Knoxville High School has many talented and passionate students. Our district's mission is to be a leader in 21st Century Learning. We live this mission daily by providing students with access to different technology and innovative teaching that focuses both on content area knowledge and the 4 Cs (complex communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking).
Several students have stepped up to lead this project and have already using their creativity and complex communication skills to develop their film submissions. One student is tackling the topic of a health issue that has had a devastating impact on her family. Another student is pondering what it means to be her and what has shaped her identity. Yet another student is developing his idea around his experiences in Kosovo as the son of a United States Military member. Our school has dozens of other students who are creating content using complex communication to share with an authentic audience.
This year, Knoxville High School held its first film festival. In order to grow this festival for next year, we would like to create a category for Virtual Reality story telling. Many of our students have experienced the power of virtual reality in gaming and recreational technology use. We are hoping to leverage their interest in virtual reality to elevate their voices in authentic story telling through virtual reality.
We will use the GoPro Fusion to create these virtual reality experiences and expect them to be used not just for the film festival, but also by the yearbook and journalism classes to provide more engaging content in their respective courses. It is a great way for our students to promote the good things that are happening in our school!
In Their Own Words
I enjoyed participating in the film festival this year. I plan on creating another film in virtual reality this spring. I'm excited that it will give not just me, but other students opportunities to let their voices be heard by audiences outside the walls of our school. They will create amazing stories!
I will help to spread the word that we have this awesome technology available by creating my own virtual reality story first. Then I will share it so that other students will become curious about it. I also plan on talking to my journalism teacher about using it for a class project.
I think teenagers have a need to be heard. This project will give students the opportunity to use a cutting edge piece of technology to let their voices and stories be heard.
My friends will also be able to create something that can be easily shared to our families and community.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Carlson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
