I've just posted on Youtube a "prototype" video, Cumpleaños de los Animales. Please take a look. The music is the work of my friend and collaborator, Venezuelan educator Adolfo Cardozo. The video rendering is my own rather clumsy effort with iMovie.
There are 30 songs like this, along with lyrics and coloring-book pages, already available for free download at harpingforharmony.org and at ladoctoragallina.com. See a bright red link button to my new video on my page here.
I have a dual purpose in presenting this to fellow Kossacks.
The first purpose is to provide a Spanish-language resource for teachers of environmental education in Latin America. I have seen Adolfo working, live, with students, and also in workshops with teachers. He is a remarkable talent, a professor of agriculture, and an extension educator.
My second purpose in producing this video is for use in regular classrooms teaching Spanish with English-speakers. As the video credits show, I've tested this with students at University High School in Morgantown, WV (I am retired, and a substitute teacher). I assure you, these teenagers LOVE to color the pictures while listening or singing along.
Some of you reading this are sophisticated movie-makers. I NEED YOUR HELP. I am doing this with iMovie. It seems very powerful, I could tweak it forever. (For example, I'd like to use the Ken Burns Zoom to close in on the various animal caricatures, connecting them with lyrics.) But I would very much appreciate a VOLUNTEER COLLABORATOR. Could that be YOU??
Maybe you could FORWARD THIS to someone you know with movie-making skills, ideally also with skills in Spanish and an interest in music, children, and environmental education. Maybe help me find a grant (I'd like to have 5-10K to bring some collaborators together this year in South America).
If you are interested in helping in "other" ways (hint hint) please VISIT MY WEBSITE.
Rember, there are 30 songs in the repertoire of La Doctora Gallina. Each song has a coloring-book page and lyrics, available for free download by teachers anywhere.
DON'T FORGET TO WATCH AND LISTEN
(This is a progress report, updating
a diary I wrote back in March.)