Videos as digital writing assignments.

Create a documentary film.  This can be a project-based learning experience and even a collaborative project. Have students choose a topic that interests them, something near at hand something that might even involve interviewing their classmates for all or part of the project. Involve video, audio, digital images, Web research and hypertext links. The projects should be refined in scope; make them achievable.

Try teaming students based on their interests and expertise. The disciplines are these: idea formation, research, organization and focus, cooperation, writing the plan and, potentially, narration, interviewing, use of digital technology and creating a final product.

Part of the collaboration in this project is to get students to provide feedback to each other along the way. Suggestion: Have the students team up as topics are being focused.

Here are some potential steps for such a project.

• Brainstorm the idea: Have students choose a few topics in which they are extremely interested. Have them post two potential ideas on a forum in the YWP Online Writing Classroom set up called "Documentaries." Require the students to read all the ideas of all the students and post responses and suggestions to at least four other students' ideas. Make sure they choose first a student who has not received feedback.
• Collaborate. After students have responded, work with the class to determine a process for pairing up with others: Does another student's idea interest them more than their own? Or do they really want to pursue their own idea? Or does their idea pair up nicely with someone else's?
• Post the revised idea. Have students or student teams post their final ideas as a story content type on the YWP Online Writing Classroom:  A brief summary (one paragraph) as well as another paragraph that outlines where they will go for background research and who they need to interview for expert knowledge on the topic.
  • Questions. Students should list, in that post, some questions they plan to ask as part of their documentary.
    • For instance, if the documentary were on footwear, students might want to ask people: "Why do you wear what you wear? Where did you get the shoes (sneakers, boots)? How did you pay for them? Where are your shoes made? What shoes do you wish you had and why?"
  • Keywords. Give your post two keywords: The assignment keyword and/or documentary and a one- or two-word descriptive word for your topic. Keywords are very helpful for finding all the projects and, on the overall Web, for finding similar topics.
• Comment. Students then should respond to three other students' ideas by answering their questions. Make sure they first choose a student who a) doesn't already have comments and second b) who they don't know that well. Students should be expansive!
  • Using the example above don't just say, "Nikes. Because they're cool. Mom bought them. No. Like these." Help your fellow student with an anecdote or some expanded responses.
  • Those getting the answers not only will have some good background research that will help them focus their projects, they also might spot some students they could interview later. Both gives the students confidence to take the next steps in the documentary project process.
     

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