Greetings Spring 2015!

The spring 2015 semester of "Roots with Wings" is off and running!  Floyd County High School students got right to work a few weeks ago and last week was the first Radford University class meeting at the high school.  

During last week's class Mrs. Myers (FCHS instructor) made brief introductions and said the high school students have already been working on various project-related concepts.  She then turned it over to Catherine Pauley, who wove an interesting aural quilt using personal stories and experiences to give high school and college participants an idea and image of what the class is about and what the goals are.  

RU student Bianca holding locket.

 At left is Radford University classmate Bianca holding a mysterious locket -- if you want the story behind it, you'll have to ask a "Roots with Wings" student.



Catherine made it clear that while what this class strives to do is difficult and culturally important (we are making digital historical artifacts), it doesn't matter your skill level coming into the project.  Say, you don't know how to use iMovie or conduct an on-camera interview?  You can learn!  And we will!

The most important things to remember are:  (1) Put your best effort forward, (2) [it's okay to say I don't know and] Ask questions, and (3) Have fun!

About the time we did the Hokey Pokey, Kathleen Ingoldsby introduced herself.  She is our resident technical expert and students will really want to pick her brain when it comes time to edit footage and audio clips.

Dr. Melinda Wagner unveiling the Project Workbook.

A special event also happened during last week's class.  Students already have a very nice Project Manual with all kind of helpful instruction, images, how-to, and tips for successfully navigating the "Roots with Wings" class.  


Now, they have a new addition to class resources:  Dr. Wagner unveiled a Project Workbook.  It was determined through student feedback that it would help a whole lot if there were more ways to practice the concepts used in class (such as audio, iMovie, theme, file labeling).  Through the work of RU students in last fall's APST495 Research in Appalachia: "Roots with Wings" Floyd County Oral History Project for the ARC Appalachian Teaching Project (taught by Dr. Theresa Burriss) just such a practice/study book was devised!  

Be sure to look at it, 

write all over it, 

mention what you like about it 

or ways to improve it.

Tune in next time for more "Roots with Wings" updates.  What's your story?