Over the summer of 2021, Interim Director of Elementary Education Luciano Cid executive produced a documentary, “Navigating the Global Pandemic: A Round Table Conversation with Christian Educators.” He hopes the video can be a teaching tool for education majors a world reshaped by the global pandemic.

On April 6, students and faculty from the School of Education gathered to watch Cid’s documentary. Cid explained that the documentary highlights the importance of education for future generations. 

Cid made the documentary with support from an Office of Innovation grant, which funded projects designed to be used in classrooms. Although the documentary is not currently available to the public, Cid anticipates using it to initiate conversations around the importance of adaptability of teachers.

PREMIERE

The documentary premiered in Andrew’s Banquet Hall and on Zoom, a testament to the relevance of the subject. Before the video showed, Cid thanked those who made the project possible—namely, the Office of Innovation, the School of Cinema Media Arts, Dean of the School of Education June Hetzel and the participants and crew involved in production.

The documentary, which is split into six pieces, was presented section by section. In order to create conversation within the audience, Cid asked the central question of each section before playing it. This allowed staff and students to interact with each other and prepared them to notice themes, which appeared both in conversation and in the documentary.

The documentary was shot as a round table, introducing the audience to the teachers involved before giving them the question. The participants included seasoned teachers as well as those who were new to the career field, all of whom were affiliated with Biola.

The questions led the audience as well as the participants to consider the importance of a growth mindset and adaptability. Among the six questions, participants were asked “is virtual learning bad, or were we unprepared?”

Cid anticipates using the tool in a format much like the premiere—in a more intimate setting that allows small groups to discuss subjects in technology and education before hearing from other experts.