Moviemaking in the Classroom: Where Every Student Has a Story
Moviemaking in the classroom isn't the fun thing you do at the end of the year — it's how Jessica Pack gets to know her students on day one. The 2014 California Teacher of the Year and author of "Moviemaking in the Classroom" shares the exact projects she uses in the first two weeks of school to lift student voice, build creative confidence, and weave in generative AI the right way. You can use it now or next school year as you plan ahead this summer! I want to give you lots of ideas for what you can do in your classroom with moviemaking!
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Two day-one projects that turn new students into whole people (using the book "The Best Part of Me" and the "I Am" poem)
- How to introduce generative AI through Adobe Express and build "AI citizenship" from the start
- Why growth over grades helped her long-term English learners blossom
- How to balance high-tech and low-tech so creativity — not the tool — stays the point
- A simple "me in three" starting point for teachers brand-new to moviemaking
Full show notes, resources, and Jessica's book: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e938
If this episode gave you an idea for what you can do in your classroom, share it with a teacher friend and leave a review wherever you're listening — it helps other educators find the show.
Today's show is sponsored by EF Educational Tours and their Career Readiness Tours. Lead your students on an international EF Career Readiness tour and show them what a career in fields like agriculture, hospitality, or automotive engineering could look like. Imagine your students connecting with entrepreneurs at the London School of Economics, getting a behind-the-scenes look at Toyota's manufacturing in Japan, or touring a French culinary school to see future chefs in action. If you've been trying to break through to your students and show them how to turn their career dreams into reality, browse EF's collection of Career Readiness tours at eftours.com/ready.
