Digital Storytelling
Digital storytelling is a way that students can use their creativity to develop a story. “With digital storytelling, students use their creative skills to create a storyboard on paper, use a camera to shoot a video, and finally to edit their video on a computer by using some type of software.”(Jonassen, Howland, Marra, Crismond pg. 211) They get the opportunity to work with visual images, text and sound effects. In the first part of the production process students research, make notes, and organize the information they are gathering in order to develop the structure for their story. This part includes storyboarding so that they can start the filming process. They should also make a checklist that they can refer to so that they include all of the important elements in the story. Then students will start to shoot their video. Digital storytelling is a fun way to let students experiment and try out different roles such as director, actor, or editor. During all of this the students will be learning. I don’t know how it would work in an ag classroom. I could give my students a digital storytelling assignment where they have to create a story that takes place in a barn with different species of livestock. They could use what they are learning in class and at the ag farm in the creation of the story. It would be fun to experiment with.
Math is one of those subjects that seems to come easy for some people and for others it is foreign. They don’t get it. It seems to me that people either enjoy math or they hate it. The main reason for this is because they don’t understand it. Using visual tools helps tremendously when learning math. Software programs such as Tinker Plots, Fathom Dynamic Statistics and Geometry Supposer can all be useful in making math more real for students. Using graphing calculators can be a helpful tool for learning math.
Yes, I do think it is possible to learn something from watching TV instruction, however, I think that for some people it might not be the most beneficial way to learn something. Some college students need to be in a classroom with an instructor while some may be able to benefit from internet classes. I think it’s important to do as many hands on activities during and after the instruction because listening to lectures is simply not enough for some people to grasp a concept. Some learners are able to listen to a teacher and they seem to remember what they have learned while others cannot. I need to do as much hands on as I possibly can because that is how I learn best. Applying what you learn will reinforce what you have been taught and will help the information to sink in. I think it depends on the individual as to how much success they will have from TV instruction.
References:
Meaningful Learning With Technology—Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R.M. & Crismond, D.(2008). Pearson, Merrill/Prentice Hall, 3rd edition.
Using digital storytelling in a class would create a fun way for the students to show they have learned the facts in a class as well as the film process. It's a way to add creativity and a touch of art into other subjects. I agree it is a fun project, since my kids have both had classes where they completed digital storytelling assignments. One draw back is in my kids case, both were in advanced classes (GT or AP) not a general education class. I would think an average student would get as much out of this assignment as a student on a Gifted Talented or Advanced Placement class.
ReplyDeleteDigital Storytelling in an AG classroom could certainly be interesting. I'm picturing a short-film called "The Life of Camilla - Mother, Friend, Chicken." :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that TV can be used as an aide to learning, but you really need to be practicing what is on the TV, or the teacher needs to reinforce it somehow for people to learn it. The same way a teacher can't lecture for an hour and expect everyone to retain much of the lecture, you can flip on the TV and recall much of the last hour, especially if it is something that you "have" to watch rather than "want" to watch. Reinforcement and practice, those are the keys to learning.