I was really surprised by the various ways children added to their projects. Even though we laid out a lot of supplies and ways to approach the project, many students introduced new elements on their own. One student added text, another worked with their guardian to use wire for flying, and a third wanted their video shot from above. I was also surprised by the way children would throw themselves into the creative process with an open-ended concept and allow themselves to be guided by materials instead of having a specific idea that might not come across the way they’d like in this medium.

There was a range of relationships and interactions between children and adults. Some parents were hands off which allowed for students to work very independently, while other students with hands off parents would struggle to come up with ideas or participate much. The opposite was true for parents who were very involved with their children. Some children needed the extra support, particularly when they were younger, while others were limited by their parents control. As with most things, a middle approach which adjusts based on the child seemed most successful.

I think our filming stations worked best because students were able to receive one on one attention and really pull all the other stations together. I worked at all of the tables, and filming was always my favorite. I also think having pre-made backgrounds in addition to the option to create their own was helpful for students because it gave them a direction if they needed a push, but also allowed them to be as creative and independent as they wanted.

In the future I would want three stations set-up at all times with one stage dedicated for older students who can shoot their movie on their own (once discussing their final idea and how to run the app with one of us). I also would want to have better iPad stands that allowed for more creative and precise filming. It would also perhaps be best to have a more organized line/order for who was next to film. I also found the videos playing on the smartboard were sometimes distracting and sometimes helpful/filled time while students were waiting.

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