We Are Briya!

Briya students practice English and computer skills by developing how-to videos

This summer, Briya’s Advanced English and Digital Literacy classes participated in a video project designed to help students improve their English and technology skills through videos that teach fellow students how to act in real-world situations. The completed videos can be found here.

In their English classes, the students learned about character development, story arc and writing scripts. Then they selected topics—such as how to interview for a job, how to open a bank account and how to be safe in the street—relevant to other students. They wrote their scripts using Google Docs, filmed their videos on iPads and edited their videos using YouTube editor.

“Editing our movie was my favorite part,” said student Aleykutty Holley. “My teammates and I felt very creative being able to design the look of our movie with YouTube Editor. It was a good experience, and I will definitely use this program in the future!”

On the final day of class, students and their children participated in a film festival where they enjoyed snacks, viewed their class’s films and voted for awards including Best Acting, Best Costumes and Props, Best Story and Best Editing.

Teachers found the project to be a worthwhile experience for their students. “I enjoyed helping the students build their confidence in skills and tasks they’d never encountered before,” said Brittany Pope, a Digital Literacy instructor. “It was a tall order for them to write, film and produce their own movies, but their persistence and teamwork was inspiring.”

The project was inspired by the We Are New York television series, which aims to help viewers learn English through episodes about practical issues.