EduCon 2.4

In order for students to be critical consumers of digital media, its important for them to have the chance to create and share media themselves. Documentary filmmaking is a powerful way for students to craft persuasive messages through digital media. Creating documentaries allows students the opportunity to look deeply into real world topics and issues that interest them.

We will talk about the educational benefits of creating documentaries with students. We also will discuss different ways to organize a documentary project in your own classroom. We will cover equipment, topic selection, project organization, researching, setting up interviews with experts, transcribing and scriptwriting, filming, and editing. We will explore the basic tenets of the Fair Use Doctrine, and how it applies to embedding copyrighted content into student-created documentaries. We will also discuss appropriate and responsible ways for students to promote their films once they are done.

I will share my own experiences creating documentaries with my middle school students over the past two years, as well as samples of student films. Creating documentaries with students is a tough and challenging project for both the teacher and the students. However, it can be an empowering experience with infinite learning possibilities.