We've all taken courses that inspired us in the moment, then felt at a loss when it came time to work them into our practice. Let us help you transfer what you learn in the “Filmmaking in School-Based OT” course to your practice. Some topics that may come up in consultation are:
How to select the right filmmaking project for your students, given their strengths and your caseload.
How to structure your sessions.
How to communicate with parents and administration about the project.
How to plan a film screening.
How to connect all parts of the filmmaking process to IEP goals.
How to use filmmaking language, equipment, and editing software.
Purchase this package in addition to the in-person course "Filmmaking as school-based OT" to receive 2 CEUs and 2 hours of virtual implementation consultation scheduled at your convenience with you and a course facilitator. The individualized follow-up consultation is designed to help ensure therapists can put into practice skills learned in the hands-on workshop.
"Filmmaking in School-Based OT" is a course designed to show therapists three different forms of filmmaking that can be used to address goals under a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This course is informed by the American Film Institute’s “Basic Tool Kit & Resource Guide For Young Filmmakers” and adapted to provide OTs with tools for implementing a filmmaking project with the students they serve. Filmmaking is a multifaceted occupation that functions as a rich framework for designing evidence-based interventions in the areas of handwriting, fine motor skills, functional independence, executive functioning, and social-emotional learning. As an art form, it is inherently collaborative and inclusive. It builds technical and digital communication skills that are educationally relevant and can be channeled toward a career, civic engagement, and leisure pursuits across the lifespan. Creative, school-based therapy can offer educational opportunities that cut against the social and physical barriers and stigma that people with disabilities often face. Engaging students in meaningful occupations that have the power to both advance short-term goals and foster positive, long-term developmental trajectories is a matter of occupational justice. This presentation will discuss the natural overlap between the core principles of our profession and pedagogies that view education as a form of liberation.
Participants will learn the basic steps of creating three styles of films at difficulty levels “easy,” “medium,” and “hard.” Stop motion animation is the “easy” approach. Informational short films that include documentaries, how-tos, public service announcements, cooking shows, and gardening shows are “medium” in that they involve greater planning and more complex editing. Narrative short films compose the “hard” level. Narratives are films adapted from a book the students read and learn. Each filmmaking level engages students in three stages of activity: pre-production, production, and post-production with ample opportunities to address specific school-related needs. Through storyboarding, developing a set, costumes/puppets and props, creating a script, performing individualized roles as a team, and working with film equipment and technology, OTs target students’ IEP goals. Attendees will learn specific OT interventions that can be applied at each stage. For example, contemporary research indicates that cognitive-based, therapeutic handwriting practice has the most significant impact on improving legibility. Students engage in therapeutic writing when drafting pre-production plans, a storyboard, a screenplay, a call sheet, and other related materials. A combination of images, videos, and oral presentations will demonstrate filmmaking materials and processes. There will be opportunities for dialogue with OT attendees about potential challenges and solutions related to the filmmaking framework.
A critical component of the filmmaking process is the final stage, when finished projects are shared with the school and community. There are numerous ways to utilize the finished project to support IEP goals and, more broadly, promote occupational justice for students with disabilities. A capstone event in which students in special education are recognized for their creativity and talents exemplifies the “big picture” impact OTs can have in their schools. A screening party or debut of the student film on a school website or during an assembly elevates students with disabilities. It validates their agency in cultural production and exhibition alongside their peers. Attendees will engage in a discussion about how OTs can play a unique role in supporting the integration of students with disabilities in school-wide routines like annual events through the lenses of self-determination theory, contextualism, and more.