Uploaded June 2009 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
Life can be tough for a 3rd grader with a troubled family life. So Mr. Rosas' Third Grade class made a movie about it. Not only do children have to live their difficult life at home, they find little solace from teachers at school. When they find it hard to focus they receive harsh words instead of empathy and understanding. They find, as Summer does in her playground conversation, that her friends do not understand either, and though they lend a sympathetic ear to her words they don't understand the meaning any better than their teacher.
The movie was made for the San Diego County Office of Educations 9th Annual Innovative Video in Education (iVIE) awards. The cast and crew met twice a week after school over a two month period. Under the watchful eyes of supervising adults they developed script, worked out simple set designs, selected wardrobe, operated cameras and microphones and made the movie. This was an active learning project requiring collaboration and cooperation over an extended period of time.
Many takes later their work was edited into this movie. Their learning wasnt quite over, however. On June 9, 2009 they were invited to the iVIE ceremonies as semifinalists. It was like a trip to the Academy Awards, complete with celebrity interviews on a red carpet and the agony and suspense of waiting for the announcement of the winners in each category.
It was, "Lights, camera, action," all over again. Speeches by important people, entertainment by a snappy chorus line from Lincoln High School, and a statuette worthy of Oscar himself.
Last night, June 9, 2009, this Little Engine that Could 3rd grade class won the Spirit of iVIE Award for their hard work. They had learned how to make a movie using state of the art video equipment, and they had taught an adult world a poignant lesson about the private world of a struggling child.
Hats off to Mr. Rosas of Olivewood Elementary in National City, California and his remarkable cast and crew of "Summer, Please Pay Attention!
Watch a short movie from the awards ceremony here.. . . youtube.com/watch?v=ccqwl3G3d4M
Life can be tough for a 3rd grader with a troubled family life. So Mr. Rosas' Third Grade class made a movie about it. Not only do children have to live their difficult life at home, they find little solace from teachers at school. When they find it hard to focus they receive harsh words instead of empathy and understanding. They find, as Summer does in her playground conversation, that her friends do not understand either, and though they lend a sympathetic ear to her words they don't understand the meaning any better than their teacher.
The movie was made for the San Diego County Office of Educations 9th Annual Innovative Video in Education (iVIE) awards. The cast and crew met twice a week after school over a two month period. Under the watchful eyes of supervising adults they developed script, worked out simple set designs, selected wardrobe, operated cameras and microphones and made the movie. This was an active learning project requiring collaboration and cooperation over an extended period of time.
Many takes later their work was edited into this movie. Their learning wasnt quite over, however. On June 9, 2009 they were invited to the iVIE ceremonies as semifinalists. It was like a trip to the Academy Awards, complete with celebrity interviews on a red carpet and the agony and suspense of waiting for the announcement of the winners in each category.
It was, "Lights, camera, action," all over again. Speeches by important people, entertainment by a snappy chorus line from Lincoln High School, and a statuette worthy of Oscar himself.
Last night, June 9, 2009, this Little Engine that Could 3rd grade class won the Spirit of iVIE Award for their hard work. They had learned how to make a movie using state of the art video equipment, and they had taught an adult world a poignant lesson about the private world of a struggling child.
Hats off to Mr. Rosas of Olivewood Elementary in National City, California and his remarkable cast and crew of "Summer, Please Pay Attention!
Watch a short movie from the awards ceremony here.. . . youtube.com/watch?v=ccqwl3G3d4M
