Film Festival Done Differently

As a hybrid cluster of schools across Aotearoa New Zealand, we decided that this was the year to curate our own online film festival. We have been part of the Manaiakalani cluster for the last three years. We submitted films and attended the event planned by them to celebrate the creativity of learners across their cluster. We added our movies to their cluster site and learned alongside.

Beginnings

When we first started in 2022, films were supported by facilitators. Over time, as teachers gained skills and confidence. Four years later, we have teachers across a range of schools with growing skills in filmmaking.

2025 Online Film Festival

We took as our theme for the film festival, our cluster whakatauki:

Poipoia te kākano kia puawai | Nurture the seed and it will blossom

The idea of nurturing the talents and creativity of teachers and learners seemed appropriate. The aim was to give people scope to be creative while also highlighting our purpose as a cluster.

Tell your Story through Images

Learning to Tell Stories Through Images

As a part of the Manaiakalani Online Toolkits, I recently had the opportunity to lead a toolkit focused on creating short films by telling a story through images. It was a journey that completely changed my perspective on filmmaking.

Before this, my understanding of filmmaking was primarily technical—I knew about camera shots and storyboarding, but I honestly found it all a bit dry. It felt like a necessary but unexciting part of the process.

However, after diving into the research for this toolkit, I’ve had a massive shift in thinking. I now understand why these technical elements are so crucial, and I'm genuinely excited about them.

Better Conversations

Practicing the habit of an inquiring mindset. "Why is this person talking/acting this way?" "What is underlying?" Knowing the background changes the way we act.

1. Empathy - having empathy towards ourselves. What is happening inside my brain? e.g. fear, judgement,... How am I feeling? I might need to clear my brain to be open to the other person. Put aside my own feelings. #itstartswithus

2. Cognitive Empathy - What does this person need right now?

3. Affective Empathy - How are they feeling?

These are some thoughts from Better Conversations by Jim Knight

Communication strategy

The most important thing is that I genuinely want to hear what they have to say.

Interviewing as Qualitative Research

A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences

Author: Irving Seidman

A strategy from this book

Public voice - for others' consumption

Private Voice - what is really going on

I can listen carefully for the private voice. I can be curious as to what is underneath.

Instructional Coaching

Facilitative Coaching -  A sounding board. The teacher already knows what they need to do. Through the questioning process, the teacher recognises what to do and sets goals

Directive Coaching - An expert with an apprentice. The teacher does not know the practice. The coach needs to describe the practice and ensure that the teacher is doing the practice.

Dialogical Coaching -  Don’t give advice as an expert, but position the teacher as a partner. Honour the autonomy of the teacher. The coach does not push their own perspective, but is not silent either.

 

Identify a clear picture of the current reality, using evidence from the learner. The teacher, as the learner, indicates how close the reality was to the plan on a scale of 1- 10. The teacher then sets a PEERS goal: Powerful, Easy to achieve, Emotionally compelling, Reachable, Student-focused.

Model it as the coach. See it before we do it

Implement - Teacher does it

Modify (modify goal, strategy, etc)

https://www.instructionalcoaching.com/research/

Further Reading

https://www.amazon.com/Focus-Teaching-Using-High-Impact-Instruction/dp/1483344126

Film Festival

I have been working with teachers to support them in creating films for the Manaiakalani Film Festival.

Many have worked independently and have only needed a few prompts to get over the line.

I created this resource based on the work of Naomi Toland and using resources from the Manaiakalani teacher resources.

In August I led a Toolkit entitled Movie-making - Tools, Tips and Teacher Strategies. 14 teachers attended this and we walked through the process of taking a story idea to a visual portrayal and then a storyboard. 

I have supported one teacher step by step. Firstly in teaching her and her learners to create a film using WeVideo. From there she was keen to sign up for the Film Festival and openly said, "I will need lots of help".

We worked together on each part of the process. I am so proud of her giving it a go and what she has created with her learners. 

I have dived into the details and learnt more about storyboarding. I have underrated this important step in the past and now I would spend more time planning and getting feedback from others before diving into filming. This quote from Paerangi | Video 2 | What Makes a Good Story?  really resonated with me:

“...can you tell your story through images?.... so wherever possible 'show' rather than 'tell' and think about images carrying as much of the story, if not more, than dialogue.”

It is exciting to be part of the Film Festival and while I have cheered on and supported before, this is the first time I have walked the whole process from whoa to go. 

The Manaiakalani Film Festival will be shown on 13 November at Sylvia Park. At the same time, teachers will release their films on their class blogs for comments.

I'm so looking forward to all those learners seeing themselves on the big screen. For some, it will be their first time in a movie theatre!

Learning to Share

 Teachers are keen to share their learning.

In response, I led a refresher on blogging on Edublogs in their school.

The focus was on how to do things technically. Most already knew about the why of sharing learning and just needed reminding on the how or some support to get new learner edublogs.

We practised by creating and publishing blog posts on class blogs.

Here are some to take a look at. They would love a comment!

https://homntully.edublogs.org/

https://homnkaur.edublogs.org/

https://hompforsyth.edublogs.org/

https://homwmatautia.edublogs.org/

Some teachers are new to sharing on blogs. I think they sharing some great learning.

https://homavirk.edublogs.org/

https://homaaubreykirkwood.edublogs.org/

https://homhminhinnick.edublogs.org/

https://hommtaranaki.edublogs.org/

We finished with a wero or challenge:

  

I'm looking forward to where the sharing learning via Edublogs will take these teachers and their tamariki (children).

Same or Different

As part of our Professional Learning Group on Oneline Facilitation, we presented to our fellow facilitators about what we do. 

Our aim was to inform about what we do, our inquiry and to hear back from others about what we might do differently.

We gathered feedback from other facilitators to see what they undestood about the differences and similarites of face-to-face comapted to online facilitation.

N.B. The Jamboard has been converted to Figjam to keep as a record.

We will continue the inquiry.

Teaching the Teachers

 Once again, I am reflecting on my teaching online.

The recording is with adults. Teachers have chosen to be part of an Online Toolkit. This is one of the many termly offerings in the Manaiakalani Toolkits Online.

I recorded the video from within the Google Meet.

What I Notice

0:48 The recording does not show the chat! 2:18 I use time-fillers quite a lot, e.g. Umm... Ummm... 2:33 I am looking at a second screen. 5:46 Am I frozen? Checking in - can participants see or hear what they need? I was frozen henceforth! (Never had this before) 6:30 People are quiet - does that mean they are following and understanding? Perhaps I should be checking in more. I can see people on the screen although they do not show in the recording. 35:24 Good to hear people giving verbal feedback. Wait time is useful.

The content has been shared with people before we begin. It is rewindable so people can access it anytime and as many times as they need. 

Next Steps

People not being able to see me may have been a barrier to learning. I think for the future if this happens I should stop and try to fix it by stopping presenting my screen or logging off the video call and joining again.

A difference between working with adults and learners is that I rely on adults speaking up if there are questions or issues. When working with learners, having Hāpara Highlights means I can see what they are doing on their screen and can pick up issues early.

Perhaps giving adults other ways to show their understanding could be valuable. A jamboard to share a screenshot of the reader they created. A poll with pre-prepared questions for them to respond to would be another quick way to capture understanding. This could be done anonymously so as to get an overall picture.

Makes me think... Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Preparation is the key.