Media Literacy Grant 2007 Winner - Peter Mahan

Purchases

As per the written proposal submitted for the Media Literacy Project Grant, Peter Mahan was able to purchase two digital camcorders for students' use in his film class (Fall Semester 2007).  The camcorders puchased were (1) Panasonic DVD Palmco rder (Model #VDR-D210P) for $349.99 and (1) JVC 30GB Hard Disk Drive camcorder (Model #GZ-MG155US) for $298.97.  In addition to these Mr. Mahan purchased two camera bags at $14.97 each and blank discs for use with the Panasonic model, and finally three cables totaling approximately $13.00.  The rationale for the purchase of two distinct digital technologies (built-in hard drive computer vs. removable DVD discs) was for them to gain an educational experience with the two most current ones so they can see the pluses and minuses of both.

Outcomes

With the purchase of these items, the students in Mr. Mahan's class had daily access to the equipment necessary to complete original film productions, as per the course requirements.  Unlike in year's past, no student had to be paired to another group due to not having access to a camcorder, thus allowing for more flexibility and creativity with the medium of video.  Accessibility to the two camcorders during the course was frequent if not daily and resulted in the production of nine films ranging in length from approximately 2 minutes to 11 minutes.  Not only were the goals of the grant achieved through the availablity of these camcorders, they promise to be a boon to the program for years to come.  

Assessment

In the Spring of 2007, just after Mr. Mahan had been notified of his winning the grant, he notified his Guidance Department and asked them to encourage students to sign up for Studio in Film, aware that having access to camcorders now may make a difference for students considering the class.  This resulted in 18 students initially signing up for the class.  Students were made aware at the beginning of the class of the rare opportunity they had and were challenged to make the most of it.  All students had to cosign a contract with their parents stating they were financially accountable for any loss or damge to the equipment.  So within the High School, publicity for the EMTA grant was plentiful and there was a buzz for the annual Student Film Festival held in late May.  Outside the district, publicity took the form of announcements on both the EMTA web page and on the NYSMATA (New York State Media Art Teacher's Association) website.