If you are old enough to remember flannel board presentations s and spirit duplicator’s you might think multimedia is something that teachers do to get the kids interested.
If you are a student of 21st Century at Model High School, Digital Multi Media is something the students do as course work to interest their fellow students in worthwhile environmental or social projects. Often audience members are motivated enough to become a team members in the project.
Some who are old school might call Model, “independent study.”
Bloomfield Hills School superintendent Robert Glass, citing the work of multi-dimensional Albert Einstein, or Multimedia pioneer
Steven Jobs has often stressed the importance of nontraditional learning.
Right to left Model Principal Bill Boyle(at podium) Alex, Stephanie, and Ana.
Model High School Principal believes Bill Boyle “All Learning is personal.”And we differ because of what we learn.”
At Model, students are given guidelines to follow rather than an actual step by step assignments. The guidelines given to first year Model Student Ana Fernandez , studying Eco Psychology, the assignment was to find an aspect of ecology that interested her and develop a program that might provide an environmentally friendly solution. Ana came up with, “Students Against Plastic Water Bottles.” To tell it she turned to Digital Multi Media. First she created a website with pictures, changing graphic displays which presented the problem of ecologically unfriendly plastic. Two students who became interested in her cause later wrote research papers that were published on the web sight. Then Ana designed and sold cloth cover for water bottles which said. “I’m not Plastic” and encouraged users to fill them with tap water. The grand finale of the campaign was a movie night at Model. The movie “Tapped “ was screened. Ana promoted it with flyers she designed and poster board displays.
Model High School student Stephanie Poldolsky created a blog or a web log to tell the ongoing story of Build On an organization to fight illiteracy in developing countries. She also used twitter to communicate with Build On chapters nationally and posted the tweets on her blog. For a fund raising event Stephanie used the blog to promote Bowling for Books. On a person level she felt the blog improved her writing skills.
Alex Gaggino said some of his classmates thought Model was easy. Alex agreed but said it was easy becuae you were doing work you enjoyed. In 2010 Alex says he developed a passion for community service. That and trip to New Orleans put him contact with a community Center in the Cresant city’s lower 9th Ward an area devastated by the post Katrina flood. To help Alex specifically enrolled in Model High School for a course taught by favorite teacher Andrea McCoy who also taught Ana Fernandez. At Model Andrew used a multimedia skills like creating a web site, and creating flyers and posters to promote a Movie Night at his home. Shown was a video from the Community Center in New Orleans Alex was trying to help. Monies raised from that event in the words of the Community Center director “kept the lights on.” Alex is planning another trip to New Orleans loves the idea of being a bridge between two communities.
Part of the Bloomfield Hills School System, Model High School, is open to all students. According to Principal Bill Boyle students come to Model on a part time basis by choice. Students must fill out an application with two references and then interview with Principal Boyle. Those are the only requirements. Boyle said there is often a waiting list for classes which are usually full.