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【One scene of commercial made by students】

For students, seeing their own school from an objective perspective in order to advertise it to others is a new experience. Some groups studied so diligently that they dedicated their spare time to this project.

This project was held at a boarding school in the UK. Compared to typical schools, students live in a unique environment where their daily lives are entwined with school life. While this setting is distinctive, it can often be challenging for students to observe their school life objectively. The aim of this project was to cultivate students' attachment to the school and to enhance their confidence by encouraging them to view their daily experiences from a new perspective. 

The purposes of this activity, based on educational guidelines, are:
・To develop communication skills for effective collaboration by planning a commercial as a group.
・To acquire the ability to build consensus and demonstrate independence within a group by designing the structure of a commercial.
・To enhance skills in gathering and evaluating information effectively by researching the background of existing web commercials.
*While this activity was conducted as part of an information class, its concept is closely related to special activities. In fact, some schools carry out this activity as part of their school events

・iPads: Each group was provided with an iPad preloaded with the iMovie app.
・Actual Web Commercial Videos: This activity used the YouTube commercial "Calorie Mate ~Invisible Things~" as an example.
・Worksheets: Worksheets were provided for analyzing commercials and planning a new commercial.

１     Analyize existing commercials in each group (1 hour)

It is too difficult for students to create a web commercial on their own without guidance. Therefore, the first step involves watching existing commercials and analyzing their background using a worksheet.
This time, the commercial video "Calorie Mate ~Invixible Things~" was used. Please select commercials with storylines that are appropriate for your students

【A commercial video of “Calory Mate ~Invisible Things~”】

*See the attached worksheet to  Analyzing-Commercial-Handout.pdf.

２    Plan school commercials (1-2 hours)

Based on the discussion about analyzing commercials conducted during the first period, each group creates a plan for a school commercial. These commercials aim to advertise the school as a product. The goals and target audience of the commercials should be clearly defined to help students avoid using inside jokes. 

Various perspectives were discussed among the students, such as:
"The points to focus on differ depending on the purpose of the advertisement."
"Not all advantages of the school can be conveyed, so it is important to prioritize the information to share."
"How to communicate effectively within the limited time of the advertisement."

The teacher reviews each group's plan before proceeding to the video production stage.

 *See the attached worksheet to School-Commercial-Planning-Handout

３　    Take a video of school commercials (2-3 hours)

Video recording should be carried out in a way that fosters students’ independence. To ensure an efficient process, the worksheet for planning commercials plays a crucial role.
Although there is little direct support the teacher can provide during this step, it is essential for the teacher to know where each group is filming and to monitor the surroundings appropriately. In practice, students primarily used outdoor spaces within the school grounds. However, it is advisable to reserve empty rooms as a backup in case of rainy weather. Since each group needs space to deliver their lines without interference, sharing one room among multiple groups is not feasible. Therefore, having ample space available is highly recommended.
Additionally, students tend to speak loudly while recording their videos. To avoid disruptions, it is important to inform other teachers in advance about the video-taking activities.

【Scenes of commercials taken by students】

４　 Viewing party (1 hour)

After all groups complete their commercial videos, the viewing party is held. This activity tells students that although theme is always “advertisement of the school”, methods are quite different among groups.
It will get students excited to make scores and announce the first prize by the teacher. When you do this practice as a part of the IT class, the evaluation criteria should be shared with students beforehand.
Students usually say nothing even though the teacher ask them to share their own viewpoints. However, in this practice, students share their views about commercials without effort. The major students’ views were “There are different points to be focused on although it is the same school” and “Same things can be advertised in different ways”. Some students also mentioned that this activity increased their attachment towards the school.