Gary Marshall of Grand Island is experienced in teaching.

W: The Celebrity Interview Project became part of my class curriculum two years ago. A veteran teacher, Gary Marshall of Grand Island, was gracious enough to introduce me to the idea.
    To begin the Celebrity Interview Project, I first had a discussion session with the students about the characteristics of, and the need for, good role models. Then I asked them to choose a celebrity that possessed these qualities. Once they made a selection, I sent home a letter explaining the project to the parents who, in turn, needed to approve their children’s choice.
    Then we had a day of explanation. On this day, I went through all of the requirements, expectations, and necessary elements of the paper. Next, our media specialist came in and gave them tips for searching on the Internet. She also spoke about the importance of documenting the sources that each would use in their paper.
    The students were then given three weeks for searching, composing, and editing. At the end of that time, they handed in a rough draft of their project. They needed to ask their celebrity twenty questions and then answer the questions as if they had actually spoken to their star! I did not allow the use of direct quotes; this forced the students to practice paraphrasing and writing in their own words.
    Once the students complete the projects, we mail them to the celebrities with a letter explaining the project, and requesting some form of response. We include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and hope for the best. Of course, we’re prepared to receive nothing, but often we were surprised.
    In recent years, many of the students have received some sort of correspondence back from the stars, and they are always excited to share these goodies with their peers.
    These weren’t the only rewards however; we always experience all sorts of gratification from completing this project. Personally, I observe immense growth in a majority of the students. They learn to be independent as well as interdependent.
    These projects really bring out the best in many of the students. It forces them to set new standards for themselves. They have the satisfaction of handing in a professional looking assignment that they enjoyed working on.
    Of course, every project has its obstacles. One ongoing problem is the amount of lab time required to run this project. I always feel a little guilty signing up for that length of time. However I know it is well worth it! There are also the unexpected computer glitches, which sometimes become overwhelming. I will continue to do the project, but some of the sites are getting progressively worse. I stress the importance of good judgment and student responsibility; however, it is inevitable that students will come across bad sites sometimes.
    As you can see, there are pros and cons for the students and teachers involved. It took me hours upon hours to grade the 96 interviews I had this year. The project also requires a teacher who is able to assist students with the technological realm. Additionally, when it comes down to choosing celebrities, it helps to be open-minded about the student’s choice. Some of the best interviews I saw were written about some of the very celebrities of whom I privately don’t think much. You learn who they admire, and why they look up to them. You learn how they think and process information, and whose parents are willing to put in extra hours to help the kids.