Callander Primary School creates a 'Panic in Piccadilli'

Children at Callander Primary School made an animated movie about what happened when an alien spaceship crashed in Piccadilli village.

• The project
• Review process and self-evaluation
• The teacher's views
• Watch the 'Panic in Piccadilli' movie

The project

The class was taken through the use of the software and the hardware and then given plenty of time to explore and experiment with the resources available to them. Help was always at hand. With only four laptops available the children had to work in groups of seven or eight. This proved a challenge for allowing everyone in the group a chance to take on different roles in the animation process. Somehow the children in each group managed to take it upon themselves to organise who was doing what task, and, as the class teacher Mrs Sneddon calls it, 'messy learning' took place. 

The review process

As with any project, there was a review process.  The class watched their finished animation and through questioning and discussion decided unanimously that they wanted to re-do it. They did not feel they had reached their potential and were not happy with the end product. Two boys in the class decided to write a critical review while watching it. 

High standards

The class worked together to brainstorm storylines and suggestions were displayed using a mindmap. From this a clear favourite was revealed. Still in their original groups, children worked independently on their storyboards and scripts. The best beginning, middle and end were then selected by the class teacher to form the foundation of their film. Filming took place whenever spare time became available. They had the assistance of some of the other staff in the school but pupils mainly took charge as they knew the process and had encountered many of the problems with animating before. At the editing stage the teacher asked for volunteers. Surprisingly not everyone put themselves forward as many of them felt they had contributed enough to the process. Using Movie Maker they added sound, voices and music.

From storyboarding to final product the teacher estimated that it took approximately four days to complete ‘Panic in Piccadilli'.

Assessment

From the start of this project to the end, assessment played an important role. The review process at the end of the first attempt prompted feedback from their peers and the staff. Comments such as there were too many characters, the storyline was not coherent, there was too much music and not enough narrative made the children aware that they had not yet reached their potential and with advice available from everyone on how to accomplish their goal, they decided to film the animation again. 

At the end of the project the class was asked to complete a self evaluation as part of homework to look at the role they played in the group, how they contributed to the group, how others contributed and what they learned from the whole experience. The children in this class are used to reflecting on their days work. The reponses in the self evaluations demonstrate the responsibility these children have taken for their own learning.

'I have also learned that you must try and try because don’t assume that your first attempt will be good enough.'

'I learned how to actually make a film and add sound effects and music which is quite difficult.'

'I found it very exciting to do because it was like making your own movie.'

'I learned how to produce a film with just a laptop and webcam. I also learned that making a film is thoroughly enjoyable and everyone has their own responsibilities!'

Teacher views

It is easy to see what the children gained from working on a project like this but did the teacher get anything from it? The simple answer to this is - yes!

My experience of working with the children was an enjoyable one. The enthusiasm and motivation that they displayed was evidence that they enjoyed their learning experience. Having now encountered 'messy learning' I feel more confident about letting children have more freedom to explore learning.

Mrs Sneddon also enjoys this method but has worked hard with the class to get them to this level of being able to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning. She could see the children develop and engage in all areas of the curriculum and this particular task allowed her to be a facilitator who offered support and advice throughout the learning process rather than a dictator.

The children got a 'buzz' from this experience, which contributed to a friendly and enjoyable classroom ethos and culture. Mrs Sneddon felt as if there was joint learning taking place and has gained more confidence in her own ICT capabilities, which she will take forward and use again in future projects.

Panic in Piccadilli - view the movie

Note on copyright for music extracts used in this movie

The music extracts used in this video animation were taken from the Kitjunkie website, which contains a collection of film and TV theme music. It has not been possible to trace the original source or owner of these extracts or to seek copyright clearance. If you are the copyright owner of any extract used in this video clip and you do not wish it to be used on this website, please contact Learning and Teaching Scotland.