Media Studies Teachers Online Resource Centre

Wednesday, 23 July 2008

The ABC and RollerMache are pleased to present you a free teacher's tool kit!

Are you to teaching media studies or digital storytelling to school age students, now or in the future?

This complete media studies lesson plan can be used by teachers with no experience in media production but can also be used by established instructors to augment existing Media Studies, English, Art, Multimedia or related courses. You can download the whole toolkit here:

Rollermache Teacher Toolkit (PDF)

Whats in in the Toolkit?

Produced by staff from ABC TV Multiplatform in collaboration with Media Studies teachers, the downloadable classes cover all stages of media production and with a focus on animation. Providing overviews on key subject areas, instructions on making your own media, detailed class activities and links to related sites and media, this total lesson plan provides all the tools and information required for the conceptual analysis and practical production of media products.

At the end of this class students will have planned made and edited their own animation complete with sound, and will have uploaded it to the RollerMache gallery where they can send it to friends and family to see and rate. Students will also learn to:

Investigate the nature of storytelling and the reasons for its popularity
Consider the individual production of a media product from pre production through to distribution
Learn to critically analyse films and other media
Investigate and analyse their own and others' experiences of media
Learn to conceptualise, visualize and express their own ideas and gain self-confidence and communication skills through that expression
Become familiar and practiced with the principles of film production including idea development, animation production, editing and sound
Become familiar and practiced with the principles of self produced web content and conscious of identity and privacy concerns
Produce their own short animation for web distribution

You can download the tool kit in four separate heading areas

Friday, 18 July 2008

Media Heroes Trading Cards

Reclaim the Media honors a small handful of media heroes who have inspired thousands of people to become more thoughtful media consumers and media makers. Media heroes are everywhere: journalists, activists, media innovators and educators making sure that we all have access to media that supports democratic values of justice, community and respect. Some media heroes are solitary voices keeping a candle of truth burning through a period of darkness. Others are organizers working to expand the range of people who can wield the power of publishing and broadcasting. or reveal hidden aspects of the media that is all around us.

http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/mediaheroes

Friday, 27 June 2008

Education revolution worries teachers

TEACHERS want more training, better technology and more support to take full advantage of the digital revolution sweeping through the education sector, a survey has found.

Conducted by education.au, a national agency set up to support the integration of technology in teaching, found most teachers were internet savvy and locked into the latest technology but that more investment was needed to transform classrooms for the 21st century. The survey quizzed more than 1,100 educators, including teachers, tutors and principals and found that while 79 per cent said the internet was an essential part of their work only 36 per cent considered themselves proficient and confident. An even smaller group (27 per cent) believed the internet was transforming the way they engaged their students within and beyond the classroom.

Educators cited a range of barriers to using online technologies including poor infrastructure and bandwith, limited access to computers, limited confidence or expertise in computer technology and the increased blocking and filtering of internet content. Education.au chief executive Greg Black said the survey showed the willingness of many teachers to embrace new technologies to enhance their teaching and professional development. But he said it also revealed issues blocking the pathway to the future, including fears about cyberbullying and data security and an old fashioned reluctance in some sectors to allow students to use what was seen as fun technology, including mobile phones. "Of course we need levels of protection, but we've got a generation of kids who are saying that they actually have to power down when they go to school," Mr Black said. "My fear is not only that we're putting kids off learning, but we'll start to make governments question whether or not it's worth all the investment they're putting into the digital education revolution."

http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,23889276-5013040,00.html

Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Best notes on Film Making EVER!!!

Here is a COLLECTION OF INFO that has been accumulated throughout the years when it comes to PRODUCING A FILM from the experts. Some of this stuff is good for everyone, in all aspects of life when it comes to setting up projects. Taken from the FaceBook group

Friday, 16 May 2008

filmforay

filmforay is about collaboratively creating a Hollywood film from the ground up. Right now we have no production deal and no Tinsel Town connections, and we like it that way! Stage 1 is all about dreaming up the big idea. Ever thought you had the next Star Wars rolling around in the back of your head? Maybe you're more into thrillers and you dreamed up a plot so creative and complex there's no way the studios would ever touch it. Or perhaps you have a great idea for a parody on recent events. filmforay is the place to share it. Who knows, it might just be you walking down the red carpet on opening night. Log in or sign up and lets get started!