After completing our creative documentaries for the first English unit – “Glimpses” -, we couldn’t quite lay back and relax just yet. The creative documentaries already function as a reflection and a documented evidence of the processes we undergo when writing our creative pieces, but who says we can’t reflect on our reflections? Here below is a reflection and self-assessment on my team’s (Michael, Nabilla and myself) creative documentary, written in the perspective of an audience member. Before reading the reflection, it’s probably a good idea to watch our creative documentary first. At such, here below is our creative documentary!
The creative documentary that I watched earlier, I have to say, is highly effective. In terms of content, I believe the group has included an eclectic range of details and in-depth reflection, which allow the documentary’s audience to feel as if they’re actually taking the journey of writing the creative pieces. Case in point, the documentary permits the audience to:
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1. Put themselves in the students’ shoes- as if they’re the ones who are creating the creative pieces – by incorporating:
- * A background information of why the students are writing the creative pieces in the first place.
- * Details on various activities the students did when collecting influences prior to writing. Which goes along with the elaboration on how the different activities gave them inspirations for their pieces, and enhanced their understanding on how to imply any IB learner profile (IBLP) attribute(s) within a story.
- * The students discussing the toughest challenges they faced during the writing process and how they overcome it. This particular section also conveys how each of the students has developed as a thinker and a writer through the unit.
- * Screen recordings of the writing revisions.
- * Footages of how the students attempt to improve their pieces by conducting peer reviews.
- 2. Understand what goes on in each and every one of the students’ mind as they talk about:
- * Why they have chosen their particular IBLP attribute.
- * How they have grown as a member of their community by critically responding to the guiding question – how can knowing ourselves help others?
The documentary is arranged in a chronological order, which as a consequence, allows it to realistically portrays processes throughout the unit. From this, it is evident to me that the documentary is coherent, well-organized, clear and satisfies the content requirements.
Moving on to the technical structures, the documentary included all five mandatory elements of a documentary. The documentary that I watched includes a lot of interview, chill and archive footages. There are shots where the students are explaining their experience and thoughts, shots where the students are doing actual peer reviews and writing in class, and even footages from when the students were depicting the IBLP they’re writing about! Several general coverage cutaways, story-telling cutaways and process footages are also included, but they’re not as dominant.
The music at the beginning and at the end was a nice indication of where the documentary starts and finishes. Whilst the sound and editing effects successfully distinguish one section from another, and at the same time, keeps the audience entertained and interested when they’re watching. Last but not least, their citations at the end of the documentary was perfect. They cited everything that they shot from the Internet, they even credited the sounds they utilized.
If I were to put a number on the documentary, considering everything aforementioned above and their efforts, I believe an eight or nine is attainable.
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“Triple A Learning IB Blogs.” Making the Most of the Learner Profile «. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://blogs.triplealearning.com/2012/01/diploma/dp_socanth/making-the-most-of-the-learner-profile/>.