Math LedgeEnds: Digital Story Board

This story board was created using Mac ComicLife software.

Math LedgeEnds: Digital Story Rubric

I chose the story rubric at its.ksbe.edu/dst/PDFs/Rubrics/digstorysample.pdf because it suited my purposes perfectly. It's from Educational Technology Services provided by Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii.

While I was looking for ideas, I found two rubric sites, as well as Dr. Ohler's, that are specifically dedicated to digital stories.

http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/alignment.html
Digital storytelling is the latest direction in the art of storytelling . . . Educators are only beginning to explore the use of digital storytelling in the classroom. Upon examination, it becomes apparent that that digital storytelling would further standards-based teaching in a variety of ways.

http://www.digitales.us/evaluating/scoring_guide.php
Digital Media Scoring Guides: First choose one of the following communication types and then customize your scoring guide by checking only the traits and elements you want to use at this time. Click on each keyword for descriptors. For more detailed information on these scoring guides and further resources, see Overview of Digital Media Scoring Guides.

Math Ledge Ends: A Digital Story

Math Ledge Ends: Divide and Conquer

This digital story was created with the purpose of reminding students to use the divisibility tests to make their problem solving easier. The story idea and character shots are the product of team work. My colleague and I got together and created the digital images; then, we created our independent stories based on the original story plan.

What I learned:

I learned the process of team story telling works really well. Brainstorming, story mapping, and image gathering is well suited for teaming. Once the material is gathered, students can go to work separately and use their technology skills to create the digital story. This format should work very well in my upper intermediate classroom and I plan to use it as soon as possible.

Using Digital Storytelling:

I'm very convinced that digital story telling is a powerful way to address standards and have fun learning. I plan to use the model my colleague and I used for this project with my students. First on the agenda is a History Day project that I have scheduled for the third quarter. I think students will be enthusiastic because of the teaming and also have accountability because of the individual project completion.

Philosophy of Education

I used video, pictures, and audio to create short video about my philosophy of education. Backwards design, differentiation, project-based learning, and technology integration are key components of my classroom structure.

Overall, the issues of fair use, copyright, and media release are the biggest challenges that I have when creating media suitable for posting on the Internet. In the classroom and for myself, I believe in creating each element used in a piece of media. In order to do this, it's important to record lots of clips for later use; for this, I recommend making more short clips rather than long, unbroken segments.

In order to collect original media for projects, students need to have lots of time to create art, scan, photograph, or record video. I think a project similar to our video philosophy would work well in a classroom.

More about the Philosophy:

Many ways to reach the shore: Students have different learning styles and strengths, but they can all be successful. Teachers can use differentiation strategies to help them.

Plan the destination: Setting specific goals, before beginning lessons, is essential to success.

Get rid of things that aren't working: If a teaching strategy isn't successful, get rid of it.

Make time for rest and recreation: Students and teachers need breaks so keep the homework reasonable and meaningful.

Do projects not paperwork: A meaningful project is a great way to incorporate many smaller learning objectives.

Teach students to use 21st century tools: Teachers need to get their classes involved with the technology that is being used all around us. If schools can provide purposeful instruction, students will have a better chance of becoming media literate.

Teach students to help each other: A classroom is only as successful as the cooperation between individual members. Each break in the chain of cooperation weakens the learning potential.

Keep a sense of humor and have fun: Sometimes, it's better to smile and laugh - even when your really annoyed!

Reflect where you've been and plan for your next destination: What worked? What didn't? Where to go next. The cycle continues.

Chasing the Moth - A Picture Story

Being alone after school gave him time to think. He sat with his feet on the couch – wearing his shoes in a small act of rebellion. His mind turned to the list of items he would need when he went into the wooded park behind his house: net, jar with a holed lid, water, and peanut butter crackers. Sometimes he went without food, but today, he was determined to stay until he captured the unusual moth he had seen flying near the edge of his yard.

After he gathered the necessities, he headed out his back door toward the last place he had seen the moth. He walked and jogged until he arrived at a small clearing. Across the clearing he spotted something bobbing in the air and landing on the plants. With greater stealth than most eleven year olds possess, he crossed the clearing and spotted his prey. Net in hand, he swiped at his target and missed. He watched the moth fly deeper into the woods.

He stalked and swiped many times. Each attempt chased the moth only inches out of the net’s reach. His frustration turned to anger and sadness. His stalking became noisy and his swipes reckless. The sluggishness of the moth added to the taunting he felt each time he missed. After a final clumsy swipe, he sat down and dropped his net. He pulled a leaf from a plant and held it in his hand. He felt alone. He didn’t feel lucky today. He never felt lucky.

He stared at the leaf and until it became unfocused and blurred. He was very still and he sensed the cold path of a tear traveling along the side of his nose. After a long time, something gently interrupted his blurred field of vision. He allowed his eyes to focus and the center of the image sharpened. He watched the moth alight on his leaf. Sitting motionless, he waited until the tears were dry and his mind turned to his plans for the next day.

Futuring: Week 2

a. Assessment

In my classroom of sixth grade students, I use a form of assessment that is criteria based and modeled loosely after the model of our school district's Standards Based Assessment Report that is currently being designed and tested. Basically, for any given criteria, students can earn the following scores:

0-Missing, 1-Something, 2-Completed With Support, 3-Meets Expectations, 4-Exceeds Expectations

My response for assessment is just a list of what I might assign to elicit project based work modeled after the two samples below.

Student Products for Assessing Fox Becomes a Better Person

• Visual Portrait of a Story: Beginning, Call to Adventure, Problem, Solution, Closure, Character Transformation
• Peer Pitch
• Rough Draft of Story
• Peer Conferences
• Teacher Conferences
• Final Draft
• Illustrations: One for each point on the VPS
• Storytelling: Speaking clearly, facing audience, gesturing, having fun
  

Other Products - Required, Not Graded, Formative Assessement Only

• Scanning or Photographing Illustrations
• Creating chromakeyed video
• Recording audio and video

Student Products to Assess for a project like School Train

Partnering: select a partner to work with
Word Selection: select two words you will compare metaphorically
Comparison/Contrast Chart: brainstorm of literal and figurative attributes.
Comparison T-Chart: Create a T-Chart of word partners compare individual attributes
Audio Recording: Read words into Garage Band Podcast recording individual word partners
Music Track: Select music that reinforces your metaphor
Photos and Video: Create photos and video to add to your Podcast

b. Impact of Epic 2015

The developments portrayed in Epic 2015 will change society’s ability to leverage the power of synchronized idea development. Using technology such as podcasting from a hand held device, a person will have an idea, share it, and see who else has the idea in a matter of seconds. The shared information can then be put to use with individualized or collaborative purposes. The ability to utilize shared information will empower those who participate and leave behind those who don’t. Our classrooms and district budgeting will have to adapt and create equitable access for students to learn how to use and live with technology.

From Time Magazine:

One consequence might be that we finally recognize history's Great Innovators for what they were: the products of a culture of scarcity that taught us to regard them and their talents as rare. That they were (and are) specially talented is not in doubt here. But semi-intelligent information technology and the transition of a culture from one of information scarcity to one of abundance may for the first time allow all the rest of us into the invention game. Then technology will provide the nuts-and-bolts backup to give shape to whatever any imaginative brain can conceive. And there are more than 6 billion imaginative brains out there across the planet waiting for the opportunity. As this special report amply illustrates, it is already happening. (Burke, Dec. 2000)

My 21st Century Classroom Ideas

Student laptops and stylus pads
Smart Wall (larger smart board)
Sound booths for recording audio
Access to real time connections with other classrooms around the world
(List under construction – link of idea collection to follow)

c. How I would use Sabrina's Journey as a model for my students.

I would like to use Sabrina's Journey as a digital story model that illustrates the literary device of repetition and the structure of a circular plot. My students could create a story using the criteria I listed for assessing Fox Becomes a Better Person, and include the added elements. I think it would be an excellent model for fiction or non-fiction writing.

test blog post

This is a test of the email to blog feature.

Time is of the Essence!

Anchorage, Alaska is my hometown - born, raised, left, returned. I'm teaching 6th grade in the same elementary school I attended in 6th grade. It's a pleasure to see old friends every day and see both continuity and change.

This is my tenth year of teaching and making technology part of my students' classroom life is very important to me. The biggest hurdle over the years has been acquiring the technology equipment and support for myself and my students. Last year, I was awarded a grant and I now have a laptop loaded with the software I need for the Ed Tech program. I'd like to see technology education become more accessible and affordable for all teachers. I plan to continue applying for more grants as time allows.

When I'm not teaching or typing my blog, I stay busy with my family. I'm an arts person living the life of a hockey mom, but I enjoy being a fan of my favorite player.

Digital Stories

Digital stories have been a great addition to my classroom. I'm looking forward to learning more!