Digital Storytelling-Week 2: Becoming a Digital Storyteller

      This week's assignment had us taking a closer look at creating, sharing, and assessing digital stories- or "new media narratives"- as Ohler (p.17) refers to them.  Our objective this week was to view an online digital story example, reflect on the piece, and make connections to Ohler's text via discussion questions.  With that in mind, I grabbed a bowl of popcorn and sat down to enjoy a couple of tantalizing presentations produced by Met Media.  And when I say "tantalizing", I am not being facetious; I truly found the content engaging.  

    The first presentation I viewed was a "behind the scenes" look at the Met's Digital Storytelling Lab for students: #MetKids- Our Words, Our Stories.   (You can check it out here to see this super example of digital storytelling for yourself): https://www.metmuseum.org/metmedia/video/metkids/metkids-made-by-kids/digital-storytelling-lab-2016 .  The story revolves around young participants creating original stories based on the art found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's galleries. The story is a personal narrative mini-documentary featuring the young authors giving their "take" on what the experience was all about. The uplifting music playing in the background adds an air of whimsy to the content and draws the viewer into the pure pleasure and excitement the students experienced. The story relied on live-action sequences and photo stills to convey the intended message. The producers of the video also utilized on-screen text to label people and "chapters", if you will.  Overall, this personal experience story was engaging and interesting to watch.  Perhaps I found it as such because I have an interest in the subject matter. As Ohler points out, "...a story resonates when others can relate to it" (p.25).  I definitely found the content relatable and was completely engaged. I found the presentation memorable, not on an emotional level, per se, but rather from an interest and educational standpoint. I caught myself wanting to question the subjects of the piece about their experiences with the subject matter. I also wanted to question their use of the Twine (choose your own adventure) site and the MDQ (major dramatic question) technique they utilized. That, according to Ohler, was the hook that made me an active viewer. Would a different viewer have the same experience? Maybe or maybe not, depending on their level of interest in the subject matter. 

      Regardless of one's interest level in the subject matter, there is definitely academic value contained within and through the use of this presentation.  Ohler (2013) suggests equal parts academic focus and engagement when creating a story. Within the story, it was easy to see the academic value of the cross-curricular content areas involving language arts (writing, story elements, etc.), art, and public speaking.  How could it be used in education? This digital story could be used to introduce students to the art of digital storytelling because it contains so many of the elements that make digital stories dynamic:  music, on-screen text, live-action sequences, and photo stills, among others. Or perhaps it could simply be a precursor to a lesson on writing adventure stories. I've given two examples of its possible use in education and I'm certain there are many more I've not considered. 

     How would I assess what I saw in this digital presentation?  I would draw four or five specific traits from Ohler's Digital Stories Assessment Traits table (p.90) to create a rubric. *Note: I take exception to Ohler's (2013) statement that, "...traditional educators often aren't new media literate (a situation that is changing as teachers become younger and more digitally savvy) and thus don't feel comfortable assessing new media projects..." (p.84).  While I realize he is not speaking in absolutes, I believe that educators, no matter their age, are life-long learners and are willing to learn IF someone is willing to teach them. 

     Speaking of being a life-long learner, I found this digital story so interesting, I decided to watch some of the student-created stories that were included on the #MetKids site so I could informally assess the students' presentations. They were great and became sort of motivators for me as I have decided to plan a stop-motion animation unit for my Intermediate Music students.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  Until next time...

Mrs.Thomas: TeacherTechster

Resources:

Ohler, J. (2013). Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications ISBN-13: 978-1452268255; ISBN-10: 1452268258.

Digital Storytelling Week 1

     So the road to my Masters includes a short layover in "Digital Storytelling". To be honest, I've been looking forward to this class. I love all things "techie" and am frequently called upon to assist others in my building. I started our school's technology club where students have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of broadcasting, green screen and stop motion technology, and our own version of digital storytelling.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let me pause briefly to introduce myself.  

     My name is Pamela Thomas and I am an elementary school teacher.  I have been teaching for 24 years and began my career as an early childhood teacher primarily teaching students in Kindergarten and first grade.  Recently, however, I decided to make the move to teaching elementary Music to our entire student population (approximately 300 students).  As mentioned earlier, I started our school's technology club and provide opportunities for our students to work with technology in a variety of ways not always available to them in the regular classroom setting. Members of the "club" learn how to use stop-motion animation, green screen applications, recording and editing software and other tech resources to create and broadcast news casts and commercials all while telling their own stories they share with our school audience.  

     The experience I've gained at work while sponsoring our "Technology Club" and helping students discover an interest in technology helped me discover a hidden passion I didn't even realize I had. I absolutely LOVE the creative outlet I'm afforded while telling stories through digital platforms. I have taken over the role of web-master for our school as well as "social media coordinator" (fancy, self-appointed title for Facebook page administrator). These additional roles, while rewarding, are also time- consuming and stressful. Thinking about all the additional duties and responsibilities teachers have thrust upon them has led me to consider a story about teacher burnout and the teacher exodus we're currently seeing. This isn't a new topic but it is certainly a timely one, in my opinion. We've heard experiences from around the United States, but I would like to bring the issue down to a more personal, district-level issue. My approach would be to include "shadow" interviews with new teachers as well as veteran teachers to hear their experiences and perspectives and see where these interviews take us.  It's still a really rough idea but I think it's one worth following. According to Ohler (2013), "...the heartbeat of most good stories is conflict resolution" (p. 9).  Teachers are in conflict and need to be heard. Telling their stories and bringing to light the real issues facing our educators may just help them, their students, and education as a whole survive this most difficult time.  

     As far as which platform I might choose to use, I haven't given it much thought. Presenting the story as a podcast is a possibility, as is a traditional video presentation. Middleton (2013) offers some very compelling thoughts (for the time) on using the podcast/videocast as an option for delivery of the digital content. He describes the process by which the media is recorded and shared via an RSS feed for distribution. Further, he points out that students need choice in how they access the media and may be more willing to subscribe to an automated feed (iTunes, etc.) due to ease of use.  When considering distribution of my digital story, I must think about the audience I intend to reach. At this point in the planning process, I expect my story to be for a very small, specific audience. I am not planning to reach the masses with my story, just those individuals within my immediate school community who can help affect change and, as Ohler (2013) suggests, "...help us make sense out of the chaos of life" (p. 9). Either way, I am looking forward to the engagement and education this story will bring.

Middleton, A. (2013). Digital voices: A collaborative exploration of the recorded voice in post compulsory education. MELSIG & Sheffield Hallam University. CC BY NC-ND 4.0

Ohler, J. (2013).  Digital Storytelling in the Classroom:  New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity.  Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications