podcast

I am nervous. I have to do a podcast, something I have never done before and I hate the way my voice sounds recorded. I can see great educational potential for this technology though. So I need to get over it and get on with it.

Unfortunately I have suffered a concussion and am having a very hard time do anything this week. I was going to use my podcast to teach storyboarding (is that a word?) for my jr. high students. That hasn't happened, yet..... With my thoughts so unclear and my words coming out jumbled this is going to be one of the most challenging things to do this week. Just typing this is a challenge.

I find podcast very interesting and extremely helpful. I have learned a lot from the few technology podcasts I have listened to and really should subscribe to them. Time is always the problem isn't it?

I should podcast more of my lessons. Boy would that save my voice! Since most of my classes are repeated twice in one day I could really cut down on my frustration and use of my voice. Let the speakers and the computer do the work. I am sure there are plenty of podcasts out there that would be very appropriate for some of my lessons.

Just introducing podcasts to my students could benefit them a great deal. Introducing them to the concept and how resourceful it can be would give them an advantage in the classroom, or in life for that matter. It seems there is a podcast out there for just about everything under the sun.

Wish me luck!

Elements of Story Telling

This week I gained some very insightful knowledge on storytelling that I can’t wait to teach my classes, especially Jr. high. Finding the time to do it will be my biggest hurdle. I found the 7 elements of storytelling intriguing. There is so much I did not know. How does the director give emotion to the story using these elements? How can I get the most out of these techniques for my digital story? Experimentation will be the tell all here. I know my students will be the perfect guinea pigs for this learning adventure. They love to experiment and with 25 in a class times 4, I can learn a great deal from them in just 4- 50-minute periods. I find myself constantly stopping them to take a look at what their classmates discovered. Giving it to them in small bits and pieces works the best, as their attention spans (and my voice) only last for so long.

Simplicity is something that takes great restraint. Especially with grade school kids. They want to try everything and have it all on one slide, picture, video clip etc. Using Apple education’s website has been very helpful in showing good examples of simplicity in digital projects that rely more on dead space, black and white, and timing to relay the message. I can see my students improving their projects greatly by using these elements. It would take a lot more thought on their part, more problem solving and concentration to do the job successfully.

Recently I have been stressing what a bullet point is; two or three words to support the main idea. I have had to go to each student individually and make corrections. The concept is a hard one to grasp. They are so use to writing sentences, they are not sure how to use only a few words, to do it simply.

Teaching my students to create better presentations, to tell stories more effectively, will improve any lesson. No matter what the subject matter is, using the 7 elements will take them from just giving the facts with pictures and some music, to really thinking in terms of creating something of art. It will spark their creative sides and hopefully they will enjoy the lesson more and use more brain matter instead of just going through the motions to get the job done. Oh I can dream can’t I? I think I have my lessons for class Tuesday =)

Week 2 531

It took us a long time, but we finally did get all our photos, audio clips, and voices in Voicethread. I think we did a fine job. Voicethread has many possiblities for student use. I can see the students using it for biographies, documentries, as a way to display their graphic arts, musical projects. etc.. I would be concerned at how much bandwidth it would take up and if an entire class could use it all at the same time or if grouping the students together would work best.

It would be fun for them to send questions to someone as an interview and have that person do a voicethread back. A person might do an interview of a veteran, a grandparent, a solider stationed away or even a pen pal. I'll have to search and see if their are pen pal voicethread groups. That would give the kids so much more information about another culture to actually hear the pen pal's voice and see the pictures. That gives me an idea for next year. I will mention that to a teacher or two.

Digi Stories in the Lab

How might I use digital storytelling in my classroom? There are as many possibilities as there are children in the world. But the first that comes to mind is having the students create a digital story of their lives. Each year I want a refresher on my students as I have 300, and it is hard to keep track of them all. Reading through their biographies every September is interesting, but cumbersome. I think using digital storytelling for them to share their history with their classmates would be much more entertaining, interesting, and they may get more out of it. The chances of them putting more effort into it and completing the task would be multiplied as using all the cool digital hardware and software would keep them more engaged than just typing their stories and printing.

I could also see this as a creative way for them to change the ending to a book they are reading for English, summarizing the events of a part of history they are studying, or a social issue that needs attention. Using newly learned information would not only reinforce their understanding of the subject but may aid in the expansion of their knowledge. So much better than studying for a test and a fun way to learn too!