Streetside just went to D.C. to a meeting of
U.S. Department of Education grantees. We learned a lot about the work of amazing arts education organizations across the country, and had some vegetarian chili at
Ben's Chili Bowl too.
One of our fellow grantees,
Arts Connection, based in New York City, was kind enough to show us how they work their magic. We went to visit one of their storytelling programs at a Brooklyn elementary school. The program's students honed their oral communication skills as they moved around the classroom, playing theater games. Their joy at being part of it all was palpable. Thanks Arts Connection!
We also went to see the play
No Child..., written and performed by the amazingly talented Nilaja Sun. Ms. Sun has been a teaching artist in New York City schools for many years, and the play brought to life the heartbreaking contradictions of our educational system, the sometimes grueling process of getting to breakthrough moments with students, and the wonders that the arts work for hard to reach students. On the other hand, it was hilarious, with Ms. Sun playing characters from the school janitor to a passel of unruly students--often all at once. If you find yourself in New York, don't miss it.
Our
Tech Tales program is well underway at
Aptos Middle School in the Ingleside neighborhood of San Francisco.
Students first wrote a script about a time they had a problem, then recorded a voiceover and created storyboard images. This week, about 60 7th and 8th graders are learning to edit their digital stories in iMovie. They're pulling it all together, and learning about titles, timelines and the Ken Burns effect along the way.
Aptos has a nice technology lab (not all of the schools we work with are so lucky). But it's all PC, and most digital media creators use Apple computers. We solve that problem by bringing the technology to the students. We haul our mobile media lab, complete with laptops, scanners, and sound recording equipment, in two huge, lockable rolling cases.
What are students writing about? One student wrote about breaking his hand after an argument with his stepfather. Another focused on his shyness, which keeps him from speaking up in class. Another talked about become a punk fan, and how the change in her style changed her friendships.
You can check out some digital stories from last year's program
here.
