviewed research process
• Timeline expanded to include 2 class periods of direct iMovie
instruction

10. TOOLS WE USED
• MacBooks (1 per project group)
• iMovie ’08
• Flip Video Cameras
• Snowball Microphones

11. STUDENTS’ GRADES
• Movies evaluated by the Social Studies Teachers
• Students evaluated each others’ work
• Group members evaluated each others’
participation

12. PROJECT IMPACT
• Engaged students
• Higher quality product
• Hunger Dinner

13. LESSONS LEARNED
• Separate iMovie Lessons
• Citing Sources
• Movie Planning
• Grading Rubric
• Saving student work

16. Works Cited
Bush, Gail. The School Buddy System: The Practice of
Collaboration. Chicago: American Library Association,
2003.
Harada, Violet and Joan M. Yoshina. Assessing Learning:
Librarians and Teachers as Partners. Westport, Conn.:
2005.
Valenza, Joyce Kasman. Power Research Tools: Learning
Activities & Posters. Chicago: American Library
Association, 2003.
Valenza, Joyce Kasman. Power Tools Recharged: 125+
Essential Forms and Presentations for Your School Library
Information Program. Chicago: American Library
Association, 2004.

17. Contact Information:
Mary Alonzi, alonzilib@yahoo.com
Erica Roberts, erica@iteachyoucomputers.com
Handouts can be found at:
iteachyoucomputers.wikispaces.com,
along with a link to this slideshow