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Sixth-grade class produces music video about importance of technology Date published: 10/14/2008
BY JEFF BRANSCOME
A Stafford Middle School sixth-grade science class is making a music video inspired by the the 1984 movie "Weird Science." "Where they create their own girl, we're creating our own classroom," said teacher Kristen Hamilton. They're competing in a national contest in which classes produce music videos on the importance of technology. It's sponsored by eInstruction, which will give the winning classroom $15,000 worth of technology, including an electronic white board. The Stafford County class's video begins in black and white, with students throwing paper airplanes and sleeping as their teacher drones on about the periodic table of elements. Suddenly, a bolt of electricity hits a textbook, signaling that the classroom is now "wired for science." Kids form a circle around the book with their hands in the air. "That takes about an hour or two to actually edit," said Todd Kramer, a technology resource teacher who helped with the video. On Friday, the class recorded some audio and a little more video for the 2-minute production. Hamilton handed some students remote controls that enable pupils to answer multiple-choice questions on a white board. She borrowed them from another teacher. "We're going to point them at the screen up there and pretend you're answering a question," Hamilton told her young actors. She then coached them: "You're excited, you're happy! This is so cool! This is the coolest thing you've ever done before!" After finishing those scenes, Kramer shot some video of cords wrapped around 11-year-old Khaleel Anderson. He was literally wired for science. "I'm not shy," Khaleel said. Hamilton then put the wires around another student, who enjoyed the attention but had some difficulties. "I feel like I'm going to fall," the girl said with a laugh. Hamilton wrote the lyrics for the video, which some students recited in a microphone on Friday. The song ends with, "Now my classroom is alive. EInstruction hooked us up with style." "Quiet on the set!" Kramer shouted as he prepared to record some audio. "Science is so boring," one student began in a monotone voice. "I'm not believing you that science is really boring," Hamilton coached. It took a few tries but Hamilton was pleased with the last attempt. "That was a lot of pressure, wasn't it?" she asked.
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