Learn about inspiring student creativity and confidence in movie making, with Tricia Fuglestad.
As an elementary art teacher, teaching a couple dozen classes every week, I found myself saying the same things over and over again. “Push up your sleeves,” “Grab a smock,” “Listen to directions,” Wash your brushes,” “Pick up what you dropped on the floor,” and so forth. I was afraid that my annoyance with having to remind students repeatedly, every day, all day long, was going to turn me into a crabby teacher.
So, I took a step back from my nagging and reflected on effective messaging from my childhood. I thought about the songs that taught me my ABCs, grammar, and history, from colorful child-centered music-filled TV shows. I soaked in those educational lyrics, sang along, and can still sing them today. What if art problems could be solved in the same way? What if I could package my classroom instructions into joyful, silly, and entertaining music videos that students would gladly embrace? What if they sang along as they cleaned the art room, conserved our paper towel stash, and used the automatic pencil sharpener (at appropriate times)?
Digital storytelling
I began applying what I knew about digital storytelling from my masters in educational technology classes and began making what I called ‘Fugleflicks’. I inserted them into my instruction at appropriate times to replace my nagging words with music videos. I began with ‘The Pencil Exchange, ‘Drawing from Experience’, and ‘Be Kind to Your Erasers’. These movies were little miracles that changed me by changing my attitude towards instruction. Instead of feeling exasperated by the need to repeat a direction for the one-zillionth time, I pulled up a video like ‘Repeat’ (about patterns that repeat), turned off the lights, passed around a microphone, and hosted a karaoke party. My teacher heart burst when I realized my students were vying for the opportunity to sing about line, shape, and color pattern!
Fugleflicks flicked a switch in me. They became a channel for my playfulness, humor, and need for fun in the classroom.
Passing the microphone
However, it wasn’t long before I realized that my students wanted to get in on this creative endeavor. They kept pitching ideas to me for new movies and asking if they could be in the next one.
Incorporating my students began organically. I remember one day teaching a group of fourth graders. “Colors that are opposite on the color wheel are called complementary colors.” A voice cut me off saying, “So, they give compliments to each other?” followed by giggles. Another voice responded, “Maybe they should marry each other,” with more giggles. I continued, “So make sure you wash your brush when you go from green to red, because if complementary colors mix they make br—.” Then I stopped. It occurred to me that we (those silly 4th grade hecklers and I) just wrote a story and I was about to give away the ending.
So I grabbed a pad of paper and said, “I think we have something here. Help me out.” I peppered the class with questions.
- What if Red and Green fell in love and got married?
- What would they do for fun together?
- What gifts would they give to each other?
- How would they meet since they were from opposite sides of the wheel?
- Who would come to their wedding?
I took notes and by the following art class, I had a script, storyboard, and a plan. I planned how to turn kids into color silhouettes that I would animate in Keynote with voice-over narration. I was the narrator and animator. Students were the actors and idea generators. It wasn’t full ownership, but it was a start.
The love story between Red and Green, Complementary in Every Way that originated from silly banter in class, became a staple of my art instruction used every time I discussed components of color theory. The kids loved it even though the ending always produced some blushing. The reception the movie received motivated me to look for more audiences beyond our school community. We applied and received two acceptances into children’s film festivals. The local newspaper interviewed the students for a story to celebrate its first place Shortie Award in Washington D.C. and its screening at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.
Handing over the reins
Eventually, Fugleflicks became a lunchtime club with a focus on student-created, art-related films by kids for kids. This meant that the movies had full ownership from students who would write, plan, storyboard, coach, direct, record, narrate, sing, film, animate, edit, and present their finished product.
I saw the immense potential for learning through this process that naturally led to problem-solving, creative communication, collaboration, storytelling, and digital citizenship.
This process almost touches on every ISTE standard for students and, as the collection of Fugleflicks grew, I found myself sprinkling them into my instruction as necessary resources for teaching art concepts, classroom management, artistry, and persistence. The adorable films and catchy songs have worked their magic as students grew in empathy for art supplies and were careful not to damage work on display in the hallways and they thoroughly washed their paintbrushes at the end of class – without any nagging needed!
Other benefits have emerged as well. As the art teacher with 500+ students accustomed to large-group teaching experiences with over a hundred students a day, I found a way to connect with kids in a small group setting. I heard their stories, learned how their minds work, and supported them during a highly emotional, fun, and vulnerable experience.
We are making movies that will outlive their elementary school experience, whilst making memories that will last a life-time.
My resources
To support you in the classroom, here are some of my Fugleflicks to share with your students and inspire you to create your own student-led media.
Author
Tricia Fuglestad, a K-5 art educator for 30 years, is currently exploring storytelling through writing, illustrating, and animating augmented reality children’s books and other educational content. The Fugleflicks eBook captures 15 years of movie-making, behind the scenes, trivia, with links and embedded media so that any student could join in on the (Fugle)fun.
