Most Valuable Players Across the USA, high school sports are regularly lavished with funding, publicity and scholarships, while theater departments struggle to put on the school musical hoping for some recognition of their own. Helping to settle the score are the "Freddy Awards," a live television event that celebrates excellence in high school musical theater. Illustrating that arts education encourages the same teamwork, camaraderie and confidence as sports, Most Valuable Players follows three theater troupes on their creative journeys to the elaborate award ceremony — the "Super Bowl" of high school musical theater. Official Selection, Oprah Winfrey Network Documentary Film Club "The feel good documentary of the year"—IDA "FUNNY...COMPELLING"—USA Today "A THRILLING DOCUMENTARY"—The Huffington Post "A really entertaining documentary"—Variety "IRRESISTIBLE"—Kevin Thomas, LA Film Critic "A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS"—The Washington Post "We were GLUED TO THE SCREEN"—'Glee' Producers, Dante DiLoreto and Ian Brennan
Budrus Ayed Morrar, an unlikely community organizer, unites Palestinians from all political factions and Israelis to save his village from destruction by Israel's Separation Barrier. Victory seems improbable until his 15-year-old daughter, Iltezam, launches a women's contingent that quickly moves to the front lines. Struggling side by side, father and daughter unleash an inspiring, yet little-known, movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that is still gaining ground today. In an action-filled documentary chronicling this movement from its infancy, Budrus shines a light on people who choose nonviolence to confront a threat. Budrus was produced by Just Vision. Just Vision informs local and international audiences about under-documented Palestinian and Israeli civilian efforts to resolve the conflict nonviolently. If you are interested in hosting a public screening of Budrus in your community, please contact Just Vision at nadav@justvision.org or (212) 367-4701.
Best Creative Apps Get our best picks for movies, apps, TV shows, books, and more, customized for your kids. Get the App Get the App No thanks close(x) Don’t Miss Out You’re all set! Look out for our weekly updates soon. Connect with us Jump to navigation "Best of" Lists "Best of" lists Get age-appropriate ideas and inspiration for every interest: Poll Did this specific Top Picks list help you decide to do any of the following? Let your child watch/play/read/listen to a particular media title 41% (739 votes) NOT let your child watch/play/read/listen to a particular media title 13% (240 votes) Buy, rent, or download a particular media title 24% (423 votes) Did not impact my decision 22% (391 votes) Total votes: 1793 About our rating system ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age. Find out more Learning ratings Share this List Best Creative Apps Beck and Bo by Avokiddo
How to Survive a Plague Despite having no scientific training, these self-made activists infiltrated the pharmaceutical industry and helped identify promising new drugs, moving them from experimental trials to patients in record time. With unfettered access to a treasure trove of never-before-seen archival footage from the 1980s and '90s, filmmaker David France puts the viewer smack in the middle of the controversial actions, the heated meetings, the heartbreaking failures, and the exultant breakthroughs of heroes in the making. Blisteringly powerful, How To Survive A Plague transports us back to a vital time of unbridled death, political indifference, and staggering resilience and constructs a commanding archetype for activism today. Quotes "One of the 25 Best Films of The Year"— A.O. "Riveting...moving and essential "A model for the here and now of how social change occurs "One of the Top 10 Movies of the Year"— David Edelstein, New York Magazine — Stephen Holden, NYTimes "One of the ten best movies of 2012...
Create Online: Sites to Spark Kids' Creativity Get our best picks for movies, apps, TV shows, books, and more, customized for your kids. Get the App Get the App No thanks close(x) Don’t Miss Out You’re all set! Look out for our weekly updates soon. Connect with us Jump to navigation "Best of" Lists "Best of" lists Get age-appropriate ideas and inspiration for every interest: Poll Did this specific Top Picks list help you decide to do any of the following? Let your child watch/play/read/listen to a particular media title 41% (739 votes) NOT let your child watch/play/read/listen to a particular media title 13% (240 votes) Buy, rent, or download a particular media title 24% (423 votes) Did not impact my decision 22% (391 votes) Total votes: 1793 About our rating system ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age. Find out more Learning ratings Share this List Storybird csm_website We Make Stories
One Lucky Elephant Ultimately, David must face the difficult truth that the circus is no place for Flora. She needs to be with other elephants. The road to Flora's retirement, however, is a difficult and emotional journey that tests their bond in unexpected ways. Ten years in the making, One Lucky Elephant explores the consequences of keeping wild animals in captivity, while never losing sight of the delicate love story at its heart. Official Selection, Oprah Winfrey Network Documentary Film Club "A PARABLE OF PACHYDERMISH PROPORTIONS, "One Lucky Elephant" is a bittersweet story of man, beast and a very real relationship that makes helmer Lisa Leeman's documentary the thinking person's "Dumbo"—and, coincidentally, one of the better kids' movies on the fest circuit." "Bottom Line: A TIMELY, EMOTIONALLY ENGAGING LOOK at interspecies bonds." "A POIGNANT, HEART-FELT TALE about the shared life journey of a man and an elephant. "A film that makes one think about all creatures, great and small.
7 Tenets of Creative Thinking In school, we learn about geniuses and their ideas, but how did they get those ideas? What are the mental processes, attitudes, work habits, behaviors, and beliefs that enable creative geniuses to view the same things as the rest of us, yet see something different? The following are seven principles that I've learned during my lifetime of work in the field of creative thinking -- things that I wish I'd been taught as a student. 1. You Are Creative Artists are not special, but each of us is a special kind of artist who enters the world as a creative and spontaneous thinker. 2. You must show passion and the determination to immerse yourself in the process of developing new and different ideas. 3. When producing ideas, you replenish neurotransmitters linked to genes that are being turned on and off in response to challenges. 4. Your brain is a dynamic system that evolves patterns of activity, rather than simply processing them like a computer. 5. 6. 7.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell This powerful documentary film has been screened at: · World Economic Forum· United Nations· U.S. Department of State· Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Hague Quotes "UPLIFTING, DISHEARTENING, INSPIRING, ENRAGING"—The New York Times "MARVELOUS"—The Los Angeles Times "The heroism on view is BREATHTAKING"—Christian Science Monitor "LUCIDLY IMPASSIONED"—Variety "ELOQUENTLY CAPTURES THE POWER each of us innately has within our souls to make this world a far better, safer, more peaceful place." "One of the TRULY HEARTENING INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL STORIES of recent years"—Los Angeles Times "Reminds us of the incredible power available to the most ordinary of people if they are willing to act with COURAGE AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT." "The contrast between THE COMPASSION OF WOMEN and the facade of officialdom as a cover for a cruel dictator makes the point much better than a long judgmental tirade"—Jean-Marie Guehenno, UN Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, 2000-2008 Synopsis
Yes, You Can Teach and Assess Creativity! A recent blog by Grant Wiggins affirmed what I have long believed about creativity: it is a 21st-century skill we can teach and assess. Creativity fosters deeper learning, builds confidence and creates a student ready for college and career. However, many teachers don't know how to implement the teaching and assessment of creativity in their classrooms. While we may have the tools to teach and assess content, creativity is another matter, especially if we want to be intentional about teaching it as a 21st-century skill. Quality Indicators If you and your students don't unpack and understand what creativity looks like, then teaching and assessing it will be very difficult. Synthesize ideas in original and surprising ways.Ask new questions to build upon an idea.Brainstorm multiple ideas and solutions to problems.Communicate ideas in new and innovative ways. Now, these are just some of the quality indicators you might create or use. Activities Targeted to Quality Indicators
The Case Against 8 A behind-the-scenes look inside the historic case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. The high-profile trial first makes headlines with the unlikely pairing of Ted Olson and David Boies, political foes who last faced off as opposing attorneys in Bush v. Gore. The film also follows the plaintiffs, two gay couples who find their families at the center of the same-sex marriage controversy. Five years in the making, this is the story of how they took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. "A STIRRING civil rights film that is both cogent and emotionally charged…grips from start to finish…" - The Hollywood Reporter "An emotional tour of HISTORY IN THE MAKING…" - Indiewire "A well-made, moving, informative history" - RogerEbert.com "Engrossing and emotional..." - The Los Angeles Times " Lucid, balanced and relentlessly informative. Are you interested in inviting the filmmakers or characters in the film to attend your event?
The Science (and Practice) of Creativity "Creativity isn't about music and art; it is an attitude to life, one that everybody needs," wrote the University of Winchester's Professor Guy Claxton in the lead-up to the 2014 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) dedicated to creativity and education. "It is a composite of habits of mind which include curiosity, skepticism, imagination, determination, craftsmanship, collaboration, and self-evaluation." Sounds like the perfect skill set for equipping young people to navigate an increasingly complex and unpredictable world. Encouragingly, there's plenty of evidence -- from both research and practice -- that most of the above can be taught in the classroom. In fact, innovation and education experts agree that creativity can fit perfectly into any learning system. But before it can be incorporated broadly in curriculum, it must first be understood. Creativity Starts in the Brain Complex cognitive mechanisms are required to produce creative ideas. Dr. Nurturing Creativity at School 1.
TV and Movies That Celebrate Grit close(x) Don’t Miss Out You’re all set! Look out for our weekly updates soon. Connect with us Jump to navigation "Best of" Lists "Best of" lists Get age-appropriate ideas and inspiration for every interest: Poll Did this specific Top Picks list help you decide to do any of the following? Let your child watch/play/read/listen to a particular media title 41% (761 votes) NOT let your child watch/play/read/listen to a particular media title 14% (254 votes) Buy, rent, or download a particular media title 23% (433 votes) Did not impact my decision 22% (400 votes) Total votes: 1848 About our rating system ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age. Find out more Learning ratings Share this List FavoriteSign In or Sign Up to add favorites TV and Movies That Celebrate Grit Browse TV and Movies That Celebrate Grit Doozers csm_tv Network: Hulu Odd Squad Becoming
Mad Hot Ballroom (Age 8+) At first, it might seem strange to see such young people working so seriously on ballroom dancing. But within minutes, Marilyn Agrelo's documentary convinces viewers that this is exactly the right activity for these dedicated, enchanting fifth-graders. As they work with their teachers and each other to learn the difficult steps and postures for the rumba, tango, swing, merengue, and fox-trot, they also reveal much about themselves as thoughtful, dynamic young people. More than anything else, the movie impresses by the respect it affords its subjects.
12 Years a Slave (Age 17+)