MEDIA: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

On the 15th of April, we gathered 65 students and 22 teachers from across 20 schools of seven municipalities of Kosova for the one day “info. session” on traditional and digital media. The activity is a part of the larger Digital Skill Factory project, in cooperation with our long running partners GIZ - German Government International Aid Agency. The project's aims to incorporate teachings on digital and technological skills within educational institutions in Kosovo, all the while creating a safe environment for young adolescents in critical and analytical thinking, stirring creativity and empowering them to efficiently communicate in the diverse media landscape. The importance of these skills cannot be overstated, as technology continues to play an increasingly central role in all aspects of modern life, by honing these abilities, young people are better prepared to thrive in a constantly evolving world. Moreover, developing these skills among students attending public schools expands the availability of such skills to a broader range of individuals, which would not have been accessible otherwise, putting the underprivileged of society at a disadvantage. The initial activities of the project such as this one, serve as the building blocks for the fun and hands-on practical activities that lie ahead. During these upcoming sessions, participating students will unleash their creativity and develop their digital skills in filming, photography, and editing. Our module also includes training for teachers on how to create engaging lessons that captivate and inspire students to become skilled storytellers, with a focus on: How to avoid hate speech, misinformation and disinformation? Our previous work with GIZ managed to lay the basis for this current project through establishing Digital Media Clubs in 20 schools of seven municipalities, that introduced alternative and modern ways of teaching and learning through the arts and media by allowing students to create and produce media stories, newsreels, and school magazines. The info session on traditional and digital media, gathered up to three students from each of the digital media clubs and their teachers, at the Innovation Training Park in Prizren (ITP). The module focused on internet health basics, offline icebreakers through creative puzzles and game plays, web literacy basics, privacy basics, creative writing for visual production, visual production basics, know your audiences, how to make a newsletter, YouTube basics (do’s and don'ts), social media and efficient communication. The info session was divided into three sections the students would attend one at a time, each with its respective facilitators. The three sections were on film and visual storytelling taught by filmmaker, Zgjim Terziqi, graphic and digital design taught by, Artan Xhaha founder of a leading graphic design company in Kosovo, and branding & PR taught by expert on the fieldm Valon Canhasi. We look forward to seeing the materialization of the students' new-found knowledge in the next stages of the project.