NJCCS

I remember my first day of class at Saint Peter's College in the teaching cert program. I had no idea what to expect from the class. My first class ever was about how to write a curriculum, an idea that seemed alien to me. When out teacher gave us the NJDOE website to look at the NJCCCS, I was lost. It seemed to be full of numbers and little explanation.
I am still unsure of exactly what I want to teach, but I am pretty sure it will be high school English. When i got to the NJCCCS website the first time, I found that "English" was called Language Arts Literacy, and it said:
"The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for language arts literacy capture language experiences all children need in order to grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally in classrooms across the curriculum. The standards are intended to promote students' capacities to construct meaning in any arena, with others as well as on their own. If students learn to read, write, speak, listen, and view critically, strategically, and creatively, and if they learn to use these arts individually and with others, they will have the literacy skills they need to discover personal and shared meaning throughout their lives."
I would like to make my lessons more exciting then this, but i do feel that this is a good backbone for structure. One of the things I would like to do with my students is to have them read a book (such as "Of Mice And Men"), and then have them make a short (approx five minute) video for youtube. I will break the class into five groups and will let them select the video that they feel is best, based on a rubric I will provide the students. I feel that this is fun and educational, and a different way of utilizing technology in a classroom.
Anyone have any comments or suggestions on this idea?