The Curiosity Lab, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

Media Arts: a retrospective

August 9, 2011 at 11:14 pm Kevin Leave a comment

What is Media Arts?

Well, Media Arts is a program that I helped direct along with fellow Museum Educator, Nick, for the past six weeks.  This program is part of Shady Side Academy’s Day Camp Discovery.  Media Arts is a program that utilizes technology to explore and create projects that involve film, photography, music and various art mediums.  The program also teaches kids to experiment, edit and create.  At the same time it teaches them to utilize teamwork to reach certain goals determined by certain deadlines.

What projects did we create?

Build A Band-this was a project that allowed kids to create music using a simple yet complex music program on our computers.  They had to form a band and come up with a name and create album art and band posters.  Lots of attitude, lots of rock n’ roll.

Film School-we gave the kids a bunch of cameras and told them to go out and film stuff.  Then they were allowed to experiment with editing their footage.  Basically we were teaching film school, some kids filmed random stuff others developed entire short films.  It was up to them to create whatever they wanted.  Experimentation was the key.

Movie Trailer Making-We used a simple program that the kids could use to make a really cool looking Movie Trailer.  This project was organized chaos, the ideas they came up with, the footage they filmed, the way it was utilized was so amazing.  A few stepping stones are all you need to get a group of kids to create a captivating Movie Trailer.

What we learned?

-Slowing down footage of feet splashing in puddles is really cool.

-The Band Names that kids com up with are amazing (“Piguin and the Waldogs” “Coyotes Skies”)

-Observe, don’t interfere.

-Kids can control entire lesson plans.

-Producing Music and Film can be incredibly fun and incredibly tough at the same time.

-Technology can be a burden and a blessing.

-Learning right alongside your students is sometimes the best way to teach.

-Never underestimate the talent of first graders.

-Props can be found anywhere.

-Organize and label everything!

-Kevin

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