The entire school community of Pope John Paul II School came together on December 5th at the morning assembly to watch the exclusive premiere of the second video, in a series of videos, showcasing innovative learning projects within the school board. The video features Kindergarten students from Pope John Paul II School as they tell the story of the Story Workshop project that the school's Kindergarten teachers implemented in their classrooms.
Kristen Bowlin Kindergarten Teacher talks about the Story Workshop process. "When the students are playing with blocks for example, they will tell us a story about something they have made with the blocks, like a tower. The teacher will write down the story for them and some of them can write their own story. We will talk to them about their story and they will add another medium like paint that helps to enrich their story. Through this process the students are learning that they are all storytellers and authors."
Sienna, Ben and Jackson shared what it was like to see themselves in the video.
"I liked the video because I like making stuff and telling stories," says Sienna, Grade 1 student.
"I thought the video was cool and I liked it," says Ben, Kindergarten student. "The video was cool because I was in it. I was telling the story of the bear and I made the roaring sound."
"I was in the video and I was counting to three and using the bear and rocks," says Jackson. "I think the video is cool because of me. I smiled when I saw myself."
"It was amazing to see their reaction," says Bowlin as she recounts the experience. "The students knew they were going to be filmed and they knew they were going to be watching their video. It was amazing to see their look of pride and excitement and happiness. There were tears of joy."
Jennifer Cameron, Early Childhood Educator talks about the filming process with Matt Kennedy from Upriver Media. "When Matt first came into the classroom with all his equipment we had to give the students a chance to explore the equipment and check it all out before we started filming. We didn't want the equipment to distract them from working on their stories. So that was a cool experience with Matt in the room and all that cool equipment. Once they had a chance to explore the equipment, they settled into their storytelling."
This video was developed through the board's Idea Lab and produced and directed by Matt Kennedy of Up River Media Inc. It's the 2nd video in a series of videos showcasing Innovative Learning Projects within the Kenora Catholic District School Board.
Watch the video here: