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2001 Annual Grant Issue
Phy Chauveau: Barra Technology Grant
Fifth Grade: The Movie
As I set out to work on my technology grant project this summer, I did so with a clear plan in place. Using the latest iMovie technology, I would condense more than 20 hours worth of raw videotape into two cleanly edited final pieces...the first, a 30 to 40 minute piece documenting the essence of the fifth grade interdisciplinary program, and the second, a shorter "scrapbook style" highlights video. I would do a preliminary screening of the numerous tapes I had shot over the course of the year, design the appropriate storyboards, select fitting soundtracks to dub in where necessary, and the job would be accomplished. My proposal also included attending related workshops, researching relevant resources, identifying best practices in video editing and storage, and developing some materials to assist my lower school colleagues in becoming more familiar with the hardware and software associated with digital video technology.
What actually took place follows a somewhat different script. It's not that I haven't accomplished all I set out to do, but simultaneously, this project went through a surprising metamorphosis. Ultimately, I realized that there was much to consider beyond the mechanics of videotape editing and storage. I came to appreciate how filmmaking itself can inspire learning, for teachers and students alike.
Perhaps this metamorphosis began in June, when I attended the National Educational Computing Conference in Chicago. Along with a colleague, I was presenting each day at that conference, and because of my limited free time, I'd been particularly selective with regard to choosing sessions I'd like to attend. It was impossible for me to attend all of the sessions that interested me, but there was one title I found to be especially intriguing..."The Director in the Classroom." There was no doubt...this one had my name written all over it.
In spite of arriving twenty minutes early for the session, the room was already packed. I just managed to grab the last remaining seat at the back row. The presenter, Nikos Theodosakis, stood silently at the front of the room. Before long, though, the lights dimmed and a video started to play. Over the course of the next hour or so, we laughed, cried, and came to appreciate the many ways in which filmmaking can dramatically enhance the academic experience in any classroom. We learned how the process of filmmaking, from idea to distribution, can foster the development of personal, social, and higher order thinking skills. We discovered how this process could develop organizational skills, as well as strengthen teamwork and leadership among students. Most importantly, though, we observed firsthand how children of all ages had been empowered with the tools, skills, and confidence to take creative control of their research and to present their collaborative efforts with enormous pride.
In the days that followed, I attended several other "technical" workshops related to video construction and editing. I also met other technology coordinators and even had the opportunity to speak with Nikos at length about his work with children at the fifth grade level. These encounters were invaluable and I returned home after the conference, more prepared than ever to get started with my project. As I worked at editing and organizing those many hours worth of tape, the academic year unfolded before me on the screen. I often thought back to Nikos' presentation and wondered how such valuable learning experiences might have been implemented at my own grade level. As I reviewed footage from the flight simulation project I'd done with students in math class, I realized how beneficial it might be to have students produce mini-video lessons on the concepts of lift, drag, and thrust. While viewing Twentieth Century "Point of View" Presentations they'd planned and performed, I considered how much more meaningful these experiences might have been had students, as an extension, been afforded the opportunity to conduct and document interviews with war veterans, holocaust survivors, or members of our own GA community who had participated actively in the Civil Rights Movement. I found myself constantly distracted, and at the same time, excited by the countless possibilities.
Meanwhile, I had a project to complete. I began by reviewing each of the many videotapes I'd accumulated, with a view to listing the activities that they contained. Although I'd kept careful notes during the school year, I needed to be sure that I had a full and accurate record. Using the application Inspiration, I then mapped out a plan that included specific fifth grade activities according to school term and academic theme. The advantage to using Inspiration is the ease with which a visual map can be translated to a traditional outline. Ultimately, the videos I was producing would be organized chronologically, and this linear format was helpful.
My technical skills improved daily and I became quite proficient in no time. Without a doubt, iMovie technology delivers all that it promises. It is a remarkable program that allows users to achieve sophisticated results with minimal effort, although the process can be quite time consuming. The firewire cable, which connects a digital video camcorder (and any other peripherals), provides for easy video capture. Once connected, the camera can be operated through the computer, the camera itself, or even the camera's remote control device. Working with the video clips is very straightforward. Video clips are automatically stored on a "shelf" and can be easily "dragged" to a movie track in the clip viewer. Editing can be done using either the mouse or the space bar, and unlike the original iMovie program, sound can be easily edited and multiple soundtracks can be incorporated. The original sound from any clip can even be extracted and used elsewhere.
"iMovie Help" is available as a menu item. It is simple to understand and diagrams are included to make tasks even more straightforward. There is also extensive online support for any aspect of iMovie production; rather than explain any other details of the iMovie process within the body of this report, I have included a reference document at the end, which lists as its first entry the Apple Education Website. This site includes clear step-by-step tutorials related specifically to "Desktop Movies in Education." I have included other online resources, as well as a list of tips and pitfalls for iMovie users, based on my own experiences.
While the iMovie technology is remarkable, I did find myself facing a serious challenge when it came to storage of the edited tape. In a matter of hours, I realized that I would not be satisfied to produce just two videos; the stories I wanted to tell, using this visual format, would require more time and space. A new plan emerged out of necessity, but it made perfect sense. I would organize each of the activity videos as separate files, which could be exported and saved in the most appropriate format for a particular viewer. Once this tape library was completed, each one in the series could be saved chronologically to fresh "master DV" tapes. Files could then be exported individually or in any combination, depending upon the interest of the viewer. This video "library" could also be used as a starting point for the ultimate development of the highlights video.
I was pleased with my new plan, but because I needed to store all these video files for later reference or further editing, my trusty iMac soon informed me that I had absolutely no memory left to access. Fortunately, I was permitted to borrow the Lower School's new 60 GB external hard drive, which solved my memory problems, albeit for a short while. When I filled this external hard drive, I decided that it was clearly time purchase an external drive of my own. As a matter of fact, I bought a new computer to go with it.
It is important to realize that one second of video translates to 3.5 megabytes of hard drive space on a computer. My edited activity videos range in size from 1.5 GB for a three-minute video to 7.7 GB for a 30-minute video. Each video project that is established contains the video document itself, as well as a "media" folder, which is automatically set up to store each video clip that is imported. This is where the vast majority of memory is used. Once projects are finalized, the iMovie itself can certainly can be saved to a fresh digital videotape or even to a VHS tape format. Movies can also be saved on the computer as different types of Quicktime movies, (CD, web, e-mail,) which are far less memory intensive. The exporting process is time consuming, but there is no need for you to stay with the computer while the process is taking place. A two and a half-minute long videotape takes about seven minutes to be exported to a "small web movie."
Once these heavier original files have been saved to tape or in Quicktime format, they certainly can be deleted from the hard drive to free up more space for a new project, but it is important to remember that once the "source media" is gone, the movie cannot be edited again unless it is done so "from scratch," having been imported again using the iMovie application.
I was in a tricky situation. I had an enormous amount of videotape to manipulate, but I was not prepared to clear away any of my "master" edited files until I was ready to finalize my project. I was still making final adjustments to my editing, as well as adding titles, transitions, and additional audio soundtracks. The source media needed to be available.
It is not my intention to frighten anyone with my tales of memory overload. Anything is "do-able" if you plan ahead and limit the number of projects taking place simultaneously. Ultimately, I needed to manipulate more than 120 GB of digital videotape, and as a result, I have become quite interested in learning more about DVD technology. Had this been a possibility, my project might have been accomplished very differently. Not only would the storage have been simpler, but also the final product would have been of a higher overall quality in term of resolution, when compared with VHS tape or Quicktime formats.
But don't think for one minute that I'm complaining. In fact, I can honestly say that my work this summer has taken me on the most remarkably creative journey of my entire teaching career. I am reminded of the comments that Steve Jobs shared while delivering his keynote address at the NECC conference in June. He told us that he had spent about 40 minutes working on editing a simple four-minute family video. He explained, "I showed it to my wife. She just cried. I really think that it was the most creative thing I've ever done."
I look forward to sharing the work I have completed in the weeks and months to come, via workshops and individual sessions with my colleagues, many who have already expressed an interest in utilizing this technology. I have submitted examples of several activity videos in VHS format, and have included a folder with six examples Quicktime videos. Any of the 27 activity videotapes that I produced are archived on digital master tapes, which are available for viewing. A plan is in place to show many of these videos over the course of the school year, at the start of our Lower School faculty meetings. I also look forward to guiding our students, as they become directors and producers themselves.
Sample Videos
To view these samples, you must have a helper application such as Quicktime installed on your computer. Download a free copy of Quicktime player.
I am extremely grateful to GA for allowing me the opportunity to explore this exciting branch of technology. I have had the chance to immerse myself in a hobby that I adore, while learning new skills and meeting new mentors. I've set new challenges for myself, solved technical problems, and learned more than I'd have ever imagined about my students. Armed with these experiences, I am certain that this is really not the end of my project, but just the beginning of many exciting projects to come.
