By Audrey Dodgen/Staff Writer

While some students spend their time watching movies and television shows, a group of students at Roblyer Middle School have dedicated their after-school hours to producing them.

Led by LaNeta Guth, who teaches the nine-week technology communications course at Roblyer, students entered 15 films in the Oklahoma State Student Media Festival, held Feb. 8 in Oklahoma City.

The festival was part of the Oklahoma Technology Association’s Learning Technology Conference and Exposition, and featured entries from five schools in the sixth- through eighth-grade division.

El Reno students captured three of the four top awards given at the festival.

For the film “Move Along,” Emily Gillespie, Madison Verser, Jon Moncada, Carissa Conner and Cori Young earned the first of three excellence awards.

Sara Guth, Chyna Bohn and Morgan Denny earned an excellence award for their film “Climb the Ladder,” and Dakota Burke, Josh Phillips and Vance Wagner took home an excellence award for “Building Self-Esteem.”

“I think these kids are learning about teamwork, about working on a deadline and settling differences with each other,” Guth said.

During the festival, the 12 students who attended from Roblyer had the opportunity to view the submissions from other schools, and attend a podcasting seminar and a technology fair.
“They got to see some new cool gadgets while they were there,” she said.

Brianna Robinson, who entered “I’m a Believer” with Christa Bender, said the kids enjoyed the chance to see what other students were creating.

“It really motivated me, seeing what they had done,” she said.

RMS Principal Sharon Wilbur said the coursework teaches students values they will use as they grow older.

“This is the best thing we’ve done at this school. We’re really coming into the 21st century,” Wilbur said.

“These projects teach them leadership. They are responsible for the production, from beginning to end, and that’s a lot of responsibility that’s not usually afforded to sixth- and seventh-grade students. It makes students love school again.”

Guth has been teaching the class for a year and a half, and led a summer film course for three summers. In that time, her students have completed nearly 850 films, she said. Many of the students at Roblyer who are working on film projects have already completed the class and are working on their films on their own time.

One group of students created a skateboarding film, using a camera that only filmed 45 seconds at a time.

“They’d shoot for 45 seconds and then have to set it up again. Then they’d come in after school and download whatever they had shot and work on editing it together. They did all of that on their own time,” she said.

Guth said she eats lunch in her classroom every day, because students come in to work on their projects. She also spends an hour or two after school every day working with her students.

“I just wanted to see the students interested in learning. We are reaching kids in a medium that inspires them,” she said.

Students who complete projects of merit are permitted to show their finished films on a projector screen in the commons area on “That’s a Wrap Wednesdays,” Guth said.

“I have kids coming up to me and asking if I think they’ll get to be on the big screen. They are really excited about it,” she said.

Guth’s students completed a dental health video which is being shown at a local American Indian dental clinic. They are currently working on a DVD about the school to be presented to new homebuyers.

“We have to set the bar high as educators. These kids are what we call ‘technology natives.’ They’re not afraid of it like we are as foreigners. They just get up there and do it,” she said.

“We have kids who do sound and kids who are fascinated by special effects. Others really like the editing or the directing.”

A number of the entries from Roblyer were given awards based on a grading rubric used by the judges.

Entries with 80 to 89 points were given certificates of merit. Entries with scores of 90 to 94 points were given certificates of excellence, and entries with scores of 95 to 100 were given superior ratings.

Three RMS entries earned certificates of merit: “Makeover 101” by Jasmine Ruth, Tosha White and Pooja Patel; “Cheat Not” by Nolan Abner, Gage Shelite and Haley McCurdy; and “BBQ Commercial” by Hunter Ramey.

Four entries received certificates of excellence: “Soccer Tricks” by Abraham Gonzales and Willie Ingram; “Professional Grade” by Scout Baker, Jace Mills and Dillon Nuzum; “Helping One Another” by Lakota Bear Runner, Sydney Down and Damian Rodrigues; and “Have A Plan” by Scout Baker and Austin Freeman.

Four entries were rated superior: “Building Self-Esteem,” “Move Along,” “Climb the Ladder” and “I’m A Believer.”

Other entries included “Never Give Up” by Taylor Davis and Trey Smilie; “The Dog and the Homework” by Morgan Denny, Minerva Avila and Brooklyn Costin; “Believe in Yourself” by Tyson Mauldin, Savannah Robb and Trevor Bomhoff; and “Basketball Frustration” by Steven Taylor, Zach Ridge and Micah Morgan.

“I love what Robert Redford says on OETA, that there are movies yet to be made. I know some of those are going to come from these kids,” Guth said.