Recently a former ConnectED Board member introduced us to Ron Diamond, CEO of The Animation Show of Shows, Inc. Through this non-profit, Ron curates and releases some of the best animated short films created by students and professionals around the world. The films appear in his annual programs at universities and colleges from Harvard to community colleges alike. He shared several examples with us and has offered to share them with all of you. We are particularly interested in hearing from you how you might use these films and Ron’s expertise in college and career pathways. To be sure, they can inspire students in digital media arts pathways, providing high quality examples of thought-provoking animation and the power of animated story telling.

And they can do so much more. When you watch these, we’d be eager to hear your thoughts about how they might be used in the core academic courses that are an integral part of college and career pathways, not only in the digital media arts but in a wide range of fields. These films stimulate reflection and conversation around social justice, ethics, and a vast array of emotions and ideals embedded in the human spirit, and what influences the paths we choose. They embody the kind of cross-disciplinary learning central to Linked Learning and the pathways approach.

Here is a sampling of Ron’s films:

Father and Daughter
Barry
Stems
Kids
We Can’t Live Without Cosmos

Enjoy and please share with us your reflections and ideas!