Learning through video and technology (LTVT) was designed to actively intertwine creating and enhancing the educational experience. Students study film history, utilize computer software to create and edit audio, music, and video tracks, and perform the different roles of a film production crew – producer, director, interviewer, camera-person, and editor. The students utilize their full range of learning styles – from visual, to auditory, to kinesthetic – and exercise their critical thinking skills both individually and in a team setting.

The digital video comprehension that is gained empowers the participants offering a new medium for self-expression. The robust technical base, in combination with the appropriate curriculum, provides the foundation and structure for the students to succeed at a wide variety of challenges. This program is an example of how and where technology can be truly leveraged in order to enhance the opportunities for students to explore different learning styles, enhance their critical thinking skills, and develop high-level communication and team skills.

Learning Through Music and Technology (LTMT):
Mad Jam '03

In August of 2003, The Learning Community Group (TheLCG) and MassImpact completed a six-week inner-city action research program called Mad Jam ’03. The program, which was conducted with students from both the upper and lower Roxbury neighborhoods in Boston, merged technology with the Learning Through Music (LTM) frameworks originated by the Research Center for Learning Through Music at The New England Conservatory of Music.

TheLCG created a curriculum around the functionality of the MadWaves MadPlayer™, a portable composition tool that allows students to create digital music and recordings integrated with or independent of a computer lab environment. The outcomes presented below demonstrate success with the Learning Through Music and Technology (LTMT) frameworks, and suggest a replicable model for learning in schools and communities.