After watching a couple youtube videos I decided to set my girl up at the table with the ipad, modeling clay and white board. I downloaded two different apps; imotion and stopmotion, had her watch simple video tutorials, and set her loose. Then, I did something that I almost never do. I napped!
3 hours later, without even a snack request, my daughter produced this video. I was so impressed with her level of engagement, creativity and perseverance! It made me think that if a 10-year old can do this, then surely my middle school student can, too! It is a result of my daughters experience that inspired me to bring Claymation into the classroom this year.
Just this week the 8th grade students finished producing over 40 Claymation Animation videos. For a first time project, I feel like it was a success. Sure, things got tricky and messy- but that is where the learning happens- FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS! After the project I surveyed the students to get a sense for how they truly felt about the project and the feedback received was overwhelmingly positive. They have certainly provided me with the confidence to permanently implement claymation into the curriculum and have provided me with a great starting point to develop and refine the lesson further.
This experience is just one of the many life experiences that have influenced me professionally. I love how life can influence art and how that translates into the Expressions Curriculum. Like life, the Expressions Curriculum it is constantly evolving and changing. Thank you, Te'a, for your inspiration. I love you!
