I would love to use digital storytelling with my 4th and 5th 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.
What a great idea to share a book using digital storytelling! My students always want to read books that other students say are good. Your project is using positive peer pressure to promote reading. I think the idea of continuously playing the projects in the media center will be really effective. I would love to see something like that when I walk into my media center. It would eliminate the frequent complaint of, “I don’t know what book to get.”
ReplyDeleteI also think it is a good idea to use iMovie to “turn their script into a video presentation.” Students always like to see videos, especially of their friends. Have you tried using this program with any student projects before?
Page, I love the fact that you want your students to use this project with books they have read from the Media Center. I really like the idea of having the students read a book instead of reading from a computer screen. This would also require the students to search for a book in the Media Center and actually walk around instead of just sitting at a computer screen. I think sometimes we are focused so much on technology in the Media Center that we forget to look around the Media Center and realize that there are books that contain valuable information. Also I really think you have thought of a great project for the students to complete using both books and computers. This way by using books and computers you are making the assignment both fun and educational.
ReplyDeleteSince everyone has posted this, I will just agree with them, but this is a great idea. I hadn't even thought of this, but this is something my students could do even in first grade as a comprehension activity. I think this would also be a great way to get students excited about reading! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI really though your idea to add video into these presentations was a good idea. Students don't always know how to make videos, or that it is even an option. To turn a project into a video, you still see the student talking and actually doing the presentation, they just don't have to do it with the pressure of all the students around.
Having the students learn to use all this technology, but keeping the subject of the project simple would be a great way to introduce students to new things like video, and clip art. I always thing about projects having to incorporate a lot of new information, but using a favorite book of a student would also take the pressure off learning all the new facts for the presentation. This would be a great way to introduce students to technology like this.
Megan H
"After deciding on a book [for their book talk]... the students would use iMovie to turn their script into a video presentation."
ReplyDeleteI'm curious, what do you envision happening in the video (beyond the clip art or drawings you mentioned)?
For instance, will this be a video of the student author her/himself addressing the camera and then cutting to the student-created visuals depicting relevant book excerpts at appropriate times? If so, in what setting will you shoot the student commentators? If not, what other visuals were you envisioning?
Just curious. :-)
Kelvin,
ReplyDeleteThe students would be integrating video of themselves into the Book Talks as well as student created visuals.. We have a tv production studio in the media center and it has a news anchor-like desk that the students could use or we also have a green screen area in the studio, so we could really change the background to anything we want.
Thanks for your comments.
PageTerner