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Through a hands-on film course, two UNB education graduates were challenged to think differently about storytelling, power, and learning.

Abbey Morice had the first day jitters when she took a seat in a course exploring the role of media for educators at the University of New Brunswick. The Bachelor of Education graduand was more familiar with formulas than filmmaking.

“I was very nervous because I have no background in any sort of media production,” said Morice, who teaches high school math and science.

But as the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The course, The Role of Media in Education, is available to education students interested in how to use and create film and media as a teaching tool in the classroom.

It’s taught by Dr. Matt Rogers, a professor in the Faculty of Education. As a former teacher and award-winning filmmaker, his research focuses on the power of participatory filmmaking and documentary inquiry as a learning tool in the classroom.

A documentary with purpose

Rogers says media production gives teacher candidates the opportunity to learn by creating work that serves a purpose.

“It’s a real kind of genuine experiential learning opportunity for everyone,” he said of the intensive course, which ran over the course of a week in June.

For the class, Rogers coordinated a partnership with the Multicultural Association of Fredericton (MCAF). By interviewing staff and community members, students planned and produced a documentary film exploring and celebrating the association’s 50-year history and its impact on the community.

Beyond the technical aspects of documentary production, Morice says the course taught her to think differently about people and community.

“The best day of the week, hands down, was going to MCAF to interact with people in the community,” she said. “Getting to meet so many different people, talk to them, learn about what they do, what they offer ... that was really exciting.”

It also caused her to reflect on broader concepts that influence how educators can create environments based on trust and respect.

“One of my biggest takeaways was angles of power,” she said, providing the example of a teacher standing at the front of the classroom speaking with students seated below.

“I got myself a stool that’s a little bit shorter so that when we have discussions in class, I’m on students’ level.”

As a STEM educator, Morice also sees opportunities to incorporate media in the classroom, particularly as a tool to help students understand more abstract concepts, like why a calculation or formula actually matters.

Reimaging the role of the educator

While Morice gained unexpected lessons about trust and power, classmate and fellow Bachelor of Education graduand Alex Allard found himself thinking about the role of the educator a bit differently.

“Teaching is one of those jobs that's actually a bunch of jobs in a trench coat pretending to be just one,” Allard said.

“Something Matt said that really stuck with me was that as educators, we’re like producers, not directors. That our job is to make sure all the moving parts go as smoothly as possible to support students — the people who are actually doing the work.”

The course also reminded Allard, who had filmmaking experience of his own, that documentary work is to be approached with curiosity and sensitivity.

“The act of making a documentary is about the wider culture and community you’re highlighting. It’s not just about gathering information,” he said.

“It’s a great exercise in empathy, because you’re trying to understand a person or an organization or a group of people and all of the things attached to it.”

From campus to the classroom

Morice and Allard say that through the course, Rogers challenged them to think about their approach to teaching, student learning, storytelling, and the responsibility that comes with the role of an educator, no matter the subject — lessons both say they’ll bring to the classroom.

“The real magic comes when they finish the documentary and get to present it to a larger audience. Sharing that can be incredibly profound,” Rogers said.