Tech Studio
©2009-2010 by Danny Graham II
Students enjoy a full day at Tech Studio - where technology plays a starring role. As soon as campers enter the doors, they walk the red carpet, pose for photos, and the experience begins. Each camper takes on several roles in Tech Studio - star, photo editor, web show host, producer, and even a member of the paparazzi. There are lights, cameras, and a whole lot of action...
Planning
Every camp needs campers! Send home flyers and applications with potential campers.
Every camp needs an agenda! You may deviate from it, but it is a must to get everything in order!
Camp Activities
Red Carpet Pics - Set up a background and grab a couple of digital cameras. We give our campers the star treatment by rolling out the red carpet and playing music as they enter the doors. Each camper poses on the red carpet individually and with other stars.
Every camp needs campers! Send home flyers and applications with potential campers.
Every camp needs an agenda! You may deviate from it, but it is a must to get everything in order!
Camp Activities
Red Carpet Pics - Set up a background and grab a couple of digital cameras. We give our campers the star treatment by rolling out the red carpet and playing music as they enter the doors. Each camper poses on the red carpet individually and with other stars.
Filmstrip Activity - We always need filler activities - those projects that are quick, easy, and can be done independently. This activity was exactly that. The filmstrips serve two purposes - it gives us a chance to get to know each camper better and it is used later when the students write their red carpet introductions. After completing the filmstrip, we pose this question to our campers: If you were on the red carpet, how would you want to be introduced? Using the filmstrip information, each camper writes his/her own "bio".
Press Badges - Everyone knows that you need the proper ID to get into all of the hot spots. Our campers create their own press badges that are used in the GPS Paparazzi assignment later in the day.
Wordle Brainstorming - To get the campers in the right frame of mind for Hollywood activities, we brainstorm Hollywood vocabulary using Wordle - a free web tool. After brainstorming together, each camper creates and prints a Wordle.
Photo Editing - Our campers become photo editors using Picnik - a free web tool. Each camper edits one of his/her red carpet pictures taken earlier in the day. (Note: Picnik is no longer available. PicMonkey is an excellent alternative.)
Press Badges - Everyone knows that you need the proper ID to get into all of the hot spots. Our campers create their own press badges that are used in the GPS Paparazzi assignment later in the day.
Wordle Brainstorming - To get the campers in the right frame of mind for Hollywood activities, we brainstorm Hollywood vocabulary using Wordle - a free web tool. After brainstorming together, each camper creates and prints a Wordle.
Photo Editing - Our campers become photo editors using Picnik - a free web tool. Each camper edits one of his/her red carpet pictures taken earlier in the day. (Note: Picnik is no longer available. PicMonkey is an excellent alternative.)
GPS Paparazzi - We love geocaching and so do our students, so we definitely work it into our themes! Our students become members of the paparazzi and receive a magazine assignment from their editor (Mrs. Griffin). The assignment: to locate stars and grab pictures for the cover of our magazine (Starz) before the announced deadline. Students get an assignment notebook with cache locations and a photography portfolio and set out the their team to be the first to turn in a completed magazine. (Note: Use the completed magazine file to cut out the star's pictures to be hidden in each cache. Hide the caches and note the cache locations the day before the camp.) Give each group an assignment notebook with locations. If you aren't familiar with geocaching, turn this activity into a treasure hunt.
Web Show - A day at Tech Studio would not be complete without making our own video productions. Campers host their own web show where they cover the grand opening of Tech Studio with glimpses of stars that appeared at this red carpet event. To help get the creative juices flowing, we show a video clip of a similar event.
Campers use organizers to help them script their own video introductions. They work in pairs and alternate between two roles - director and web show host - to capture the video introductions using a Flip video camera. Once completed, campers use Movie Maker to create and edit the web shows. There are three elements - the web show title, the video introduction, and pictures of several stars (use red carpet pictures) along with narration. Note: Use "bios" from filmstrip activity for narration ideas.
Campers take their completed web show home on CD. If time allows, view the campers' web shows one of the following ways - project and show "movie style" or have campers carousel around the lab viewing each show.
Campers use organizers to help them script their own video introductions. They work in pairs and alternate between two roles - director and web show host - to capture the video introductions using a Flip video camera. Once completed, campers use Movie Maker to create and edit the web shows. There are three elements - the web show title, the video introduction, and pictures of several stars (use red carpet pictures) along with narration. Note: Use "bios" from filmstrip activity for narration ideas.
Campers take their completed web show home on CD. If time allows, view the campers' web shows one of the following ways - project and show "movie style" or have campers carousel around the lab viewing each show.
Autograph Books - Is there any better way to end the day then with an autograph session? Each camper receives an autograph book with pictures of all of our stars. Use the autograph book template and insert the red carpet pictures. (This should be done by one of the camp leaders prior to the end of the camp.)
Take-Home - At the end of the day, each camper leaves with the following items: red carpet picture, filmstrip, press badge, Hollywood Wordle, Starz magazine cover, web show CD, autograph book, and a parent letter. An optional photo CD can be purchased.
Take-Home - At the end of the day, each camper leaves with the following items: red carpet picture, filmstrip, press badge, Hollywood Wordle, Starz magazine cover, web show CD, autograph book, and a parent letter. An optional photo CD can be purchased.