DATA Students Volunteer at Palm Springs International Film Festival

For the second year in a row, DATA students worked as volunteers at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Vamping for the camera on January 16 at the Regal Theater between manning the ticket lines and collecting ballots are (left to right) Hector Gutierrez, Carlos Valdez, and Karen Lopez.

Digital Storytelling Workshop Kicks Off

Sixteen certificated staff, including teachers, specialists, and administrators, took part in a digital storytelling workshop Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010 at Cathedral City High School.

Led by Digital Arts Technology Academy Coordinator Matt Hamilton, media mentor David Vogel, and education technology specialist Lee Grafton. The initial workshop covered concepts of digital storytelling, brainstorming a story, and building a story using Apple applications iMovie, Garageband, iPhoto and iTunes.

All participants in the workshop will be submitting a project for for the Digicom Showcase, May 4, 2010, 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. at Palm Springs High School.

Above, teacher Jennifer O’Connor (left) and PSUSD English Language Arts Specialist Kim Monnie discuss their storyboards.

Palm Springs Film Festival Hosts Students

Two hundred DATA students from Cathedral City High School joined other high school students from around the valley as special guests of the Palm Springs International Film Festival Wednesday Jan. 6, 2010 at Palm Springs High School.

Coordinated by PSIFF Education coordinator Deborah Dearth, students saw a screening of "Samson and Delilah" in the morning, a story about a young aboriginal couple facing cultural hurdles.

After lunch hosted by Chipotle, the students watched "The Most Dangerous Man in America; Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers." "Most Dangerous" co-producer Judith Ehrlich (left) participated in a question and answer session with students following the viewing.