THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506070213
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEAN GEDDES
CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
When Gail Agor, gifted resource teacher at Plaza Middle School, learned about student workshops at Disney World, she put her motto into action: ``If you can think it, you can do it.''
Her gifted students thought about it. Then they did it.
They baby-sat, washed cars, turned in their spare money and encouraged others to make donations until they came up with the $12,500 they needed to fly to Disney World to take part in the Earth Shuttle program last month.
According to Agor, after her seventh- and eighth-grade gifted students heard about the project a year ago, they were determined to raise the money to make it happen. She helped a lot by calling Disney World, USAir, various Florida hotels and rental car agencies and came up with a package price of $480 each instead of the original $780 per person.
``They would bring me their baby-sitting money, the money they had earned by washing cars, from doughnut sales, sales of jewelry, calendars, candy,'' she said. They earned $9,000, and with contributions from their parents and the Virginia Beach Association for the Gifted and Talented, they had enough money and enough chaperones as well.
For some students it was their first time on a plane. For others, it was the first time visiting Florida and Disney World. For all it was an experience in working, living and traveling together.
For four days, the group attended intensive learning workshops, beginning with a program focusing on the fragile but fascinating paradise known as the tropical rainforest. They learned the locations and characteristics of the forests and the impact they make on the daily lives of humans.
In another workshop, held at EPCOT, students journeyed into their imaginations to learn about lasers, holograms and 3-D cinematic imaging. Seventh-grader Teracia Nunnally described the program, called ``Synery in Science.''
``We learned how lasers actually function, how fiber optics work and we learned to think differently: that there are no rules when it comes to imagination,'' she said.
On the final two days, the group put together a 30-second public service announcement on recycling.
``It took us three hours to produce the 30-second announcement,'' explained student Airrell Gallagher. We found out that acting is hard work. But, now we know just how it's done.''
They met with the production team and had an overview of the production process. Then they learned in detail about lighting, set design, acting, directing, camera and action techniques, and what goes into costuming and makeup for the actors.
According to Lauren Travers, ``We learned more than the workshop lessons. We learned to compromise and work as a group but still have fun.''
Tiffany Parker added: ``I think the MGM people in the Future Filmmaking Workshop were impressed with how well-behaved we were.''
Agor said, ``Viewing the learning experience through the eyes of the students made it fun for us all. It was an experience we will all never forget.''
In addition to Agor, Laura Padersky, a guidance counselor, and Debbie Rollins, the computer resource teacher, went along as chaperones. ILLUSTRATION: Kathy Moran, top, and Amber Brown take a tour of Disney World
during a break in the Earth Shuttle workshops.
by CNB