Digital Storytelling Project

I would love to use digital storytelling with my 4^th and 5^th grade students to promote books in the Media Center. I would work on this project in conjunction with their Reading and Language Arts teachers, who would give them a grade for the project.

The project would have the students using digital storytelling to promote a book they have read. After deciding on a book they would want to share with their classmates, they would have to create a script that included a little about the main characters, the basic plot of the book (without giving the whole story away), the genre the book falls under and the reasons they would recommend the book to their friends. To encourage the use of additional media, the students would use iMovie to turn their script into a video presentation. They would also be required to use drawings or clip art in the project to create a scene from the book that would help to promote their book. After the projects are finished and graded, they would be played in the Media Center on an ongoing basis to promote the books the students chose.

Before beginning the project, I would have my students look at some examples of Book Talks online – both print & mixed media types. We would also review sites on good writing practices and the proper way to credit your resources. Finally, we would view tutorials on creating iMovies.

I would also create a book talk video of my own to encourage the students in expressing their opinions and showing them how to provide support for their choice.

Digital Storytelling in the Media Center

This week we had to create a presentation about how we might use Digital Storytelling to benefit our students. I have had an idea for a while to have my students create Book Talks that I can show on the television that is mounted in the Media Center.  I think this is a good project because it not only encourages my students to read; it requires them to practice their writing and public speaking skills.

I decided to try out Prezi since I am a long time PowerPoint user. I found it very user friendly. I watched the three short videos provided on the Prezi site and they gave me all the basic tools I needed to create my first presentation. I added the text to represent my ideas, inserted some graphics and even framed some of my text and pictures. I decided to include a video that would represent the type of project my students might turn in and it was as easy as cutting and pasting. Finally, I chose the path the presentation would take and what information my viewer would see and in what order. 

I look forward to teaching my fellow faculty members and my students this user-friendly presentation software.

Digital Storytelling in the Media Center

Using Digital Storytelling in the Media Center on Prezi

Online Profiles - A New View

Before I became a Media Specialist, my online profile was minimal. I didn’t want to “tweet” and I did not want to be anyone’s “friend” on Facebook. Anytime a friend would tell me about a new website where I could check to see what information was out on the web about me, I was happy when only the most basic information appeared.

I still don’t want my personal information available to just anyone but I am seeing the benefits of creating an online presence.  After joining Twitter, I found I didn’t have to read every comment made and that I could “follow” the postings of other Librarians and technology savvy people.  In completing the “About Me” assignment, I also found that I can choose what I want to post and it can be a great tool to encourage my students to read by including comments on the books I have read, upcoming library events, and reading strategies for parents.

Now that I have added to my online profile for this class, I have come up with many ideas for my Media Center website including links to my favorite award winning books, a quote of the day from the students’ favorite authors and comprehension questions for the Battle of the Books competition we have within our district.

Even though this assignment has given me a different view about having an online profile, I want that profile to reflect my professional outlook and views, not my personal information. As I work on building my online profile, I am going to continue to stay away from Facebook.

Excel-ling at Spreadsheets

I am a lucky student this week. Working with an Excel spreadsheet is second nature to me. I have been using Excel for over ten years and by now it comes naturally to me. It is a great tool to use for many reasons. Besides the obvious tracking of data, I really like the fact that you can take the data you are using and create different charts and graphs that make it easier for others to interpret the data you are tracking.  Although “it is important to pick the chart type that provides the best visualization for your data.” (Gunter, 149) Having the added benefit of using a 3D style chart can add a professional look to your presentations.

This week’s assignment in Excel, showed a perfect way to track a student’s grade, permission slips and average grades. Using a program that can do the work of averaging student grades for you makes a teacher’s job a little easier. It is a useful program for creating classroom forms such as reading logs or classroom jobs.  The things that can be created in Excel is only limited by what we can dream up.

Stacy Anderson

References

Shelly, G.B., Gunter, G.A., Gunter, R. (2010). Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom. Boston, MA. Course Technology, Cengage Learning.
Shelly, G.B., Gunter, G.A., Gunter, R. (2010). Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom. Boston, MA. Course Technology, Cengage Learning. G.B., Gunter, G.A., Gunter, R. (2010). Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom. Boston, MA. Course Technology, Cengage Learning.

Shelly, G.B., Gunter, G.A., Gunter, R. (2010). Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom. Boston, MA. Course Technology, Cengage Learning.