Bill,
I believe all that I do to incorporate and use technology, this
journey on a twisting and curving path, I do to offer students new
venues of learning and expression. I began digital storytelling
workshops 3 years ago and over this stretch of time, many new and
exciting tech opportunities have I met and embraced and offered in
classes, but digital storytelling remains the one tech and literacy
venue which offers so much to students.
Students have used DS to present information, their stories, their
viewpoints, and their reflections. The literacy piece is the
foundation of DS and it's built before the applications offered by DS
are used. Every aspect of the writing process and good writing's
traits are practiced and polished. The creative elements are so vast
that the projects created all have the unique thumbprint of the
creator. They're timeless; our appreciations for sound, music,
visuals, voice, and timing by the narrator allow such powerful
opportunities for the creator and her audience. And what a venue for
pulling in the rich offerings of great web tools to add to the DS.
When we list together all one needs to know and do to create a great
DS, this list is staggering.
DS belong anywhere there is a story to tell, an idea to explore and
present. Most recently many students used DS to present a thesis
around a Wabanaki studies project and some amazing presentations were
created. I believe there are stories in math and science too. Any
dynamic idea has a story.
I noticed your examples, Bill, are networking tools and i love these
too. We use Noteshare, students have created webpages, podcasts, and
digital portfolios. Blogging opportunities are just around the corner
and Moodle online learning environments as well. Just a matter of
timing, policy and teacher education. The cart and horse often walk
(roll) side by side.
Exciting times. Much to know and understand though and sometimes I
question what's lost or replaced when we choose an computer based
project. I strive for balance, don't we all. Paper and pen must not
be lost.
Jacquie
On Feb 21, 2009, at 11:49 PM, Bill IVEY wrote:
Hi!
I am coming to the belief that it is less important to teach a
specific
piece of technology than it is to teach students how to choose the
appropriate tool in technology for different purposes. While I work
out
how to go about teaching that (any ideas would be most welcome!), I
can
take some comfort that I am at least choosing tools wisely (as near
as I
can tell!) in my own classes and serving to some extent as a model.
Blogs: Readers Response Journals, and the Online Poetry Slam run by
this
group - the format of student entries with others commenting serves
the
purpose of these two activities well.
Wikis: Writing Resources wiki in earliest stages of development. A
private
wiki where my school and The Children's Storefront have been joined by
three other schools in a web-based classroom exchange, to teach
reading
and writing skills as well os positive behaviors in something
resembling a
social networking context.
Skype: videoconferencing with The Children's Storefront and,
hopefully,
other schools on the wiki-based exchange, to add voice and facial
expressions to the on-screen words and deepen connections between
students.
Email: distribute homework assignments to full class via school-based
email and store a copy in a class folder. Our current project is
scriptwriting, and these daily updates help keep us focused and moving
forward, and serve as a record of any consensus we may reach in a
given
class.
Zoomerang: follow-up surveys to certain class discussions to
determine new
directions for the script.
What use are you making of technology in your classes? What ideas do
you
have about teaching students to choose the appropriate tool for the
job?
Take care,
Bill Ivey
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
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