Let's Make Movies of Our Environment

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

I teach English in an inclusion class; that is the classroom is comprised of both general and special education students. I work in a high needs school where over 90% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. I am teaching literature to this particular class. My students are either Latinos or African-Americans and are learning about their respective cultures and what this means. They live in a neighborhood that is made up of mostly Latinos and African-Americans yet they don't exactly know what are the different elements that make up their culture. We have been learning about culture through literature but would like to make it more personal and make movies about their own neighborhoods. They are very excited about this prospect but in order to do so we would need a camcorder. My students and I would very much appreciate a camcorder to learn about culture. I have often heard that students learn best by studying the world around them then they can connect that to the text. I think that a camcorder will be a very powerful tool so that my students will learn about the world around them. We have begun by taking walking tours around their neighborhoods, then going back to the classroom and writing about their experiences but feel that the effects of recording it will much more poignant. With your generosity I will be able to incorporate film making as part of my daily teaching routine. This will make the class much more student centered because they will direct the camera to the elements in their neighborhoods that they consider important to their culture. Learning about yourself means that you will be prepared for what waits for you after high school. If you go into college knowing exactly what your culture is and what it entails then you will be better prepared to learn about other cultures. It is only when we fully know ourselves that we are prepared to learn about others. I feel that too often students go on to college not knowing much about their histories or cultures. Having the students learn about themselves, will ensure that they are ready for what awaits for them in college. Your generosity will ensure that my students embark on this learning experience that is so necessary in a classroom of the 21st century.