While there remains a necessity to teach traditional school subjects, there must also be a priority on teaching 21st century skill sets to meet the demands of the future. Most students are obsessed with social media, and are already using their smartphones to tell stories to their friends and followers. While students have the technological tool to make videos that connect with the community, they don’t have the training in how to have a powerful voice on community issues that are important to them. Schools and organizations are using Filmmaking For Good to create user generated content from their students. In our courses, the students can pick any social issues to make a video about. With that said, they can also be given or assigned a topic, including making videos about the school/organizations for their use for marketing/social media platforms. Our assignments usually spark the imagination and ignite the passion of our students.
We recognize that educators want to teach students video production, but don’t necessarily have the professional training to lead a focused, consistent and comprehensive learning experience to the students. We want to teach them not how to make one single video, but rather how to use their digital media skills for the betterment of the community ongoingly.
