Creating Media with Purpose

Participants: Teachers and Department Heads of English, Social Studies, Art, Class teachers responsible for teaching from grades 3-10.

Workshop Details:

Date:                7^th - 8^th May 2010

Duration:          2 days

Time:             9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Venue:             iEARN Centre, Karachi

Abstract:

The media have a great influence in young people’s social and cultural experiences. Our youth today are dominated by media because an average child grows up with different digital tools and gadgets like iPods, mobile phones, CD players, video games, television, DVD player and computers. The texts and images produced by these media technologies leave a great impact on them and help shape their views of the world. Media also influence their everyday lives, specially their daily routine, schooling, working and the public spheres. If our youth are to be able to find their way through this multi-media culture, they need to understand the language of images and sounds just as they understand the language of printed communications. Furthermore, they need the skills to interact, to share their ideas and to collaborate constructively, making it possible to participate in today’s media-driven culture.

“Media literacy education provides a framework and a pedagogy for the new literacy needed for living, working and citizenship in the 21st century. Moreover it paves the way to master­ing the skills required for lifelong learning in a constantly changing world.” – (Elizabeth Thoman and Tessa Jolls , Media Literacy: A National Priority for a Changing World)

This workshop is designed to provide skills to teachers necessary for successful ICT integration in classrooms through iEARN online projects that promote project based learning and integrate technology in curriculum. During the 2-day hands on training program, the participants will learn new strategies to engage students in interactive, student-centered, cooperative learning projects. These projects effectively merge in the curriculum and include digital media. In this workshop, participants will experience how easy it is to integrate digital media like cameras, scanners, sound-recording devices, video camcorders and creative software into the classroom curriculum.  The workshop activities will enable the teachers to engage their students in using the digital tools to produce media with purpose and to enhance learning. The various sessions of the course will present easy to use resources including software.

Objectives:

·         To equip participants with the technical skills to author their own digital content using graphics, sound or video.

·         To equip participants with storyboarding skills to allow them plan the creation of their own digital content and build a store of teaching materials derived from several digital sources.

·         To equip participants with an understanding of the implications of digital media and other related technologies on student/pupil learning.

·         To equip participants with the knowledge to select appropriate technologies to assist the achievement of particular learning outcomes.

Participants Criteria:

The workshop will employ the use of a range of digital tools and in completely hands on. So the workshop participants are required to:

·         have literacy in basic computer skills including understanding of Microsoft Office application.

·         can download/install software or have technical support in school to help them

·         have an interest and a talent for creativity.

·         willing to integrate at least one iEARN digital project with a classroom in the forthcoming academic session.