Students' film showcased at conference
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

BUDDING FILMMAKERS- Medea Creek eighth-grade students Carly Silliman, Daniela Torres, Jenny Freilach, Courtney Pomush, Eric Gold and Brandon Camhi prepare to screen their film about the American Revolution. The students are in Chimei Fregoso's history class at the Oak Park middle school.

It began as a class project but turned into a much bigger deal for a group of Oak Park eighthgraders in Chimei Fregoso's history class at Medea Creek Middle School.

While studying the American Revolution, classmates Brandon Camhi, Jenny Freilach, Eric Gold, Courtney Pomush, Carly Silliman and Daniela Torres decided to create a film about the time period. In two weeks the students wrote, acted, filmed and edited the 10minute production in the school library and on the field using the iMovie software on the school's new Macintosh computers.

The assignment moved beyond the classroom when Jane Mintz, the school district's director of instructional technology, was invited to see the film. Impressed by both the students' use of technology and the simplicity of the film itself, Mintz forwarded the project to the California Technology Assistance Project, which provides technology support to educators statewide. The organization hosts an annual conference for educators during which selected student work is showcased.

Medea Creek's submission was the only Ventura County school entry at the conference, held in the Palm Springs Convention Center March 6 through 8.

The movie follows the various stages of the war, including some of the biggest battles.

"The students' film was so creative. There was no elaborate costuming, just the barebones essence of the student direction," Mintz said.

Fregoso, Courtney, Carly and Eric traveled to Palm Springs on March 8 to present the film at the conference.

The project was one example of how new technology is being used in education, Mintz said. She credited Fregoso with encouraging the students to try something different.

"Things like iMovie are changing the way we deliver instruction to meet the needs of the 21st century learner," Mintz said. "When you see students engaged like this it's very exciting."

A side benefit of making the film was that the students' knowledge of the time period was reinforced, helping them earn high marks on the related test, Jenny said.

The students are already hard at work on their next film, a game show involving their next history unit, the Civil War.