The Cesar Chavez Project-Implementing Video as an End Product of PBL (Project-Based Learning)

Instructors: Maria Rosales-Uribe and Marcia Campos

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As an effort to integrate ABE/GED, ESL, Citizenship & Literacy students in an ongoing project, the Project VOICE team (Citizenship/ESL and ABE/GED instructors) worked actively together in four mini-projects (described below) that would lead to The Cesar Chavez Project - Implementing Video as an End Product of PBL.

The Idea behind the Cesar Chavez Project

The Cesar Chavez Project evolved from the idea of creating a bridge between ESL/ABE students and their community through the integration of video as a learning tool in PBL classroom activities. With this project, we offered the learners the opportunity to explore varied educational resources in their communities; to organize themselves and work as teams; to use English in real life situations; to plan, negotiate and arrive to a consensus about their roles, and tasks within the team; to decide how the information was going to be presented; and, finally, to develop and produce a video as the end product.

Process

- Stage One: Getting started (all participating students)

• Students brainstormed on subtopics related to the four mini projects.
• They formulated questions.
• They formed teams according to the students' common interests and selected a mini project they would work with.
• The students decided on how they would find the information and human resources.
• They planned the activities.
• They assigned tasks.
• The students monitored and shared ideas.

- Stage Two: Video Production Teams

Participating ABE/ESL students were divided into four teams of four people each. The four groups were trained on how to produce and make a video (Pre production and Production stages). Each team was assigned a mini project (see below) and was responsible for capturing the footage of the process of developing that mini project. Presently, four students, selected from the video teams, are working in the Post-production stage (analog and digital editing) of the Cesar Chavez video (work in progress).

Eduardo Huitzil (ABE/GED student) captures footage (close ups and extreme close ups)of the Mural Project.

Françoise Broux (Oral/Written Communication student) gets footage from a side angle.

Ulises Grijalva (ABE/GED student) getting long and medium shots of the students participating in the Mural Project.

The video team covering the second stage of the Mural Project (drawing the mural).

The Mini projects:

1- Creating a Mural on Cesar Chavez' Life

With this project, students had the opportunity to incorporate art in ABE/ESL classes. First, they had to research about the central theme (Cesar Chavez' life) and about the community resources available to get a muralist to work with them in the creation of the mural. Students also had to decide on the images, materials, and colors to be used. Once the mural was finished, they would exhibit it in the Cesar Chavez March. One of the three video production teams was responsible for covering step by step the process involved in creating the mural and the students' reaction to this project. They were in charge of the pre-production and production stages for this mini project.

Carlos Rodriguel (Oral/Written Communication student) and Julio Flores (ABE/GED student) drawing with charcoal the mural.

Lea Najera (Oral/Written Communication student) mixing colors.

Octavia Wilson and Leo Casas (Oral/Written Communication students) painting.

Mary Yung, Lea and Leo painting the mural.

2- The Cesar Chavez March

The purpose of this project was to create in the students awareness of their community events and promote active involvement and participation in their communities. On March 30, the students, with their teachers, participated in the San Francisco traditional Cesar Chavez March. The second video group was in charge of covering a San Francisco life event and getting the footage on their classmates' participation and reaction to this event as well footage of interesting events happening during the march.

Maria Rosles-Uribe, Transitional Studies instructor, helping to carry the students' mural.

Mission Campus students carrying the CCSF Banner during Cesar Chavez March.

Amber Straus, Transitional Studies instructor from John Adams Campus.

3- The Classroom Activities

During the week of March 28, all Project VOICE instructors engaged their students in activities directed to learn about Cesar Chavez' life and work.

Ed Murray and Julie Thomas (ESL instructors) brought to their classes a UFW spokeperson to inform the students about this organization.

Suzanne Hovanesian (Computers for ESL instructor) had her multi-level class research on Cesar Chavez; participated with her students in Cesar Chavez Day March; and is developing with the students a webpage on Cesar Chavez.

Allan Fisher discussed the life of Cesar Chavez and the significance of labor unions and the struggle for workers rights in his ESL 3 class.

Eve Tarquino had her ESL 7/8 class do a jigsaw reading with a Cesar Chavez life story article. She had her students explain the article to each other so all got a good understanding of his life.

4- The Cesar Chavez Project Video as PBL end product (work in progress)

During this project, the video postproduction team will be working with the subject matter expert to learn the postproduction stage (digital and analog editing) to make a video. The students will be responsible for revising all the footage collected by the other teams. Then, they will select and log the footage to be included in the final video. Final step is for the students to edit the footage to create The Cesar Chavez Project Video.

The Evaluation

Once the video is finished, students will meet to talk about their experiences (achievments and frustrations) in carrying out this project. They will brainstorm on what worked and what they would do differently to achieve better results.

The Gain

This informational video can be used as a visual aid/learning tool in the classroom. It can also be used as a resource for teachers on how to implement PBL activities in their curriculum and develop a video as an end product. We will have the video available in the teacher room of Mission Campus for anyone to view it with their students. If you are interested in getting a copy of this video, call Maria Rosales,, the Project Director, at (415) 241-2376.

Photography by Marcia Campos ©