Digital Story Reflection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0kosAB3e50&feature=em-upload_owner
Choosing digital tools
I explored different tools for creating my digital story that corresponded with tools that are available, easy to use, and appropriate for elementary students. I chose to use iMovie as my main tool based on the fact that we have macbooks and ipads as our main technology at our school. I have used imovie with students before but hadn’t created my own digital story.
I explored different tools and examples of videos highlighting techniques for creating a digital story and how to make these stories more personal and unique. These examples can be found in my resource section.
What I like about the iMovie tool is the process that you go through in adding in the different layers. The first step is making a plan, followed by choosing the media you want to have in your story. This is then followed by writing your script. With iMovie, you then put in your images with the option of easily moving them around if required. The next step is to then insert the written text for each image, followed by recording your story. I have found working with students, it works best to have them record one or two sentences at a time as opposed to their full speech. With imovie, this works really well, with the option of re recording as many times as you need. I enjoyed the video scene with my daughter which I felt made my story more personal and added on yet another dimension. Although the video was done after completing my main story, it was easily added to the beginning. My last layer was choosing music and adding it to the overall story. You can choose a theme to run throughout your story, but have the option to make changes to each slide in terms of length, type of transitions, text etc.
Once I took the time to play around with the different imovie features, I found it was a very straightforward tool to use and my experience with students is that they find it quite intuitive. I used the following links to help me with questions I had about using iMovie.
Tech for teachers. imovie 08; Photostory for Mac? (2008). Retrieved from http://dgrice.blogspot.ca/2008/02/imovie-08-photostory-for-mac.html
Williams, Hannah. How to create a story from start to finish with imovie. (2014). Retrieved from http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-movie-from-start-to-finish-with-imovie–mac-59638
I used google apps for education (GAFE) for the video segment of my story, which I then uploaded into iMovie. I also used a google document to plan my story (a good tool if you are collaborating on a plan with others) and write my script; Digital Story Script. I then uploaded my digital story onto youtube. At this point, students would also have the choice to use YouTube Editor to further enhance their story.
How I would use my Digital Story work as an Educational tool
In a general sense, the process of creating a digital story, especially when working collaboratively with other students covers so many different skills. The Primary Years program (ibo.org) focuses on 5 main skills areas in their approaches to learning. I have summarized and highlighted the many different skills that students would use in the process of developing a digital story or presentation: PYP approaches to learning. I think it’s also very important to highlight the importance of content development.
In a personal sense, I chose to develop my digital story based on my overall personal beliefs and values which connect to my role as a PYP teacher and curriculum coordinator. The overall mission statement of the international Baccalaureate states;
“The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.’
(International Baccalaureate Organization, Making the PYP Happen, 2009, page 1).
My story is based on the framework of The Important Book (Brown, Margaret Wise, The Important Book, 1949). I could see my digital story used an introduction to a unit of inquiry under the transdisciplinary theme, ‘Who We Are,’ in which students learn about globally significant issues such as beliefs and values, and human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures. Different attributes such as being open- minded and knowledgeable and attitudes such as appreciation and tolerance can also be explored throughout further lessons, with reference back to my digital stories. It can then be used as an example for students then to reflect about their own beliefs and values and learn more about their cultural backgrounds, which they can then use in developing their own digital stories.
Overall I felt this was a very useful assignment in terms of exploring different digital tools as well as going through the process of creating your own story.
Resources
Animoto. (2014). Family Beach Vacation Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmB53n5UshU
Brown, Margaret Wise. (1949). The Important Book: U.S.A. Harper.
Exposure example – https://thewildernesses.exposure.co/cabin-mornings
International Baccalaureate Organization (2009). Making the PYP Happen: A curriculum framework for international primary education. United Kingdom: Peterson House. Retrieved from http://www.sph.edu/sphi/tl_files/Curriculum/Making%20the%20PYP%20Happen,%20December%202009.pdf
Levine,Alan. (2007). 50 Web 2.0 ways to tell a story. Retrieved from http://50ways.wikispaces.com/
McLean, Adam. (2013). Realtor Profile. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaxhJUibUXM
Sabia, Joe. (2011).The technology of storytelling. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkZtRzc9rFQ
Storehouse example. Retrieved from https://www.storehouse.co/stories/s8k4-two-weeks-later
Tech for teachers. imovie 08; Photostory for Mac? (2008). Retrieved from http://dgrice.blogspot.ca/2008/02/imovie-08-photostory-for-mac.html
Videoliscious example. Retrieved from https://videolicious.com/examples/news-video
Williams, Hannah. How to create a story from start to finish with imovie. (2014). Retrieved from http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-movie-from-start-to-finish-with-imovie–mac-59638