Digital Storytelling Reflection

The process for completing this Digital Storytelling Project was as follows. First, I studied meaningful digital storytelling, which provided a template for creating a story map for my story. Because my friend Dustin recommended that I do one on dimensional analysis. That recommendation helped me in getting started on this project. The first difficulty in a project like this is always figuring out what to do a project on, so that was very helpful. So, I personalized the story including an example I will really use for myself. This was all done in the initial stage of this project.

After the story map, I filled in the story map with details to make a script. The next step simply piggy-backed on the script writing: making a 2-column story map. In Column 1, I included the script, and in Column 2 I thought deeply about what media would correspond to the piece of script to illustrate each section in a movie.

This initial stage to me represents the planning/writing stage of the story. I enjoyed thinking about and writing what I would do my project on. Also, I think it was very helpful to make a story map, which helped me think about how I could write a cohesive, understandable piece. Also, it was very helpful in writing the script and eventually associating the script with media images and videos.

The second stage, the production stage, I found to be excruciatingly difficult and not much fun at all. I started by trying to use MovieMaker to create the story. This did not work very well. I tried to put some video pieces on it but it didn't work. First of all, our old computer just could not handle the huge video files. Also, the video files would not show up to be moved into the MovieMaker file. It appeared impossible and I became quite frustrated. So, I switched formats. My sister let me use her Mac and iMovie to complete the project. This program isn't as user friendly as MovieMaker, but was much nicer because I could import video into it. Finally after a grueling month, I had something created. And thankfully it's done. You can find the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYB6UOzl2E&feature=plcp

I think the process will be very helpful for students. In particular, students often have difficulties with the planning process to tell compelling stories. I would emphasize or even totally focus on this planning stage. I don't feel really comfortable enough with the media and video programs to make that a requirement. I think I'd only integrate that stage into the process if the students wanted to do it. Otherwise, I may skip it. Plus there's always the difficulty of getting enough computers and such.

2-Column Story Table

I think this 2-column story table of mine is a bit long as it'll probably go 4 minutes, which is our maximum time allowed. Also, it seems to me that doing the media portion will be excruciatingly difficult. I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll begin with one step and continue the journey from there if Jason okays it.

Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KGx9X-1_g26kuXi-jLO6-1XL7VOuCtGaqrSRUpUjm2U/edit

Enjoy!

Dimensional Analysis Script

My Dimensional Analysis Script

Based on my Story Map, I have written a script for my Dimensional Analysis story. You can find it in my google docs at the following location:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y5ExoWgxZS1z_Ef77_pN5FqsfI0LlgdsqbeISeVXWr4/edit?pli=1
Thanks!

My Story Map

Ed's Fill of Phil

I finally, after only 4 years, completed my philosophy of education video project. I found myself facing 2 main obstacles as i attempted this project.

You can access the video via the following link: http://youtu.be/1kEg-CQHA2U
1. I found it excruciatingly extremely difficult to shorten and rewrite my philosophy of education. I still read my own philosophy of education-the written version-and think, "How in the world did I write this?" Certainly, the original still doesn't contain everything as a living document, but it comes pretty darn close.

2. I found it difficult to motivate myself to go into the "UNKNOWN". I think that I find it particularly difficult to work on something related to technology when I have had such a disdain for it all my life. Sometimes I think that technology takes the fun and learning out of learning. But I realize that at other times it actually facilitates learning. This seems to be the key to using technology in the classroom-discerning technology's usefulness.


In terms of the process putting the media piece together, I ran into a problem when I had to find MovieMaker on the internet. It was quite challenging and my friend actually had to find it for me to download the program. Then, I posted the pictures and they all turned to red X's. So I let Jason Ohler, my instructor, know what was happening and he immediately told me the solution. Moreover, it worked! Otherwise, the project went pretty smoothly-As smooth as butter.

Reflection

I found this assignment rather helpful in clarifying my philosophy of education in the sense that it made me think about my philosophy time and time again. Whenever I discussed education with others, I'd ask questions relating to their philosophy and I'd try to remember my thoughts and responses to write down for my own philosophy of education. However, I believe that in a short assignment like this, I couldn't really hit my exhaustive philosophy of education. But that's ok because I don't think that a potential employer would like to hear that necessarily.

Verdict: Great assignment and very helpful

Uses

A project like this could be very useful from time to time in the classroom. I think it's a motivational tool for students to do some creative things in terms of explaining or describing things that they are learning. For example, a project could be: be as wacky as you want in teaching me how to solve an equation. Or, when I was in high school, we showed a vignette illustrating one of the Bill of Rights. It appears that our imagination is the limits on the uses of a project like this.

Cheerios,
LT

Ode to the End of Energy Conservation Project

This evaluation will be in 2 parts:

1. I will evaluate my presentation.
2. I will discuss how this project may be used in my classroom.

1. Presentation

• I find it rather funny because I practiced this presentation numerous times on my own to get it on camera a few years ago.
  
• It seemed to come out easily when I gave it one more time this December. I think that teaching as well as performing speeches and presentations over the last couple years has made it much much much easier to do so now.
  
• The presentations seemed readily understandable as I focused on the heart of the matter, not wandering from this topic to that one but instead following a logical, organized set of ideas based on this particular project.
  
• Finally, the presentation came out very clearly in terms of speech.
  
• However, I did notice one tick, which sometimes can make a presentation interesting, and sometimes it can get in the way. I tended to make a alveolar click sound, that is, the tsk tsk tsk sound we make toward children in trouble or to horses to giddy up.

2. Project for Classroom

• First of all, in a class I taught I would make sure that the project fell within my content standards, which it most certainly would. However, I would need to clarify, at least within my own teacher's mind, the objectives of the project.
  
• Along with this, I also try to make it a point to explain this connection to my students, especially when we work on projects. On the technical technological side, I think that it would be important to create a working rubric and to make it clear the outcomes of the project beforehand, also clarifying the timeline of such a project.
  
• Also, I believe that I would need to prepare a more thorough project of my own and present it to my students as an example to strive for.
  
• Finally, I would probably provide a bunch of ideas, perhaps going through a brainstorming session with the class, of possible projects to work on. I find that choosing a project and getting started the most challenging for myself and for other students.

Cheerios,
LT

The Mind Tool

Laron Thomas llthomas2@uas.alaska.edu January 6, 2009
"Tools for the Mind" by Mary Burns

Overview of Article

In the article "Tools for the Mind," Mary Burns uses a three-pronged argument for computers to be used in the classroom to deepen student understanding. Burns gives a brief history of technology integration into the classroom. She likens this history to a pendulum. When computers first arrived, everyone was "gung ho" to implement their use in the classroom (In fact, computers were known as "mind tools."). The evidence toward this end is that much funding was allocated toward technology integration in teacher workshops and buying the technological goods. However, the schools found problems for four main reasons:

1. Districts focused on teacher training in skills, not in enhancing student learning.
2. Districts have failed to meet the needs in continuing professional development and providing proper technological resources.
3. Schools have mistakenly equated technology use with instructional quality.
4. People have classified all software as equally good for learning.

Then, because of these misled assumptions and lack of adequate training as well as educational reform such as NCLB, the pendulum quickly swung to the opposite side. Funding was-and is-being cut in the area of technology. There have been no good educational results, or the eureka has been few and far between. However, this has been the result of those misguided practices and assumptions.

The heart of the mater is this: "Can technology improve student learning? Yes. Computers can provide transformative student learning experiences that would otherwise not be possible." However, in order for this to be the case, educators must see computers as tools just like worksheets, readings, labs, lectures, activities, etc. As such, educators should focus on applying computer use to higher order thinking activities. Finally, Burns provides some strategies for such applications.

Reference Points

• Computers serve as "mind tools" when used with learner-centered instruction and a curriculum focused on authentic larning.
• Computers were thought to automatically lead students to higher-order thinking.
• Budget cuts due to NCLB aimed at technology because no reasearch linked technology to improved learning.
• Over concentration on technology to the bane of the most important pillars of education, namely congnition, instruction, assessment, and curriculum
• However, if used correctly, computers can in fact transform student learning experiences, e.g., Connecticut Compromise.
• Classroom technology use is mostly of the sensory-motor kind such as show-and-tell powerpoint presentations.
• Only 6% of classroom technology use uses higher order thinking skills such as spreadsheets and databases.

My Reflection

To me, this article seems to be an honest and sober assessment of the past and future of classroom technology use. I really liked how Burns tells the history and relates the themes of change in educators' view of classroom technology use. She illuminates the problems in educators' thinking toward computers in giving up on their implementation.

The big picture appears to me from this article that educators must think critically about intention and implementation in regards to technology just like they do with other tools for student learning experiences (e.g., activities, readings, etc.). That is, computers don't magically solve all the problems facing educators in the classroom. In fact, they make it more complicated because they add another aspect to our thinking about what to do in the classroom. I agree with Burns that we should focus on how we can use technology of to increase students' ability to think at a higher level.

However, I still wonder how exactly I can use technology in the classroom to increase higher-order thinking. This is partially because higher-order thinking skills are harder to teach anyways. But I will definitely often use the questions Burns proposes that we ask ourselves. The other side of the difficulty is that I need to learn how to use GIS tools and spreadsheet/databases better and with more confidence. In this way, I'd be able to use them and give assignments that students could use them on. I also wonder if there would be other ways to use computers to enhance student learning and thinking. I think I'll have to take this objective by objective and assignment by assignment.