The members of my 3rd grade Film Academy presented the final cut of their video to the school today! They were so excited and felt like true celebrities! I am so proud of their hard work. Our Academy host and director was AMAZING! I can't believe how much he was able to accomplish in such a small amount of time. Click here to check out our fabulous, 4 minute music video. :-)

One of my favorite parts of the academy was how the director helped the students explore the multiple meanings of Jack Johnson's song, "Shot, Reverse Shot." Not only did they learn about filming techniques, they also developed a better understanding of empathy, point of view, and perspective.

Without a doubt, the Academies were my FAVORITE part of the 2013-14 school year! You can learn more about the interest-based, enrichment Academies here. Once summer begins, I hope to write about the Academies in greater detail and share more examples of student work. If you have any questions or there is something in particular you'd like to learn more about, let me know in the comments! Thanks for checking in!

Hi All! I made this card to use with my little munchkins for Father's Day. I had grand plans of sharing photos of their completed cards with you, but the weekend got away from me. You know how it is!?@!

Caitlin, my 4 year old, took it very seriously and put great thought into her earnest answers. Of course, that is what makes the final product so lovely - and hysterical! In her mind, her daddy is 100 years old, his favorite food is candy, and he always says "Watch out for your sister!" (The last one is so true! And the one about candy, for that matter. Hey . . . the girl knows her daddy!) Molly, my 1 1/2 year old, just scribbled happily all over hers.

My thought is that the girls will complete this card each year; part of the gift will be to see their responses grow over time. Caitlin could write some of her answers this year (with help); Molly could only scratch at the paper with crayons. I think it will be interesting to see not only what they can do, but how they "see" their daddy at the same time next year.

Any thoughts on prompts to add or change? Let me know your suggestions in the comments! I like the idea of multiple versions - or maybe an editable version?? Thanks for checking in!