JOANNA BLACK

Collaboration

It was found that collaboration occurred between students and students; teachers and teachers, students and teachers, and students/teachers and the community. Teachers organize mentor programs where professionals working in new media team up with students to help them with various components of students’ artworks.

Flexibility/Enabling Structures

Highly organized structures enable student learning while at the same time students are allowed to break out of traditional structured classroom teaching processes.  “School walls” are broken down so that community specialists teach within  schools, and teachers and learners  learn  within their communities. Projects may occur  after school hours requiring flexibility and cooperation from all of those involved.

Authenticity

Authentic learning is achieved in a number of ways; from having access to quality film equipment to having opportunities to make personally meaningful work. Student films are screened in theaters, at festivals and in competitions which allows students to share their work with the ‘real’ world beyond school.

Student Self-determination

Learners are allowed a significant amount of personal determination in choosing and shaping  content so that their own voices are expressed and heard. Student inquiry and interest directs projects within a framework established by school culture and overriding impetus of the programs.

Vision

All educators involved recognize the importance of technology, media, art, communication ethics, and visual culture in our daily lives and in teaching and learning. Creative content is paramount in relation to the teaching of  media history, skill development, and aesthetics which play crucial roles in the pedagogical process. The school and program overriding impetus is recognized as being important to the educators involved in the shaping of curriculum.