Leslie’s Digital Story
Digital Storytelling: Reflection
As with any reflection I like to connect with the readings and the discussions that are a part of this course. That helps me to answer the ‘why’ of an activity and how it supports best teaching practices.
One of the major reading components of ETEC 565 is the model as devised by Bates & Poole from their book called “Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education”, Bates & Poole (2003).Their model frameworks a criteria for selecting appropiate technologies that assists teachers with choices to support pedagogy.
With that in mind, why is this story worth telling? Stories should create a feeling, an emotion or a response from the person viewing or listening. To assess whether my story elicit that response I previewed it to several people and asked if I told my story as a teacher and some things that were important to me. I got very positive comments. That was encouraging. A side from that, I liked creating my story as it told how passionate I am about teaching.
What is my pedagogical rationale for doing this?
My pedagogical rationale is based on a theoretical analysis of SECTIONS model.
Students: Is this an appropriate media for my student population? I think that they could create a simple story using Animoto with guidance. I also looked at Tikatok which I found delightful. It seemed to provide a more simplistic template with preloaded pictures that was set up to scaffold learned knowledge of the program.
Ease of Use: It was very straight forward for me but I could see it challenging my little ones at first. Using Tikatok as a stepping stone would be a great way to begin.
Cost:: The educational offer was a free download for 30 days for all the students. I do wonder about the final product being so assessible to Animoto public use. Photostory3 ia a free download and projects are private to the creators.
Teaching and Learning: This could be a very good program to use as a teaching tool and the learning from it is enormous. (digital literacy)
Interactivity: In this category Animoto does well. It is very interactive. Students can be as creative as they want. Tikatok is also very interactive and probably more suitable to the younger grades.
Organization:The organization of Animoto appears sounds. Support is available.
Novelty:For me, Animoto is very novel. I think that my students would find the program fun to do.
Speed:This program is fairly easy to navigate, however it can take considerable time to assist Grade Ones to learn the affordances. What I have done in the past is include a group of Grade sevens or use our buddy class (Gr.4) to work collaboratively with the ones to help facilitate getting into the program, reading directions, and completing tasks. This works very well. Collaborative activities are often the way to go with the younger classes.
Why was this the right tool for you to use to tell your story?Animoto was ideal for my storytelling tool as it allowed me to use my own pictures. I used two from the UBC site; the logo and an aerial view of the campus. I also could use many frames to write short but important ideas that expressed why teaching is important to me. Animoto provided the background animation; a Pandora’s Box and the music. This made a strong connection with me and was the basis of why I selected it to represent the treasures (box) in teaching that makes my professional life fulfilling.
What are the strengths of a storytelling approach? According to Bernard R. Robin in a paper, The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling there seven elements of digital storytelling. 1. Point of View- the author’s perspective 2. A Dramatic Question – a question that will be answered by the end of the story 3. Emotional Content – serious issues that have a powerful voice 4. The Gift of your Voice- helps to personalize the story 5.The Power of the Soundtrack- music or other sounds supports the storyline 6. Economy- using just enough content to tell a story 7. Pacing- how quickly or slowly the story is told.” Robin, B.R. The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling.
Storytelling gives students a voice. Student’s personal stories are central to their learning. Telling ones’ story makes connections to our world and strenghtens our ability to communicate with others about what makes us who we are. Digital storytelling supports many literacy skills.
Whether, the digital story is a short narrative or incorporates the elements of story mapping, it helps to develop a sense of self. According to Jason Ohler in his article “The World of Digital Storytelling” (2005),” digital storytelling enhances student’s skills in critical thinking, expository writing, and media literacy.”
I have found that digital storytelling in Grade One supports oral literacy, gives them an opportunity to express and share with others who they are, and develops their digital understanding by promoting active participation.
What are some of its limitations?
According to Jason Ohler,” If digital stories are going to survive in education, they need to be tied to the curriculum and used to strengthen student’s critical thinking, report writing, and media literacy skills. He recommends to educators to think in terms of a continuum anchored by “story’ on one end and ‘analytical report’ on the other, and to aim for the middle.” Ohler, J. (2005) The World of Digital Storytelling.
Some limitations I see for Grade One are (1. Is the program age appropriate and is publishing private? (2. Is the program free and easily accessible? (3. How much time will this need to complete? (4. Are there enough skills and pre knowledge taught prior to undertaking a storytelling activity?
In conclusion, I am excited about trying new programs with all aspects of sound pedagogy using digital devices to enhance my students learning and digital literacy.
References:
Bates, A.W., & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: A framework for selecting and using technology. Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. 77-105. San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.
Ohler, J. (2005-6). The World of Digital Storytelling. Educational Leadership. Vol.63. Number 4. Learning in the Digital Age. Pages 44-47.
Robin, B.R. (2006).The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, Houston University. http://www.coe.uh.edu/digitalstorytelling/