Documentary Production and Canada - A Unique Workshop at MS 131 in Chinatown

By: YaLing Chao, Global Classroom Intern

On the last day of March, Canadian Global Guide Frederic Choiniere, who is studying International Affairs and Media at The New School, delivered a workshop on his home country, and experiences in documentary-making to an eighth grade class at MS 131. The workshop began with an interactive exercise led by Frederic and Global Classroom Intern, YaLing Chao. For this activity, the students gathered in a large circle and went through a series of clapping patterns which required communication and teamwork skills to complete; students were challenged to work together to “pass a clap” around the circle and in different directions. This activity required great concentration and produced not only an in-depth discussion about leadership and communication, but also many spirited laughs! Following the introduction, Frederic shared his insight on Canadian geography and politics. He also shared some information about Canada’s bilingual status and the diversity of its citizenry, about which the students were previously unaware.

To complement a small group documentary-making project on the Iraq War the students were finishing that week, Frederic shared with students some of the main principles of pre-production, production and post-production stages in video making. Drawing from his past work as a local TV producer in Canada, as well as his classwork in graduate school, Frederic asked students what they learned so far in their progress, how they prepared, what the biggest challenges were that they faced, and how they overcame such challenges in order to gain better insight of their work. Then, Frederic used video excerpts to illustrate key videomaking techniques, such as use of narration, dubbing, subtitles, sound effects and music, and how to edit interviews.

Frederic also showed students a short documentary film he created two semesters ago as an example of what media students produce in their classes. The eighth graders were impressed by the professionalism of Frederic’s work. For the final portion of the workshop, Frederic rotated around to each work station to review students’ progress and answer their questions about documentary composition. As the young students enjoyed watching Frederic’s video clips, Frederic was equally impressed with their own original videos!

In reflection, the teacher mentioned the expertise Frederic shared during presentation was valuable for enriching his own teaching about the video production process. Moreover, the advice and work examples Frederic shared with students offered meaningful inspiration and encouragement to think about their projects with refreshed creative energy.

From the Other Side - An Intern's Global Classroom Experience

By: Nachiket Udupa, Global Classroom Intern and Global Guide

I came to New York City in Fall 2008 to join a program in Education Leadership Studies, which is kind of like a combination of economics, policy and management of education. So when I came across the Global Guide training for One to World’s Global Classroom program, I jumped at it. Reading theory about the education is one thing, but actually seeing it firsthand is quite something else. I knew that Global Classroom would give me a chance to experience New York City public schools and give me a more practical insight of what I had otherwise only been reading in books. And what an experience it has been!

My work with the Global Classroom program has been an immense learning opportunity. First as a Global Guide in the Fall semester and later as an Intern in the Spring, I’ve taken part in many workshops in several different classrooms in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. This experience has given me the unique chance to meet different international students from across the world and understand what schools are like in their countries. There is also something new I can take away from each visit to a New York City classroom apart from the sheer joy of spending time with students.

What amazes me the most is how insightful students are, and interacting with them can be an absolute delight. Being in classrooms takes me back to my days in school. The insight and curiosity that students have has surprised me more than once. I have often tried discussing topics that one might typically think to be too advanced for them and have always been amazed at how perceptive the students are in New York City. In sharing different perspectives and imparting new knowledge, Global Classroom not only helps students grow to become global citizens but also makes me a better person.

I particularly remember one experience I had with a class of 5^th graders in Staten Island where I was talking to them about the unity in diversity in India. A ten year old girl asked me if India was fighting any wars. I replied to her that India and Pakistan had fought wars in the past. She then asked me why they were fighting. The innocence with which she asked the question and the look in her eyes made it hard for me to explain to her that the two countries were fighting over an artificial line that man had drawn dividing the two lands. I felt then that if all human beings could experience what I was experiencing at that moment, there would be no more wars.

Ariel and Will Durant once said, “Education is the transmission of civilizations.” Classrooms are a microcosm of the society they are set in and, personally, I think the best way to get to know a city or a culture is to visit its schools. I am not a fan of sight-seeing and believe more in getting to know the people and traditions of the place that I am visiting. My experiences in public school classrooms have taught me a lot more about America and New York City than visiting any landmark would have.