Last spring my Tech Club students wrote and produced a video about the importance of recycling in our school and submitted it to a contest sponsored by the Intermunicipal Relations Committee of Blair County. Not only did their work earn top honors in the local competition, but the winning video was automatically entered into the State Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania FilmFest Contest for a chance to win statewide recognition as well as a cash prize.

Well, the votes have been tallied and you guessed it: We recently received word that “The Monster Trash” won first place at the 7th annual competition which was held this past July in Washington, PA.

How cool is that? Even better, the video will be used in future public outreach and educational programs around the state.

When asked about the victories, Aubree Reiter stated, “I am very proud that the Tech Club won the video competition because I think our video really explained the point of the recycling contest.”

Fellow techie Kermit Foor added, “I think that out of all of the videos we have made, this one was the best one yet. We worked for many hours during and after school to make this video. Without the help of our teachers and friends, it would not have been possible.”

A shout out to my Tech Club crew—especially Aubree, Kermit, Alex, Blake, Corey and Quintin—for your dedication to this project. It’s proof that hard work really does get noticed and rewarded! I am beyond proud of your efforts, and you should be too!

Be sure to check out “The Monster Trash” below.

So, is that video just awesome or what? My most favorite parts are those in which these trashy students used stop animation to create various scenes! And yes—doing so was their idea!

As I’ve previously mentioned—I love, love the skills my girls and boys continue to learn and/or hone as they create these kinds of projects! Can you say rigor, relevant and real-world? Does it really get much better than that? I don’t think so!

Well, my sixth grade Tech Club kids have been at it again! This time to promote the middle school Student Assistance Program known as the HEART (Helping Educate At-Risk Teens) Team. That’s right! When some teachers approached us to create a video promoting our student assistance program, of course, these digital wizards once again rose to the challenge.

Our latest adventure began with developing a story line, which included the purchase of an actual heart costume. Yep, you read that line correctly! This very creative—not to mention humorous—addition to the video was the brainstorm of Travis (a.k.a. Mr. T) who insisted that our project wouldn’t be complete without this prop. I must say—he was absolutely right! See for yourself by checking out our latest masterpiece shown below.

I bet you’ll never guess who played the starring role of the heart? ♥

BTW—In addition to writing the script, this group of students directed and produced the video which involved choosing the location for all of the scenes, taking pictures, creating text slides and selecting the music.

Don’t you have the feeling that the HEART Team is here for you!

Classroom Connection:

I have previously mentioned the educational value of providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge through digital storytelling, but I’ll say it again…

Not only can teachers create digital stories to introduce, teach and/or review concepts, but this strategy can be used for a variety of project-based assessments. More importantly, students have the chance to imagine, plan, design, compose and invent—skills all crucial to 21st Century learning!

And the best part for me as an educator? Witnessing the pride the students have when sharing a really neat finished project they can truly call their own—especially when they are invited to share them at school board meetings (which they did last week!).

So, are you wondering what hoaxes you’ll endure today—spiders, someone messing with your computer mouse or the infamous “kick me” sign? Or maybe you’re one of those teachers (like me) who like to have a little bit of fun with your students. Regardless of which prankster group you belong to, check out the video clips below explaining why the tradition of playing tricks on people began on April 1.

Here’s a shout out to Richard Byrne, author of the Free Technology for Teachers blog, for sharing these cool videos/info!

Classroom Connection:

Use these videos to teach students about the history behind April Fool’s Day. And while you’re at it—add some comedy to your day by having some harmless fun with your students and colleagues. As Charles Dickens once said, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”