Digtial StoryTelling and Other Modes

There is always a point within your lesson, where a student recalls a moment in time; "One time, when my dog, who was white, ran away from home, but then he was found again in my neighbors yard and he was rolling around int he mud, and then my mom was really, really, really, mad, and then when we got home she put him in the tub to get him washed and then he shook all over and got soap and water everywhere, and mom said that I had to clean it up, so I did, and then my dog and I went to sleep all clean." We can and will always have these types of stories and you begin to look at the student in amazement, because you were talking about how white the snow is... it only takes one word for the student to latch onto and tell a story... it is that one word that the student has associated with that particular story that made it important. We do not know exactly know how the human mind stores information and how each student can retrieve a similar experience each in different ways, but they do and it is fascinting to watch their minds at work.

Storytelling is now enhanced to include a digital version (for example: PhotoStory)... A student can create a digital story thaat includes drawing or pictures in a cinematic way adding music, voice, and animation to make these stories like the one of the dog come to life for them. This is a great way to take their bookreports to a whole other level.... children will not see these projects as more homework, but as a means to really get involved and explore whats on THEIR minds in more detail. I had a project in my Literacy and Technology class, where the Professor required us to include a maximum of 10 pics... once I got intrenched in the project, I found that 10 pics wasn't enough to really tell the story they way I invisioned it... so I say so limit to the content, but maybe the length... you do need to get to math and social studies as some point in the day...

Another web2.0 source is Voicethread... This was a great tool to use because it allowed for the students to interact and share their thoughts and ideas of another students work... this is taking peer to peer evaluation to a whole new level. A teacher can create a Voicethread of lets say the bookreports for the month. They can take photos of each student and post them on the site... the students can then go on and say a short clip of what their book report was about... students can then visit each page and comment on that students presentation... in the end the student can then go into a self reflection or listen to the feedback... maybe someone says, I sit all the way in the back and I could not hear you... but the book looks interesting, now the student has a good point of reference when he/she makes their next bookreport to make a mental note... "can they hear me in the back?"

My only suggestion is that you treat these softwares with respect, the last thing you want is someone making a nasty or non-constructive comment about another student... teaching respect of technology and modeling it for the students is very important for each to get the most out of the enhancement.