Digital Storytelling Class Project

Let me start by saying that at first, I thought digital storytelling might be impossible with Third Graders. The time it would take to teach them how to do the research for a topic, organize their story, and then work on their final presentation would take weeks. Then it occured to me that they already know how to do this, just not on a huge professional scale. They know how to use a program called Pixie which has as many features as an adult software program, it is just made for kids. As far as the research, why not use information that we are gathering as a class? So, my idea for a project that I could implement with my class is to have the kids make a digital story about each region of the United States. We are learning about the regions in Social Studies so they already know some basic facts, but this would allow them to apply what they have learned already in class. They could also choose to research something that may have interested them in that specific region. This project would use Bloom's skills of: Analysis- arranging their ideas; Application- making connections with what we learned about it class; and Comprehension, summarizing what they learned in their own words. I think that doing this project with Pixie, the kids are learning compuer skills that be translated to more difficult programs as they go along in their school careers.

Podcasts

Many topics were covered in class this week, but I really enjoyed learning about podcasts. I have never really had an interest in podcasts. Check out the one that I created in class on my sidebar!! We did get to explore some Web 2.0 tools that can easily help you create a podcast and that sparked my interest. I think that I could use podcasts with my class. I could have the kids read a piece of writing that they have created and post a link to their podcast. They could also do a project with their first grade buddies that could also be published. It would be so beneficial for the kids because they can practice their speaking and reading skills and it is a great way to communicate with parents what is going on in our class. There would also be a possibility for me to use a podcast as a monthly newsletter or update for parents. Something new that I think could have multiple uses.

Elements of Digital Storytelling

I think that the 2 elements of storytelling that would be best applied in my classroom are economy and pacing. Economy because my kids are in third grade. Their attention span is far beyond that of a kindergartner, but they still need things to keep their interest. I would also stick to only the bare minimum and most important points so that they are not overwhelmed with too much information.

I would also have to consider pacing. Too fast, and they will get lost; too slow and they will be bored. If I combine both of these elements, I could produce a successful digital story for my class.

Voicethread Digital Story

In class, we had the opportunity to explore Voicethread and create a digital story. My group did our voicethread on 80's television. I thought that I was very easy to use and a great way to organize pictures. One thing that I did not like was that there wasn't a flow. You had to make individual comments for each picture, you couldn't have the pictures just flow with the words. I also didn't like the fact that when people make comments, they automatically play after your comment. It makes it a bit confusing to follow the story. There was also no opportunity to add a music clip to the background which would have been nice in our MTV portion of the story. It hard for me to say how I would use this with my class. With third grade, we use a program called Pixie where we have made a slide show, but it is more kid-friendly. I just think that the fact we are starting to make slide shows in third grade will help them for projects in the future and eventually by fifth grade they may be able to do a voicethread. The time is such an issue with all of the curriculum that we need to get in, but it helps when it is integrated into the curriculum.