The Films for Learning website is set to go global with the backing of IT giant
Microsoft. Design and technology teacher Mark Richardson and Media
Development Manager Peter Roe have been working on the project for
two-and-a-half years as part of their schools' Leading Edge development
program.
The project and website encourages
students and teachers to create their own educational films and share
them with others across the world. Mr Roe said: "Its purpose is to
promote film and the use of film in education. If students make a film
about a subject it is generally going to appeal to the sensibilities of
their peers and so engage with them."
Films for Learning has been running workshops with other schools and received
initial funding from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and
Arts (Nesta). As well as support and sponsorship from the DCFS
(formerly the DfES) and the Innovation Unit.
Mr Roe also said "Our vision has been
that students can make a film and show it to students in Australia or
Africa and vice-versa. The project has the potential to be huge and
when I met with Microsoft they recognised the potential and have come
up with approximately £80,000-worth of development, money and time
towards a new website."
Mr
Roe and Mr Richardson both spent two days each at the BETT educational
show in London promoting the project from the Microsoft stand. "It's
not just about our school, this has developed into a major national
project and the interactivity introduced into the site means it's a
safe environment and a monitored community where teachers will be able to
access learning resources and where students can access revision
resources."
Commenting on the relationship with Microsoft, Mr Roe said "Its truly a win-win-win situation, we get the technical help and support we need to establish a world class educational resource, Microsoft get the opportunity to showcase some of their newest products to a worldwide audience and finally students get the benefit of this partnership in the form of an excellent educational resource."
"Conservatively
by the end of March we should have at least 200 films on line and by
the end of the year we expect it to be 2,000. The true numbers of films
is expected to be a lot more, one school alone in Northumberland has
developed 200 short films on aspects of science which they will share
with the world."