Digital Storytelling: Tell Me a Personalized Story

A project that we were recently asked to do included the using a program call Microsoft Photo Story 3 which allows the user to create a digital storytelling session. As a typical literature nerd, I was both interested and skeptical of anything that claimed to be a method of storytelling in the digital age. From my perspective, and most students who traverse the classics path of literary studies, storytelling is something that one would envision as the bards of Camelot, the fantastic druids of old Ireland, or the way in which Chaucer constructs his Canterbury Tales. These are all prolonged storytelling session that, for the most part, are also accompanied by drinking, feasting, dancing, and often, music. This said, you can now see why I was skeptical as to how this would apply to a day and age in which people are becoming increasingly introverted, antisocial, and hidden behind the screen of a computer. However, I was actually quite delighted at this new evolution of storytelling.

Perhaps a necessary evolution in an age of audiobooks and eReaders...

In digital storytelling, the teacher or the students record themselves dictating the story, passage, poem, or miscellaneous literature of choice or assignment. However, this is not where the process ends. Instead, the users are asked to incorporate pictures and music to enhance their presentation - not unlike the Pecha Kucha (PAY-cha KEW-sha) phenomenon that is sweeping extended learning seminars across the country. With this, the user adds significant depth to their story. Music, as aforementioned, was almost synonymous with storytelling in the days of lore, so it is no wonder that the digital age would want to utilize this to their advantage. The pictures are not unlike props, masks, or other assorted things that actors would utilize in ancient storytelling and are certainly appealing to students who have become accustomed to image-overload with sites such as Imgur and Reddit that provide snapshots from across the world of all varieties and categories.

My love of flow charts is showing again....

As a future educator, this is, ironically, something I could see myself using with my students to not only entice them, but to further their ability to script coherent sentences, enunciate words properly, utilize proper grammar, and to increase overall eloquence. While the students might not realize it, a project such as this would assist them further down the road when they might need to give a presentation in front of an audience, create a tutorial video, or even direct a Webinar for a group of coworkers. It also hits almost every important aspect of a language arts classroom: reading, writing, speaking, and analysis. Not only that, the assignment avoids traditional essays and allows the students to interact with technology. What educator could ask for more?

Ah to be prepared for the challenges of being an adult...

Web 2.0: Edmodo

In recent times, social networking has evolved from the basic functions that it served over a decade ago. When MySpace and Facebook first came into being, they were simple information gathering sites and ways to communicate with potential roommates, respectively. Now, we've recently seen an overhaul in the MySpace site in hope of drawing back some of the people who have become tired of the constant battles that are fought with Facebook and Mark Zuckerburg over the supposed privacy that is inherent in such a site. From these sites we have also seen the birth of alternative social media such as Twitter, Tumblr, and even Google's attempt at social networking with G+. All have their individual uses and their individual appeals. These have become integrated and a core part of the the youth's lives and they are almost completely unable to separate themselves from these sites. Instead, they build profiles, personalize, and become one with their virtual identities.

This is something that the older generation doesn't understand and the new generation of educators remembers the beginning of. With this is mind, the creators over at www.Edomodo.com have created a virtual learning community that allows students to not only utilize a social networking interface that they are familiar with, they have created a site where students can personalize their profiles as well. This allows the students to not only contribute to their education via social networking format, they also feel as if they are their virtual individual. Similarly, the instructors are able to control what the students post, where, and what gets discussed, allowing the education full control over what is occurring without the worry that cyber-bulling might occur while students should be learning. Additionally, should a student step out of line or not follow disciplinary instructions by an instructor, the instructor can remove the student's profile from the class.

The benefits extend even further, allowing the instructors to create deposits for homework, tests, or essays that the students have completed, along with a calendar for the students and the parents to follow. With that in mind, there is also a way for parents to create accounts to follow their children, their due dates, and interactions with the teachers and other students. This is an excellent way to keep the student, parents, and teachers all on the same level while providing the students with a reason to want to be involved with a site that is a part of their education.

Limitations to a Technologically Driven Society

While we live in a society that is almost completely incapable of disconnecting from technology, natural disasters and other forces that are not controlled by humans can severely limit or render access to technology  to zero. Such was the recent case when the northeast portion of the United States as "Super-Storm" Sandy ravaged the coast, inland, and even mountains. While technology allows us on a regular basis to communicate with people across the world, to multiple people with the click of a mouse, and in languages that we might not be able to speak or understand, it is useless without the proper electricity and connection to the internet that most of society has become quite used to having.

When did charging electronic outclass saving lives?

During the storm, I was forced to evacuate my home and live across the state with some very wonderful people or face living in any of the overcrowded shelters that exist. While I luckily had a place to go, thousands of people didn't or chose not to go. This not only caused a problem for those areas in which people needed to be rescued, but it also caused an issue with the availability of electricity, available bandwidth for internet access, and created an issue for how to properly convey information to the public. When one thinks about this, it really comes down to how reliant we are on technology. Payphones are nearly a relic, now more likely to be used as a novelty phone in someone's basement. Instead, we have cellphones. However, these need to be charged in order to make a call or, for some, access the internet. We have become far to reliant on the latter in that situation as well. It was amazing that the actions of those saving people were noticed less than those who would stick an extension cord outside for strangers to charge their phones. What have we become?

My frustration knew no bounds...

Perhaps the most infuriating part of this whole process, save the total loss that a large portion of the population endured, was the absolute lack of information provided by the government. In this modern era in which, as aforementioned, we rely so heavily on technology that permits us to transmit information within seconds, why was there no update for days? Why did some of us never hear anything as to when we were allowed to come back? Why did the media decide to focus on the destruction of three spots and not broadcast the important return dates, information needed for checkpoints, curfews, etc. that were being put into place behind closed doors with no input from the misplaced? The answer is quite simple: the media loves a tragedy. Documenting the destruction that occurred would attract far more viewers than useful information. Similarly, this is why the governor of New Jersey and PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES were both allowed onto the island I live on to give a speech 7 days before I was even allowed to return to asses the damage or grab more clothing. We were told it was unsafe. We were told there was no power. We were told not to try to come onto the island. Yet, these key figures went with no issue, power companies restored power in a mere 3 days, and most folks had minor damage on our island. Why couldn't we communicate this?

For those who missed this insanity...

Web 2.0: Prezi

For those students who were progressing through school during the "tech bubble" era, as well as the teachers, PowerPoint was amazing technology that could save time and resources and still result in a high-quality finished product. Sadly, in the years after PowerPoint's conception, the program has turned into a staple for a boring lesson or presentation. These days, it almost seems as if no amount of sound effects, high quality images, or goofy animations can save a PowerPoint presentation from inevitably boring its audience. Yet, the style and ease of PowerPoint still exists as it is a fixed presentation that the students can take notes off of, the instructor can make it accessible for download, and it can be used year after year without having to locate old notes or possibly degraded pictures.

With that in mind, the masterminds at Prezi brought the world a new type of presentation. Instead of just advancing slide by slide, Prezi offers the instructor or presenter a more engaging presentation with the use of a "pathway" for the presentation to take. Presentations can now take the form of pictures, structures, or symbols and traverse them accordingly. Presenters can zoom into fine-print details and back out to important ones to demonstrate importance. These presentations not only show the information that is necessary, but can begin to activate higher order thinking skills as the students attempt to analyze how the structure of the presentation might apply to the overal concept being conveyed.                        

                                                                            This once again seems to confirm my affinity for flow charts...

And while you are here, why not watch a Prezi about Prezi:

Is it like an ouroboros if it's itself about itself?

Web 2.0: Google Earth

A recent assignment of ours was to explore the uses of Google Earth in the classroom. For this assignment I was paired with a fellow LitEd major, Melissa Ihle, and we were not only tasked with learning the technology, but also finding ways to apply it to the classroom at multiple levels. While were able to find several websites that were applicable to the languages arts classroom, I would honestly see less of a use of the program outside of tracking a travel novel or providing a modern view of the place where the novel takes place. However, the content area classrooms would see a significantly more effective use of this software. History classes could easily utilize Google Earth to show areal views of places that battles occurred, where significant landmarks exists, and do virtual tours of modern cities with the 3D Model option. With the extended Google Solar System option, eventually students will be able to study the planets in science class virtually.

It's quite pretty, but less useful...

However, outside of these two, very specific classrooms, Google Earth seems to have less value in a language arts, math, language (not cultural), or alternative classrooms. I do wish I had more to say about this technology, but I unfortunately don't see much about it that I can apply to my two passions. Maybe down the road as the program evolves and I gain more experience, I'll figure out a better use for this.

It's quite beautiful from space...

However the use of the Scoop.it! page was actually quite interesting. While it seems unreasonably similar to Pinterest after closer inspection, it's a great way to create a page, especially for students, where there is a significant amount of information. This could be extremely useful when teaching students how to do almost anything, but I'll pick research papers for the sake of argument. If one were to make a "research paper process" Scoop.it! page, one could easily include "scoops" to pages that have scholarly articles, primary sources, how to utilize MLA properly, how to not plagiarize, why Wikipedia isn't a scholarly source, etc. With all of this information in the realm of cyberspace, there is no chance for the students to lose, "forget," or "never receive" the information on the subject and it is constantly available to them.

It would be nice to never hear "You never taught that" again...

Technology and Physical Illness

Not long ago I spent about a week completely immobilized by what has now been diagnosed at the flu. During this time, getting out of bed was a hassle, let alone going to class and functioning as a normal human being. For this reason, I missed an entire week of classes, but luckily missed not fieldwork time due to remedial HSPA testing. Keep in mind, as well, that my classes only meet once a week, anywhere from two to four hours at a time. This is a significant amount of information to miss simply because of a physical illness. In the past, this might have spelled the end of a semester for students. Actually, I had this once before when I was in community college, and I was forced to drop my courses because I was already over the limit of absences and had fallen too far behind. However, thanks to the wonders of the internet, email, BlackBoard, and the Stockton goPortal, I was able to stay caught up on my assignments, with no real downtime. Additionally, I really didn't have to get out of bed, or if I did, it was a short hobble to my computer with all my blankets, tissues, medications, etc.

This is a fairly accurate representation of how I felt...

This is something that has become increasingly relevant in educational buildings everywhere. Scientists have recognized "sick building syndrome" and the effects that it has on the students' health. This is especially pertinent in low-income areas where students may not have the necessary medical attention readily available to them either due to financial hardship, lack of insurance, lack of parental assistance, or any combination of the above. To prevent these students from coming in sick in the first place, most schools have made it so that the students are able to keep up with their work online. Gone are the days in which teachers sent home huge folders of work to be done for the week that a student would potentially be absent. Instead, students and parents can download the homework, work on it together if the so choose, and submit it without leaving their home. This can further be enhanced with the ideas of the flipped classroom, in which students learn outside of the classroom and perform in the classroom, and technology such as WIMBA or Skype that allow the instructor to communicate and educate the student outside of the classroom.

These were not even dreams when I entered school...

While face-to-face is still undeniably important, the idea of having the information readily available so that students do not fall far behind is a relief for parents and teachers alike. The students will still lose valuable time in the classroom that cannot be accounted for in posted assignments, but at least they will not become discouraged because they are behind on the learning or missing too much work. This will also sort of the grading process for the instructor so that they will not be forced to deal with intermittent waves of work flowing in. I can see this potentially becoming mandatory in all, as it is already in some, schools and ultimately further expediting the learning process. I hope to make great use of this in my future classrooms.

Not how we do it, but basically how it works...