MIDDLEBURY — The Vermont Folklife Center will offer a workshop for teachers — “Media Skills and Project Planning for Educators” — this Friday April 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The instructor will be Mary Rizos, VFC Education Outreach and Professional Development Coordinator.
Media-making can be a powerful tool for the classroom as teachers and students explore subject-area content. It also encourages student self-expression and engagement as well as relationship-building within the community. Additionally, collaborative community-based media projects give students practice in the interpersonal and technical skills that will continue to be relevant to their lives and work in the future.
This workshop will address the conceptual and technical aspects of media projects in the classroom, as well as the logistical considerations of how and when community connections are made, how class time is structured, and how the students’ work will eventually be shared.
Attendees will be introduced to the philosophy and research methods the Folklife Center uses, will view student media projects (from a variety of schools and subject areas), and will have instruction and time to familiarize themselves with audio-recording, photography, and video editing. Participants will practice each of these skills during the workshop and produce their own mini-project by the end of the day.
Substantial time will be given to discussion around how to transfer those skills back to classrooms: curriculum planning, project proposals, and discussion and feedback of participants’ own ideas for implementation.
This workshop is intended for teachers interested in acquiring the skills of storytelling and documentary work and bringing them back to their classrooms. Attendance is limited to 14 participants and the registration deadline is April 6. For tuition information or to register for this workshop call (802) 388-4964. 
This workshop will be held at the Vermont Folklife Center’s ADA accessible headquarters at 88 Main St. in downtown Middlebury.