Digital Story Telling

Digital Story telling is the use of technology tools to tell stories. Much like traditional story telling many digital stories focus on a specific topic and contain a particular view point. Digital stories are usually compiled from a mixture of computer based images, texts, audio recordings, music or video clips. Digital stories usually vary in length, with topics ranging from personal experienced to recounting historical events. New technologies allow digital stories to be shared over the internet, on discs, podcasts, or other electronic distribution systems. Digital storytelling combines the art of storytelling with multimedia features such as photography, animation, text, audio, voice-over, and video. Digital story telling is a modern extension of ancient storytelling using modern tools woven together to tell a story.

Digital story telling in the classroom is a wonderful resource for students, students can create a movie or an interactive slide show telling their story. Allow students to tell their digital story makes learning more personal. Through digital story telling students will improve their writing, show creativity and share their voice. Benefits of digital story telling using an array of technology tools which allows students to really express themselves creatively. Technology tools are used by students to take simple content and make a meaningful story. Students will use new software and technologies, along with chosen images and voice inserts to make their story personal. 

I think digital story telling is a fantastic idea to creatively express ideas and merge traditional story telling with technology. I especially like that anyone who has access to a computer can create a digital story. Digital stories can be written from a personal stand point or based on a class lesson. The stories can also be short or longer depending on the content. Content-related digital stories can help upper-elementary and middle-school students understand abstract or layered concepts.

Education Blogs Update

As I was checking up on blogs that I chose to follow I realized that one of my influences had been moved? I thought this was a bit confusing and annoying, but I decided to read on and saw a post titled Tips for Managing Tech Tools in the Classroom. My attitude changed from annoyed to excited because the close relation to recent class topics. This post showed videos or pictures with voice threads that focused on different ways to manage technology tools, I really enjoyed this because we all think it would be great to have all these resources in our classrooms but how are we going to care for them and store them. In one picture laptops where stored on a cart and each student was assigned a number corresponding to a laptop. This holds a certain students responsible for each computer and helps to stay organized.

http://mscofino.edublogs.org/

Next I checked up on the blog Technology Fridge, I was happy to see all the updated resources posted. I chose to explore the topic Seven reasons teachers should blog, the creator focused on seven reasons why blogging is so professionally important for teachers:

·      Cause you to reflect

·      Crystallize your thinking

·      Open up new audiences

·      Create personal momentum

·      Give valueable feedback

·      Ability to be creative

·      Raise your game

I agree that blogging helps teachers to expand professionally, I especially agree with a few of the point made in this blog. Blogging has definitely made me reflect and open up about ideas I have. Blogging has also definitely opened me up to a new audience, since blogs are posted online and I chose to have a public account anyone can see the ideas I have posted. Since I’ve started to blog I have also been more aware of other peoples blogs and have found some pretty cool blogs that relate to my personal life and not only my professional life.

http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2011/07/seven-reasons-teachers-should-blog.html

Lastly I looked at the Scholastic blog that I chose to follow. I was pleasantly surprised to see all the blogs posted about summer activities. One post focused on Planning a Productive Summer for You and Your Students, this post gave really good ideas about how to keep your students engaged in reading over the summer. The first idea was to have the students reflect on their yearlong reading journal and develop a plan for reading over the summer. The post had other great ideas to get students excited about reading over the summer, but one idea I would like to share would be to take you students to the library before the year ends and sign them up for a reading program through the local library. This blog had lots of really great ideas.

http://blogs.scholastic.com/top_teaching/2011/06/planning-a-productive-summer-for-you-and-your-students.html

Connecting Global Education Communities

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with my first findings relating to connecting with global education communities, I kept coming across website that wanted me to join or pay for a membership. I didn't want a membership if I couldn't even look at the site... So I explored some of my classmates findings and felt motivated to find a better resource. As I continued to look I came across Nation Peace Corps Assosiation, and believe it or not it had a fantastic out look on connecting educators and parents globally.
The site provides educational resources and promotes students knowledge of, understand of, and respect for the people, cultures and nations of the world. The provide many global resources for educators and parents including: 

• Educators Toolbox-Global issues
• Classroom Materials
• Millenniun Development Goals 
• Teacher Professional Development
• Newsletters
• Mentoring 

The site also include critical thinking lesson plans for students around the world based on world issues. Educators can post questions or resources for other educators around the world to review and respond to.

http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/resources/education/