That video spot access via the Washington Post website
is so cute and inspring! Maybe cute is not the word
you were aspiring to as a project outcome.

However, I believe the project members worked hard to
get the production to where is is. And, they probably
learned that in creative process productions, by the
time the product meets the public, the public only
sees what didn't meet the cutting board. Either way,
the productions scores well in these respects:
1. It is a kid-linked production.
2. It took a lot of work and retakes to get it right
(the bloopers section is just wonderful!)
3. The video speaks to where the students are because
it is the students who created the product for
motivating their peers to be upwardly bound.
4. The team that put the production together
certainly had a lot of fun, even though it was intense
work.
5. The music rap aspirations video was also
motivating in that it gave insight to what one can
achieve by following through with an idea as music.
In the old school, we'd never think of rap as music,
but in the old school, we'd never heard of rap. Lest
we forget, music is the rhythm of words, organized
sound by the rhythm of the words....etc... and perhaps
the music video needs a little trailer on that.

In retrospect when the students who made the
production review it objectively, they will see many
holes in the production. That's for them to discover
as part of the creative editorial and educational
process. Progress comes from owning the project and
assessing from the inside. External criticism and
fingerpointing tends to deter from the process if it
is relied upon soley. The student producers,
directors, and collaborative team can make the
decision to let it be or tweak it!

I am sure that the creative team and team advisors
probably used a rubric to assess and evaluate the work
in progress as well as the work's final product.
That's the delicate work part. It might also behoove
the team to get an external opinion based on the same
rubric with comments, sort of like a double blind
experiment to compare the results. Places where the
rubrics results agree are places to affirm or to
restructure. Places where the opinions are unique
observations from all parties assessing th project are
places to consider or discard depending on the time
left to invest in the current video project.

Good move in securing the major newspaper as the
sponsoring collaborative media. In spite of the
politics of school restructuring, the stuggle to move
forward continues in the name of the students who want
to move forward and the public willing to support
them. Good job, everyone!

Special thanks to you, Maurice Butler, who has the
gall and vision to support students in this fashion,
providing them the oopportunity to reach into their
multple intellegences and excell!
You know,the problem with that testing venues
cunrrently employed is that it does not address the
multiple intelligences in order to problem solve, now
does it? But that's another conversation.
Feel free to pass this message onward.

ZMaleki ('67)

I am so overwhelmingly proud of the accomplishments of the Roosevelt staff and precious students that you serve. I am sending this to my contacts at each of the pro teams to see how much help we can secure with expanding your feature opportunities moving forward. I LOVE watching the Roosevelt family produce deliverables that the students can be proud of. Stay encouraged and enjoy the journey -- li