The series was developed in collaboration with the
College of Education and Community Innovation and faculty in
journalism, broadcasting and digital media from the School of
Communications. It received funding from the
Impact 30 grant distributed by the Division
of K-12 Education Innovation and Scholar Success
.
Other EduCreate partners include Mosaic Film
Experience, the Steelcase Foundation and the West Michigan Center
for Arts and Technology.
Bomberg said the mix of educators in the room
demonstrated the interest in using digital media for young people.
She also sees a connection between the series and one of the state’s
top priorities: literacy.
"With literacy being such a huge focus in
Michigan, I think digital storytelling is a way to work on those
storytelling skills that are really meaningful and create community
connections," Bomberg said. "Storytelling is a huge part
of so many cultures. It's a great way to learn about others, build
empathy, and create meaningful learning experiences."
After opening remarks from Kylie Ambu, host of
WGVU's Emmy Award-winning series "Mutually Inclusive,"
participants rotated through two sessions, creating
and editing short videos and recording podcasts in WMCAT's
podcasting booth.
For Alex Nyholm-Goncalves, a special education teacher
at Covenant High School Grand Rapids, a GVSU-authorized charter
public school, the workshop offered new ideas for engaging her students.
"I thought EduCreate could add a new element to
what we are doing, something that would have students eager to come
to school because they wanted to work on a cool project,” she said.
Nyholm-Goncalves already has ideas for applying what
she learned. In her school’s cooking class, for example, students
could use video to explain the purpose of a cooking technique or
demonstrate how math concepts apply in the kitchen.
"I see it as a way to amplify storytelling around
what is happening at the school while helping students connect
learning in a new way," Nyholm-Goncalves said.
The digital skills can also help students with career exploration.
"I have a student who wants to be a YouTube
content creator," Nyholm-Goncalves said. "Now I can help
him have a deeper understanding of what it may take to make that a profession."
