For years, I have been drawn towards creative mediums such as digital design and video. During COVID lockdowns, I spent much of my time “acquiring” Adobe software like Premiere Pro and Illustrator, and learning graphic design and video editing. So when I found out in my freshman year that there was a pathway at this school that centered around those exact skill sets, I was immediately excited to enroll.
The first hurdle was figuring out how to take the class in sophomore year at all. After speaking with Mr. Machtay, the teacher of the DigiComm (or Digital Communications) and video classes, I was informed that the only way to take DigiComm during my sophomore year was to take PE as a 7th period elective class (there were only 6 class periods a day my sophomore year). This essentially meant filling out a form each week promising that I had been physically active, which ended up being pretty ideal for me, since I am much better at filling out forms than actually being physically active.
When I finally got into the class, I was met with mixed emotions. On one hand, I finally had a full class period dedicated to something I was genuinely interested in. On the other, the curriculum seemed a bit dated compared to what I had familiarized myself with during COVID. I became increasingly dismayed at spending class time re-learning the basics of Premiere and submitting website designs in Photoshop, which hadn’t been relevant for at least twenty years.
However, I eventually came to realize that for those who were already familiar with the material, there was ample class time to work on personal projects or help those just starting out. As the year progressed, the state of the class evolved into one where those learning these programs for the first time were taught by those with more experience, and the rest of class time was spent completing assignments as well as personal projects.
Although I was initially disappointed in the lack of modern assignments, by the end of the year the class had become one of my favorites, giving me the time to learn creative skills at my own pace. For my second year in the DigiComm pathway, I was hopeful that there would be some more advanced curriculum, but the freedom to teach myself at my own pace using the school’s equipment (Macs, Adobe apps, cameras & mics, green screens, etc) was enough to make me excited to come back.
When I took the class again my junior year, there was a new teacher, Ms. Anderson, who immediately focused on revitalizing the curriculum and bringing it up to date. I enjoyed this year much more, as the assignments required more creativity, regardless of technical skill level. I spent this year helping produce the G-House broadcast, along with completing class and personal projects.
Due to the new curriculum, I also learned some genuinely new skills, like getting comfortable talking to a camera, and getting more practice designing logos. I still spent much of the year working on personal projects and learning at my own pace, but it was nice to have relevant assignments to push me out of my comfort zone throughout the year.
At the end of the year though, we received the sad news that Ms. Anderson would be transferring schools next year due to budget cuts at Galileo. At this point, I had completed the designated pathway for DigiComm at Galileo, and I had the choice of if I wanted to return again for my senior year.
After deliberating over my schedule for senior year, I eventually decided to take Mr. Machtay’s class again, which this time was called “Advanced Video.” It was roughly the same as the class I took in sophomore year, but I decided that spending fifty minutes a day practicing being creative–whether it be personal projects or helping students new to the class–was worth it.
I very strongly believe in the value of learning creative skills, since they offer a career pathway entirely separate from the traditional route of going from college to a corporate 9-to-5. Even if the curriculum wasn’t perfect for me in particular, it was still valuable to me to spend a class period every day practicing creative skills on my own.
Today during 4th period, Mr. Machtay shared with our class that due to recent SFUSD incentives aimed at helping older teachers retire, this would be his last year at Galileo. Mr. Machtay has been teaching in room 101 for over twenty years, and was a massive part of bringing the various media pathways to Galileo. I wish him the best in his retirement, but I also hope the media pathways at Galileo continue (possibly with the return of Ms. Anderson), because they’ve been some of my personal favorite classes I’ve ever taken.
If you are considering taking one of the media classes at Galileo, I highly recommend it, regardless of your experience working with digital media. If you are just getting started, those who are already familiar with digital media will always be willing to help you learn. If you’re already experienced, the class offers a chunk of time each day to learn at your own pace, which I personally found super valuable. Either way, I’m optimistic that whoever steps up to teach DigiComm next year will bring a revamped curriculum that will bring the class back up to date.
