I love interacting with college and high school age students. I love the energy that is apparent in the hallways and the cafeterias on campuses. Our country’s future right there, exposed, raw and beautiful. Once I get past the attention seeking, shock value behaviors, once new students and I have had the chance to simmer in some creativity together, I love what then comes from my digital storytelling and photography classes.
What always seems to surprise me is how fast this generation is able to adapt to new technology and new techniques. It shouldn’t flabbergast me anymore, but it always does. I think it is because I mostly teach workshops to 30, 40 and 50 something professionals and I typically have to teach things slow and steady. But this upcoming generation of teenagers, well they grew up with remote controls in their palms and with digital cameras and cell phone cameras at their disposal. This is the gadget generation, the pixels and pixie kids, the bluetooth teethers and they catch on quick!
By next week we should have some finished pieces to showcase…in the meantime, I wanted the world to see what the future looks like, and how many smiles there are! Thank you to Rider University, Scott Alboum and all the PEERS at Millhill who spent the extra effort to learn an important skill! I had a blast!
-grace-anne
Digital Storytelling with some of the Trenton PEERS from Millhill Child and Family Development in Trenton, NJ.