The Story of my Digital Story

I started this process by going to Alan Levine’s story “Dominoe”.  I was amazed at how many different tools were available through “web 2.0” and how they all could be used to tell a story.  I spent too much time checking out Levine’s “Dominoes” but then I remembered the warning “Tempus Fugit”; it was appropriate because time did fly by.

Rationale:

 The reason I choose the web 2.0 tool that I did was because of Levine’s suggestion to pick one and explore.  I chose BUBBLr because I had never heard of it and wanted to try something completely new.  I knew it used Flickr pictures which I thought would be handy and I wouldn’t have to put my personal pictures out there on the web.  The tool allowed me to be creative in my presentation and still maintain my privacy. Now I am not insinuating that I am creative, I am not, but using this tool made me feel like I was.

BUBBLr was the right tool for me because it allowed me to tell a very boring story, my story, but make it funny and entertaining, which is how I teach.  I liked how I could use pictures of animals we study as characters in my life.  Having this short introduction is a great way for the kids to see that you are a real person and make a real connection with their teacher.  The other reason I liked this tool is because you can present your “story” quickly.  I know that my students would not want to sit there and watch a long video about me.  Making the “story” short, with the students in mind, was one of the benefits of this tool.   The pros of this tool would have to be its ease of use and the massive amount of pictures from which to use.  Searching these pictures is the only drawback I could come up with.  The sheer volume of pictures, and how people Tag them, slows the process down.

Pedagogy:

I could use this story as a course introduction or first day activity.  The story is a way of breaking the ice, and monotony of the usual first day activities.  I also think it would be a great thing to add to my Moodle page.  I could have the students go to the link and watch it.  After they have watched it they could go to the Forum, where the students could tell a little about themselves for others to read and comment on the BUBBLr tool.  I think the pedagogical method that comes to mind is allowing for discussion and collaborative learning.  The students are learning about myself, and others in the class, while participating in a discussion.  I would hope that they could make the connection of my interest in living organisms as a child, pursuing that interest in university and then making a career of teaching a topic that I have always been fascinated with.  I would hope that the students would see that what they are about to learn can be part of your “normal” life if you just take the time to look.

Please click on the link and enjoy.       History by TMac