“Lights! Camera! Action!” is a phrase you will often hear in the classroom of Tom French ’85.  French, a 7th grade English teacher in Massena, NY, has integrated technology into his classroom in a way that inspires his students while providing the North Country with creative public service announcements (PSAs).

“The commercials began as spoofs, but then we heard about a contest sponsored by the Ad Council, and the school counselors and I began to think this was something we could do,” he says.

The process begins with issues of concern to adolescents, such as cyber-bullying and cliques.  The students write their PSAs in small groups and present them in classes, and a decision is made as to which to film.  Filming takes place during free time and after school, and French says, “They are more than willing to stay.”

“It’s fun working with young people because they’re energetic,” he says.  “My goal is to get the kids to want to come to English class.”  Each year he has an eager group of incoming students (and parents) who look forward to doing the work.

Last year, the class’ work reached the ears of a local television station.  “We prided ourselves on the fact that our commercials were broadcast-quality,” he says.  “When the television station visited, they decided they would run our PSAs throughout the North Country.”

His work was also featured in the February 2009 edition of Mac|Life, a national publication with a focus on the Macintosh computer and its users.

French’s passion for innovation, not only in his classroom but also in his free time, comes from his experiences as a student at St. Lawrence.  “The people I met had a zest for life, and they taught me to try new things and not be afraid,” says the government major who studied on St. Lawrence’s program in Kenya and was a member of the Outing Club.  For more on his students’ PSAs, click here.