Teacher Feature November 2024: Jared Agard

Jared Agard is an art and film teacher at BASE (Beaverton Academy of Science and Engineering) in Beaverton, Oregon. He is also an author/illustrator of Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction and loves just about anything involving creativity. Jared has been working with PBS Student Reporting Labs for ten years and has loved the wide variety of opportunities the program has given his students and the stories they’ve created.

Learn about Jared Agard’s favorite StoryMaker lessons, pro tips, and published book (!!) below. 

How long have you been using StoryMaker or SRL resources in your classroom?

10 years

What’s your favorite StoryMaker lesson?  

The StoryMaker prompt about food and culture last year inspired a lot of stories from my group of students, including a few we’re still working on. So fun to see how my diverse group of students found so many ways to bring their own meaningful connections to life or explore someone else’s story.

What’s a media-making tool or resource you can’t live without? 

Zoom H4 Portable Recorder

What’s a dream story you’d like to report on or a person you’d like to interview?

I almost got an interview with the animators at LAIKA that made Kubo and the Two Strings. It was shot down by LAIKA at the last minute. I still would love to go to the studio and interview them about their stop-motion practices and how they’ve modernized the technique.

What’s your advice for teachers and educators just getting started on StoryMaker? 

Create structure for the students, but don’t take over. Let them find the stories they are passionate about making.

What are you currently listening to? 

DUNE 2 Soundtrack

Fun facts about you? 

I’m also an author — my first published book is Dread Watch, a middle grade supernatural thriller.

You can reach out to Jared directly to learn more about how he’s adapted StoryMaker into his classroom.

More: BASE Productions, Instagram: b.a.s.e._productions, Author website- www.jaredagard.com