We are very excited to announce that one of our ninth graders, Virginia Vereen, daughter of Cary and Azalee Vereen is one of the ten students in the Edutopia Digital Youth Contest. This is the information on their press release:
“A CALL FOR DIGITAL YOUTH
The George Lucas Educational Foundation, publisher of Edutopia media including Edutopia video, Edutopia magazine, and Edutopia.org, has received a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to produce ten
multimedia portraits of youth ages 8–18 who are deeply immersed in digital media of all kinds: blogs, social networks, virtual environments, games, media making projects, and so on.
These portraits are intended to provide an in-depth look at how young people are using new media for learning, socializing, and entertainment, giving adults insight into the new generation’s digital lives. The portraits will feature a range of media,
produced by Edutopia staff as well as the youth themselves, including
• short (less than ten-minute) documentary segments that explore how young
people are using new media in their homes, schools, out-of-school activities,
and informal learning environments, and with their peers.
• interviews with youth to gain their reflections on these experiences.
• interviews with their parents, educators, and others.
• expert interviews commenting on and interpreting specific behaviors in the
portraits.
• articles and text commentary placing the portraits in the larger context of
digital-learning initiatives.
• examples of work these young people have produced, including photos, slide presentations, videos, podcasts, music, games, essays, blogs, media diaries, and Web sites.
The portraits will be published on Edutopia.org, and articles about them will appear in several issues of Edutopia magazine and on the Web site beginning in February 2009.
Edutopia seeks candidates for these profiles. We intend to illustrate a diversity of age, ethnicity, geography, personal passions, type of media used, and success in traditional academic settings. (For example, some individuals may struggle
academically but excel in using digital technologies.) We would also like to identify teachers who are working with these students and have harnessed the power of new media in traditional learning environments.
We would like to receive nominations for profile subjects, including video submissions in the form of a one-minute first person reflection on how engagement with new media has changed the way the individual learns. The individual should
also mention extracurricular activities and interests that do not necessarily involve digital media. We will use YouTube and TeacherTube to gather these submissions.
The 10 finalists chosen for full profiles produced by Edutopia will receive a Flip Video Camcorder for their participation.”
Virginia had to make a youtube video; this is a copy of the video.
We are excited about this honor for one of our students. The Edutopia film crew will be filming Virginia and her classmates this Thursday and Friday at the school.
The national and international recognition of our technology program and school demonstrates that our school is positioned as an internationally recognized leader in technology AND overall education of children.
Recently, the Flat Classroom Wiki 2008 won the Edublog award for best wiki in education 2008 and Vicki Davis’ Cool Cat Teacher blog won the edublog award for best teacher blog in education 2008.
We are proud of our students and the support from the Grandparents Club, Board of Directors, PTO, parents and foundations who support the technology program by cutting boxtops, soup labels, and raising money so that we can continue to be world class!
Congratulations Virginia! Students in fourth grade and 8-12 are signing release forms to be returned by Wednesday so that they may be filmed at the school!
Go Cats! We’re world class!