Welcome to my ETEC565A digital story: A Social Media Story
This is a digital story produced to illustrate how college students can use social media to educate themselves and others about real world issues. The theme is Bottled Water. The story begins with a conversation that results in an inquiry (a need for learning). Our learners soon discover that something that seems on the surface innocent and harmless is really an environmental mess.
By exploring social media, and seeing what others have to say, they see the need to take responsibility and advocate for change. Our learners begin to look at things from a different perspective and feel a collective need to help.
Their efforts make a difference, at least in their own environment, but alas, the antagonists change their tactics and the story isn’t quite finished.
Note* I you experience problems viewing the story please try the alternative option found below.
Alternate file location to view the video ( this link will open a new window)
Rationale
The story is worth telling as it promotes social development and community understanding which are elements of the purpose of adult education (Spencer, 2006).
From a pedagogical perspective, the story illustrates higher level transformative learning that involves reflective thinking and changes in perspective as the actors begin to look at the larger, more complex picture.
The Right Tool?
Alane Levine’s web page 50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story offers many ways to tell a story. I wanted to do something that included animation, video, voice, and still images. What evolved seems to be a hydrid of different tools, however, the main one is animation. Animation seems to engage the viewer and can lend some humour to a story while still keeping it serious enough for viewers to stay focused.
The animation tool that I used is known as XtraNormal. It is a web-based tool that allows users to type in text, and have the actors speak the text. Users can also manipulate camera angles, gestures, and facial expressions. No technical skills are needed to produce the animation, however, having an artistic flair (or lack of it) affects the overall quality.
Other Production Tools
- Still images were inserted into an application called Articulate Engage that prepares a slide show-like presentation with captions.
- Screen captures were done using TechSmith’s Jing application.
- The final video (incorporating animation, still images, and screen captures), was produced using TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio.
Strengths and Limitations of a Storytelling Approach
Story telling seems to be quite a persuasive technique to encourage learning and inquiry. Good story telling tends to capture and captivate the audience. (references here. Digital story telling augments the senses and helps the learner feel like they are part of the story. Good stories are easy to remember and may trigger learner interest as thoughts and ideas from the story mix with the learners own experiences.
Stories are told from the storyteller’s perspective. These perspectives may not always be balanced and potentially could lead some learners to conclusions that are not necessarily accurate. Story telling is effective as a supplement to other tools and may be more appropriate for some subjects over others.
References
Still Images from Google Images
Alan Levine. (2007). “50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story.” Accessed November 14, 2010. http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryTools
Downes, S. (2004). Educational Blogging. Educause Review. September/October 2004 Accessed online 02 November 2010.
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume39/EducationalBlogging/157920
Spencer, B. (2006). Education for economy. In Purposes of Adult Education: A Short Introduction (pp. 25 – 52). Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc..
Lamb, B. (2007). Dr. Mashup; or, Why Educators Should Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Remix. EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 42, no. 4 (July/August 2007): 12–25. Accessed online November 2 2010 http://www.educause.edu/ER/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume42/DrMashuporWhyEducatorsShouldLe/161747
Great job, Glenn! I really like how you mixed the different forms of communication and told the story of plastic bottles and sustainability. I think this would be a great project for students doing an environmental project.
Kari