What is Student Media Production?

Digital media permeates the lives of students today. Students communicate and glean much of their daily information through the use of digital sources such as websites, online videos, podcasts, and other electronic means. Students are media consumers.

Increasingly, young people of the world are becoming media producers as well. Students who create media productions for an audience are empowered to learn in new ways. They move from passive consumers to active learners. When students produce quality media projects, they strengthen their higher-order thinking skills.

What is the International Student Media Festival (ISMF)?

The International Student Media Festival celebrates K-12 students who are successfully harnessing the power of media production. These young students (generally ages five to eighteen) have taken charge of their learning. They have proven themselves engaged and effective communicators. ISMF provides opportunities for students to evaluate and share their work, analyze the work of others, network with peers, and learn the latest media production methods.

ISMF encourages educators and youth leaders to incorporate media production into educational experiences; to look to media production as a way – beyond paper and pencil – for students to communicate what they are learning and thinking. ISMF helps educators recognize the importance of student-produced media as an effective tool to meet curriculum standards and to elevate student communication skills, creativity, and self-expression. ISMF promotes student media production because it enriches learning.

ISMF has been sponsored since 1974 by the Association for Educational Communications & Technology (AECT), a non-profit organization improving instruction through technology.

Why Encourage Students to Produce Quality Media?

Kids create media because it is fun and gives them a voice. Easy-to-use tools make publication to a global audience immediate. There is a growing number of student productions “out there”. ISMF recognizes productions that took work and thought, as well as technical skills. Quality student media productions incorporate planning, organization, research, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, analysis, and often-times teamwork. ISMF raises the bar.

Why Include Media Production in the Classroom?

Learning is a common goal of educators, parents, and students themselves. Student media projects and digital storytelling foster learning across the curriculum. At the elementary and junior high school levels, reading comprehension, writing skills, and math facilities are developed. In addition to those areas, older students increase their abilities to plan, analyze, and interpret results. Cooperation and leadership flourish where student media is encouraged.

Student media production in the world of technology, video, sound, and imagery is a proven avenue to increasing student participation in the classroom learning environment. State and national educational standards are met and surpassed in the exciting atmosphere of creativity cultivated through student production of media projects. Future academic and employment opportunities increase in relationship to the rise in technological and communication proficiencies.

Why Submit Media Projects to ISMF?

If you have students who have produced media projects, we can help you evaluate and share them. ISMF accepts media productions that vary in type, audience, and objective whether created in a classroom setting or not. ISMF focuses on Live Action videos, Sequential Stills slideshows, Interactive experiences, Websites, Podcasts, and Animations.

A teacher or parent agrees to be the “Sponsor” for student projects. The Sponsor submits information about the projects to ISMF through an online entry process. Each project is assigned an Entry ID and either uploaded to our video portal or mailed to our office. Please read our Entry Guide for details.

Who Attends the Festival?

Students, family members, teachers, and administrators are invited to the International Student Media Festival celebration, which takes place each fall in one of various cities in the United States. It has now grown to be one of the oldest and largest events of its kind. There is something for everyone at this unique, annual gathering.

What Happens at the Festival?

ISMF offers attendees of all ages a chance to participate in workshops presented by top technology teachers from across the country. Many of our workshops are held in hands-on computer labs and include topics such as digital storytelling, video editing, animation, web authoring, broadcasting, digital photography, and the latest media production tools. We host workshops for kindergarten through 12th-grade students and their family members, as well educators at all levels. The content and age range varies from class to class allowing us to offer many options to attendees.

Another highlight of the festival is the Student Producer Showcase. Skilled student media producers share their projects and insights in a public exhibition. You may be surprised by the creativity, expertise, and diligence of students from all over the United States and many other parts of the world. Seeing this fabulous student work provides inspiration for both teachers and students to continue and expand the use of technology to enhance learning.

An important facet of ISMF is to honor students who are producing high-quality media projects. At our Awards Ceremony, we publicly acknowledge those who have earned awards of excellence for projects submitted to our organization.

Learning opportunities abound at ISMF for children and educators alike. Through social activities, attendees of the Festival network with others who are using technology to transform learning. This family-friendly environment enables students to communicate with and teach adults about media production. The atmosphere is celebratory and exciting. The Festival is an educational experience for those who are accomplished media producers, those who want to start producing media projects, and those who just want to find out more about student media production. Come and see how students are motivated and empowered to learn through media creation.