Final Cut

Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Express?

Before the Apple Distringuished Educator Asia Institute began, I headed on down to Singapore with a few other ADEs to be part of Final Cut Pro training. I’ll admit, I’ve opened Final Cut Express a few times but I haven’t really spent too much time with it. It, along with Final Cut Pro, is the type of program you need to sit down with for a big chunk of time so that you can process and put all of its intricacies deep inside your head. I’m walking out of the training inspired because I actually see a use for this dynamic program even at the middle school level. As a teacher, I can’t wait to get back to school so that I can tape something with several cameras and put it all into Final Cut Pro. My biggest question that I have is this: What types of Final Cut projects are schools doing with their students?

Ripping, Rolling, Slipping, Sliding… I kind of feel like they are lyrics from a 60′s song but we are talking about a mighty powerful piece of software.

So, two questions:

What types of projects are you seeing from students using Final Cut?

Do you think it’s necessary to have Final Cut Pro for schools or does Final Cut Express do the job?

Taking Essential Questions to the Next Level

I love my teachers. They are always willing to take risks and try something new with tech. They are so positive and jump in with both feet.

Over the past week, I’ve been working with our two 7th grade science teachers Mrs. McDaid and Mrs. Bugenske on taking essential questions to another level. They don’t just post questions on a wall and touch upon them occasionally. The EQs are a focus and the students make valuable connections by addressing them.

We created two wikis for their classes where kids answer the four questions. For 3 of the 4 quesitons, students must use some sort of technology. I gave them a few ideas on a Requirements page. Why use tech to answer essential questions?

Students become more thoughtful with their answers
Students have the opportunity to listen in and respond to their peers, expanding their own knowledge
Students have the opportunity to see how others use tech and ask questions about it, wanting to learn more

You must watch what one of my students did for his first answer… Final Cut Pro, LiveType, citing sources. Do you think he’ll remember more about this unit of study because of his tech experience? I’m thinking the answer is…. YES! Are all of the students producing this type of work? No, BUT they want to… we’ve got them hooked!