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Lights, camera, learning: Myers’ successes in the spotlight

Edutopia films Bellwood-Antis elementary school as model of Modern Classroom project

A videographer from Edutopia documents Leah Frederick’s fourth grade social studies class at Bellwood-Antis School District’s Myers Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon. Edutopia, founded by award-winning filmmaker George Lucas, is filming the district’s successful implementation of The Modern Classrooms Project. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

BELLWOOD — A nationally known education publication is filming teachers and students in action at Myers Elementary School this week.

Edutopia is producing a 45-minute documentary on the Bellwood-Antis School District’s successful implementation of The Modern Classrooms Project.

Bellwood-Antis partnered with the project in September 2019 and has found the learning model to be useful.

Through the project, educators are implementing a self-paced, mastery-based instructional model that leverages technology to foster human connection, authentic learning and social-emotional growth, according to Kareem Farah, co-founder and CEO of The Modern Classrooms Project.

When asked to include elementary teachers in the initial professional learning sessions held at B-A, Farah was very skeptical that the blended learning instructional model could be implemented at that level, said Jamie L. Forshey, Bellwood-Antis’ director of instructional technology.

A videographer from Edutopia films Leah Frederick’s fourth grade social studies class at Bellwood-Antis School District’s Myers Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

But Forshey was able to convince him otherwise and the process to bring Edutopia to Bellwood began.

“Having an organization such as Edutopia, a nationally known educational publication … at our elementary school filming teachers implementing The Modern Classrooms Project instructional model in our classrooms is nothing short of amazing, and very humbling to say the least,” Forshey said.

“This is something we should be very proud of,” school board member Timothy Mallon said previously.

Founded in 1991 by the award-winning filmmaker, the George Lucas Educational Foundation — Edutopia.org — is dedicated to transforming K-12 education so that all students can acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to thrive in their studies, careers and adult lives, according to foundation information.

The foundation takes a strategic approach to improve K-12 education through two distinct areas of focus: Edutopia and Lucas Education Research, according to the Edutopia website.

The opportunity presented by Edutopia and The Modern Classrooms Project is important to the school district.

“As a district, we are so proud of our teachers and how they have incorporated the MCP instructional strategies into their learning environments to ensure that every student’s needs are being met every single day,” Forshey said.

“We are also beyond excited that their dedication to the transformation of classrooms into innovative, personalized learning experiences for all students is being recognized at this level,” he added.

The documentary is tentatively set for a December release, Forshey said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.

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