Primary and Early Years > Interest > Creativity

P46: Evaluating the introduction of digital film making in the Primary School using a digital video camera and an Apple iMac Computer system
Author: John Wearmouth, Willington CE Primary School
Date: 2005

Summary

Digital video was used to stimulate discussion on student's natural environment. The project expanded to embrace literacy and poetry by stimulating the children to use descriptive language and eventually record a poem as a soundtrack to the film they produced. The students then taught other students how to use the technology; a significant boost to learner self-esteem was observed.

Action

John received training in the use of digital media with Apple computers. As part of this course he introduced the technology to pupils at his school by completing a project with the children in which they filmed leaves and trees around the school. He chose a group of pupils who were computer literate but of average academic ability. After a short introduction they ventured outdoors to film their clips and then edited their work on the iMac.

Outcomes

John noticed that the pupils were immediately describing the images they could see through the digital camera to other pupils, using language which was 'almost poetic'. This soon developed into each pupil giving a running commentary on what they could see, and these words were later put together into a poem that focused the editing of the film itself. The pupils' self esteem 'rocketed' when this was later shown to other pupils, parents and friends. The group also went on to aid or lead other groups in the class situation, with one particular pupil becoming the school 'expert'.

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