Participants will understand the premise behind AFI’s development of the Screen Education program, stemming from its 40 year history as a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Participants will preview program's newest components and receive expansion updates.

Learning to understand, consume, evaluate and especially to create media for the screen can improve students’ involvement in the classroom, expertise in appropriate use of technology, academic performance and social skills. AFI believes the first step is to engage teachers and provide them with the skills, information and confidence to navigate a technology-based environment.

AFI launched its K-12 Screen Education program in early 2001, tapping the vast power and appeal of filmmaking to reach the expanding digital generation. It has now developed the program model and accompanying curriculum, conducted field trials and evaluations, and produced a cutting-edge online series, LIGHTS, CAMERA EDUCATION!, distributed nationally through Discovery Education’s groundbreaking unitedstreaming service.

AFI is now dramatically expanding its reach by connecting directly with the countless teen filmmakers across America with its new site, AFI ScreenNation™, an exciting place where teens can upload their films and receive feedback. AFI is creating an appealing array of online interactive events, contests, “cause” driven challenges issued by celebrities and curriculum based challenges and showcases, complete with significant prizes and awards.

Presenting one’s work on AFI ScreenNation™ delivers a high degree of exposure and real-world recognition. In addition, young people learn how to improve their digital storytelling by drawing upon the resources available through the LIGHTS, CAMERA, EDUCATION! guide to production.

Through AFI ScreenNation™, teachers will be able to “plug into” student filmmaking challenges that match their lesson plans – from Hamlet to the history of WWII – and students will be able to share their work and get feedback from an exciting digital community of filmmaking peers. The challenges and production tips are presented in a friendly, conversational manner, with on-camera video appeals, as well as links to production modules.

The site includes competitions where young people can submit their work outside the parameters of a challenge for judging and possible festival showcasing. Moreover, students can discover AFI ScreenNation™ on their own, and then take it to their teachers for introduction in the classroom.

Outline

Program Overview 10”

Description of background of AFI Screen Education program, with latest expansion updates, supported by video presentation. Brief tour of AFI’s production resource, Lights, Camera, Education!, available on Discovery’s unitedstreaming and on DVD.

What’s New at AFI Screen Education? 20”

Tour of the AFI ScreenNation™ website with extensive examples of curricular and celebrity challenges and online showcase of teen work from a broad range of subject matter, genres and styles. Teachers are encouraged to periodically review current challenges and incorporate them into a classroom assignment. In these challenges, teams of students employ the entire toolkit of professional filmmaking to tell a story or explain a concept.

How it works in the classroom 15”

Developing these films involves research, scriptwriting, storyboarding, shooting, editing and exhibition. Teachers engage students in reflection and revision, with student work streamed online for peer and professional review and mentoring.

Audience Discussion 10”

Supporting Research

Independent program evaluation shows increased attendance, increased engagement, higher grades and higher test scores. Students are reading the texts, learning to work effectively in groups and mastering technology. Evaluators** listed 10 key findings:

AFI Screen Education:

• engages students in 21st century skills;
• is a high quality program that teachers value and apply in their
classroom practice;
• fosters instruction that enhances student learning;
• significantly increases the use of technology in the classroom;
• increases students’ motivation towards
projects, both inside and outside school;
• serves schools and students who are more diverse than the national
average;
• fosters instruction that supports all kinds of learners;
• increases students’ desires to share work and
collaborate with peers and mentors;
• increases teachers’ desires to collaborate with peers;
• can be flexibly applied to national, and state
standards within multiple disciplines and curricula.
** Performance Learning, LLC.

Presenter Background

NOTE: This team presented at NECC 2007 to an audience of approximately 225 teachers and administrators. The presentation clearly generated enthusiastic interest in the program. This year's presentation will include updates on program expansion results.

Mitch Aiken Director, AFI Screen Education
Aiken is responsible for directing the AFI Screen Education Center. Previously, he served for seven years as Director of Education and Interactive Media for KCET. While at KCET, Mr. Aiken directed the Interactive Media Center, where he provided multimedia, website development and videoconferencing workshops to educators. He also directed the MATHLINE Project for educators from 1994-1997. He holds a BA from UNC - Chapel Hill, where he also earned a Master of Education Degree in Educational Media and Instructional Design.

Frank Guttler Associate Director, AFI Screen Education
Guttler’s responsibilities include working closely with students, teachers, AFI faculty & staff, mentors and coordinators to implement teacher workshops, facilitate use of curriculum in the classroom, and expand the slate of program resources. Guttler has a strong background in television and new media production, including producing news and local commercials. Production credits include BERTICE BERRY SHOW, STRANGE UNIVERSE, MADTV and FALLEN ANGELS. Inspired by the emerging digital tools, he turned his attention to marketing and curriculum development for a number of digital training centers including Digital Media Institute and Video Symphony.