Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

I think it is a great opportunity to see what kids are capable of creating when you bring digital storytelling into the classroom. They are getting a hands on learning experience with technology, and also incorporating their writing skills. Beyond writing and technology skills, they are getting the chance to exercise their people skills as well by interviewing others about the topic at hand, and also expanding their minds as they receive the viewpoints of others.
Digital storytelling is a great tool to use in the classroom when you need a break from the typical typed paper assignments. It is also a way to get the students to work cooperatively together if you assign them some group work. They are then responsible for assigning jobs to each group member so that each has an equal share in the final product.
In the end, it gives the students something to be proud of. Digital storytelling is made from scratch and each is unique. It is something that everyone can do when given the right equipment and I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with for our own digital storytelling project.

Filming for Video Storytelling

The filming is so important when it comes to your video looking professional. The way you choose to shoot and all the accompanies that is very important. I already talked about some of the important things to remember when filming your video, but here are some other important things to take into consideration when filming...

1. Plan to film more footage than you think you will need. This will give you a better variety to choose from when it comes time to edit your video and will not leave you with any regrets!
2. Plan for everything! Technology can only go so far so you should take everything into consideration when filming. Film as if you wouldn't be able to edit..just in case there is something that you cant!
3. Your project should be well thought out from start to finish. Don't make things up as you go. PLAN!
4. Try to avoid the zoom on your camera. (Makes for a more professional outcome if you avoid this.)
5. Make sure your audio is clear. Use a microphone if your camera microphone is unreliable. Nobody likes a film where they can't here the interview.
6. Remember, lighting is essential for good footage!
7. TO avoid bumpy footage, use the tripod whenever possible. This will help is making sure that the camera remains steady throughout the filming.
8. Retake scenes when necessary!
9. Decide beforehand if you will include the interviewer in the footage or not.
10. Create balance with the camera between your subject and the background.

These are some helpful tips that will make your video a success!

How to Produce Video Interviews

1. You should prepare for your interview. Make sure all your equipment is working and you have everything laid out according to how you want the interview to be conducted. Interviews are very unforgiving so you need to make sure you get it right the first time. Some ways to prepare include:
* Contacting and making arrangements with the guest(s)
* Choosing a location
* Preparing equipment
* Traveling to the location and setting up
* Final briefing and technical checks

2. The next thing to consider is the interview structure. It needs to be conducted as if you were having a conversation. You have an interviewer, guest, and then it is important that you keep in mind that there will be an audience listening to the conversation.

3. Framing is very important when shooting your footage. Making sure that the camera is at an angle that can capture both eyes of the person you are interviewing. Also, you need to be aware of when to zoom in and out with the camera. If the person speaking is using hand gestures, it is important that the camera can capture this.

4. Other suggestions when filming an interview is to be conscious about the background. Make sure that it is appropriate, and that it does not interfere with the person in the shot. For example, you do not want to have things in the background that appear to be growing out of the interviewers head.
Also, eyeline is very important. Making sure that the interviewer is eye-level with the guest is key so that the interview does not come across as awkward for the audience.

All of these things are important to remember when shoot a video interview.

Digital Storytelling

After reading the articles about digital storytelling, I got a much clearer picture about what it was all about. I loved the teacher's idea about having her students write about a special place to them. This was a topic that all students could relate to because it did not have to be a physical place, it could have been a state of mind or an inner place in their heart that was special to them. Transferring their ideas of this place into an iMovie is so cool because the students could add text, images, music, and so much more to really personalize their story and make it their own.
By doing something like this, your students are able to work with multimedia in the classroom and the learning and "work" becomes fun and creative. It is a great alternative to a traditional paper.
I think this is also a great opportunity for the teacher to get to know his/her students in a different light. You learn a lot about your students when they are allowed to be creative and they feel comfortable enough to open up their writing and really share their hearts.
I am interested in the different programs used for digital storytelling and hope to be able to incorporate it in my future classroom.

If I Teach This Way...

"When one integrates student experiences with technology into the curriculum, the role of the teacher changes. The teacher no longer has to be in charge every minute, but can give some of the control over to the students and the technology."
This passage straight out of the reading really stood out to me. As someone who considers myself to have a behaviorist style of teaching, I must say that this is also something that makes me step out of my box. It really talks about letting go of some control and allow the students to do some of the teaching, and also allowing the integration of technology to really take control of the classroom.
It is sometimes hard for teachers to step down a little bit and allow the students to feel like they have some control over conversation and learning in the classroom. I think that it is important to incorporate this style of teaching into all classroom at some point. It may not be used all the time, but I think that students have a lot to offer to each other from their point of view and allowing them to work things out having the teacher monitor the learning. The article also goes on to say, that "for this type of teaching to be successful, teachers need to give students time to explore the material and construct meaning from the experience."

There are so many different styles of teaching and it is important that educators find what works for them. It is also possible that you may incorporate a couple different styles of teaching. It is crucial that whatever style you choose, you still remain in control of the classroom and that your students have no doubt about who is in charge. Forming that respect between teacher and student will make every classroom function better and more successfully.

I Read It On The Computer...

The article "I Read it on the Computer" talks about ways to make students aware of what they are reading on the internet. It is so easy to access information on the web, but finding valid information the web is not always easy. Sometimes it is hard to decipher what is creditable information and what is not. Using lesson plans such as the one in this article will help students be able to weed out the bad information from the good information. While it is still possible that we may be fooled by false information on the web, having the tools to be able to eliminate through most of it will really help you when you are doing research projects.
As teachers, we need to guide our students in using the web. We need to make them aware of what is on the internet, and we also need to teach them how to locate and pick out the critical information.

"Not on the Web" talks about the main sources that the internet lacks. While the internet is a great tool to use when we are doing research, we should not just rely on what is available in the free internet. Most high quality reference books are not available on the web, as well as full text nonfiction books that have a lot of valuable information that the students will be missing out on if they rely solely on the web. It is good for teachers to encourage their students to research beyond the web and to explore the library for reference books to expand their research options.

Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere is a really cool way of getting your class to interact. It is a tool that teachers can use in the classroom to have students respond to polls, or text or twitter in their questions. The teacher can set up a free account for up to 30 people, after 30 there is a fee depending on how many people you have involved in your poll.
Teachers are able to get instant feedback from their students by just having them send in a text message. It keeps everyone involved and is a fun up to date way of collecting information.

Poll Everywhere can be found at: http://www.polleverywhere.com/