Day three of camp went by way too quickly. It was another day of rearranging the schedule but feeling confident in our ability to change and adapt.
We finally started working on their iMovie projects. Essentially, every kid has interviewed someone they know in their community. They recorded this interview using the app, Recorder. From that interview, they'll take a couple of sound bites, bring them into iMovie, and add photos and videos on top of the audio for a multi-media clip. At the end of the week, we'll combine all these clips together for a mega movie.
It was fun to lead the group in moving their audio from Recorder to iMovie. I definitely think I'm well suited for this younger age group. I love their energy and excitement and also just talking to them. So I explained the steps and walked around, helping everyone import that audio. With headphones in hand, the kids listened to their interview, picking out their section and splicing their clip. This is no easy task and I was grateful for Clair, my co-teacher, and the teen teachers who helped each kid get the attention they needed. We definitely had two spectrums in skill level -- the kids who needed lots of help and our two oldest students who took off, already envisioning what they wanted their final project to look like.
From there, we talked about putting stuff on top of the audio. It's hard to explain that one photo is a little boring (aka add more stuff). It's also a hard (and complex) subject to talk about how to incorporate audio and visual together in a way that makes connections between the sound and the pictures. But I'm working on it and my usual tactic seems to be semi-successful -- ask lots of questions and try to help bridge those connections (and hopeful light bulb moments).
Our break consisted of a snack, Robbie, from the Peoria Heights Historical Society, and that fun game where you lie on the ground with arms over and under the people next to you as you clap your hands in a circle (not explaining it well but video to come soon). It was fun to laugh with the kids -- another reason I love what I'm doing.
We finished the day with more project time and iMovie trailer time. We had a few frustrations (one beginning with a few tears). It's in those moments where I feel like I really come alive. I focus in on the student, give a pep talk, praise everything that is going well, and together, we solve the problem. I make sure the student leaves the situation feeling better and confident in their ability (despite the hiccup). Yeah, iMovie sometimes isn't intuitive. And sometimes there are tears. But we make it through.
By the way, the movie trailers are TURNING OUT SO WELL. Here are three finished products!