Digital Storytelling-Week 5

     So here we are in week five.  I'm currently working on draft number four of a story I thought I had a handle on. I'd planned each shot meticulously in my mind and even had some thoughts on the type of music I'd use to help convey the emotions I wanted to really connect with my audience.   Little did I know I would be stretched and unsettled over the next three weeks and my story would morph into something quite different from my original thoughts.    Although my story has taken some unexpected turns, the concept, the subject matter, and the audience have all remained the same. 

     After several re-writes over the weeks, I am now at the point of no return.  My final plan-the one I'm stickin' with- is to create a documentary style story. I will not appear on camera but rather act as an off-screen narrator.  My focus will be the stories and reactions my colleagues share during their interviews.  There will be several individual interviews and at least one interview in a small group setting.  The script (what little there is of it) will be entirely dependent on the participants.  They will be carrying the bulk of the conversation/story while I manage the story transitions to (hopefully) move seamlessly from topic to topic.  The subject matter is teacher stress and burnout and will, quite possibly, address several topics.  I have the shots in mind that I'd like to make and I have the story progression all mapped out. I know I've got the tools I'll need to record (iPad, lapel mics, iPad stand, lighting, etc.) and plan to edit through Moviemaker HD . My current timeline includes filming this week, editing over Thanksgiving break, sharing with my colleagues during our week six and being ready to share with all of you, my peers, the following week. Before I get to that point, however, I want to revisit some of the resource options Dr. Shannon shared with us.

     I guess, like any novice storyteller, I am still looking to include some kind of "WOW" factor to ensure my audience stays fully engaged.  I've kinda' wrestled with this because I know that a great story will keep an audience fully engaged without any special extras. I know my subject matter is relevant and compelling to the right audience but maybe I should include something extra "just in case".  I have experience with Chatterpix, one of the tools Byrne included in his online article. While my students love the talking animation feature Chatterpix includes, I don't think it's quite right for the seriousness of my story.  Adobe Spark, while useful, doesn't sound as though it offers the same level of "extras" as the MovieMaker HD Pro (which I currently use) does. WeVideo, however, is a resource I do plan to investigate since I am making a documentary of sorts.  I don't plan to include AR or VR so I won't be using any of those resources, nor do I plan to create an ebook or podcast.  Many of these resources, however, would make engaging additions to my tech club "tool chest", so I'm definitely bookmarking Byrne's article to refer to later with my students. Kapuler's web article included a ton of resources, most I'd never even heard of. That's definitely exciting for me as a "techie" and I'm excited to investigate and explore them all with my students. But back to this student's assignment: my digital story.

     My intended audience is the stakeholders in my school district: our administrators, school board members, parents, the education department chair at our local university, and anyone else willing to watch/listen. The purpose of my story is NOT to call anyone out or point fingers. The purpose of the story is to help these people, many of whom have been out of the classroom for a very long time (if they ever were in the classroom in the first place), see what teachers are feeling. Yes, they've probably already heard most of these points my colleagues will be making, but I want them to really see that the crisis is here at our own front door. And while my colleagues and I are grateful and appreciative of the small retention bonus awarded us earlier this year or the Christmas bonus every employee received, these issues are not going to be resolved by throwing money at the problems.  It's going to take a united effort from all of us to rectify this situation before the crisis gets any worse. I also want other teachers to find some support and solidarity through this story. Many teachers are suffering in silence, crying on the way home from work each night so their family members, friends, and colleagues won't see their pain.I don't have any answers but we do have some suggestions worth considering.  

     This assignment has helped me strengthen my video production skills as well as my writing skills. It's opened up a plethora of new tech resources for my students and I to explore and, hopefully, entice other teachers to explore. Additionally, it has helped me find my voice and courage to tell the story so many teachers are experiencing these days. I want our community, including our students, to know that teachers are fighting daily to give their students the very best they have to offer but unless there are drastic changes to how we see educators, how we treat educators, how we pay educators, education as we know it will be a thing of the past. Because as we sit and debate the issues and sweep them under the rug, the highly qualified, college trained teachers we rely on are leaving the career field in droves.

    

Byrne, R. (2019). Ten digital storytelling tools for students of all ages. Practical Ed Tech (n.d.). Retrieved from:  https://practicaledtech.com/2019/08/26/ten-digital-storytelling-tools-for-students-of-all-ages/

Kapular, D. (June 3, 2020). Top 30 tools and apps for digital storytelling.  Tech & Learning.  Retrieved from:  https://www.techlearning.com/tl-advisor-blog/30-sites-and-apps-for-digital-storytelling