Thursday, October 25, 2012

Exploring Digital Storytelling

© Hill Street Studios/Blend Images/Corbis
What is Digital Storytelling?

According to the University of Houston, digital storytelling is:
"Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. As with traditional storytelling, most digital stories focus on a specific topic and contain a particular point of view. However, as the name implies, digital stories usually contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips and/or music. Digital stories can vary in length, but most of the stories used in education typically last between two and ten minutes. The topics that are used in Digital Storytelling range from personal tales to the recounting of historical events, from exploring life in one's own community to the search for life in other corners of the universe, and literally, everything in between. "
Benefits and Uses of Digital Storytelling

Digital storytelling can be used in a variety of classroom settings, from early elementary all the way up to graduate school and offers numerous benefits to the students.  In this day and age, students are easily bored with traditional educational activities and assessments and do not feel engaged in the classroom.  Digital storytelling incorporates interactive digital media, which the students are already familiar with, and engages the students in active learning.  Projects that incorporate digital storytelling are usually learner-centered, with the student picking the topic themselves - this makes the learning meaningful and relevant to the students' lives because they can explore topics they are interested in.  

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Prezi Demonstration - Digital Storytelling

Check out this simple Prezi I made about the basics of Digital Storytelling!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Yay! I Have a "SMART" Board! Now What??

Source: http://www.usref.net/projects.html
When I first walked into my portable at the low-income elementary school I started teaching at this year, I was very pleasantly surprised and excited to see that there was an interactive white board in my classroom!  I have heard so many amazing things and positive testimonials about how SMART boards enhance the education process and make learning fun.  According to Dr. Joyce Snyder, superintendent and member of the Upper Saddle River Educational Foundation, the new SMART boards "are an interactive tool that combines the power of the computer, the display of a blackboard, and the enhancements of graphics in a way that makes learning more exciting, more efficient, and more substantive."  

I couldn't wait to learn how to use it and try it out!  Unfortunately, my school does not provide any kind of training or professional development with the interactive board and thus, I pretty much use it as a glorified whiteboard, substitute projector, and an alternative to PowerPoint.  And as a first year teacher and full-time grad student, I just haven't had the time to fully delve into my own research on the matter.  So, I figured now was a good time to at least start!