Thursday, June 17, 2010
My Favorite Digital Storytelling Tool
UGH! I can't look at myself on camera any more! Here is my "Favorite Storytelling Tool" video that I made for SLM 508. Not perfect, but I can't record/watch/edit any more without going a little nutty.
Here's the link to Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbIXaXwBUgo
Here's the script (that I deviated from...a lot!):
Hi, I’m Joanna, and I’m going to share with you my favorite storytelling tool. I’ve shared digital images with friends and students for quite a while, and can see the benefits both in and out of the classroom. Personally, I love to view my friends’ photos in Flickr, and I also use the tool to find images under the Creative Commons agreement to enhance my personal projects. The photos that have been uploaded to Flickr are of an amazing quality. I think the Hot Spots tool is also valuable both in and out of the classroom and I particularly enjoy playing with Flickr images in Big Huge Labs, a site that allows users to modify images in fun ways.
And as much as I love Flickr, it’s not necessarily my favorite storytelling tool. I’ve amazed myself during this module by falling in love with Voice Thread. I created my voice thread account over a year ago, but it was a “look at it and abandon it” sort of relationship. I knew it was there, I knew what it could do, but I never persued creating anything in it. Now that I have created my podcast through Voice Thread, I can’t wait to bring it to my kids.
First, there is a relationship between Voice thread and Flickr, because for many school projects, it’s easier to locate CC images rather than trying to take our own digital images. Another school-friendly feature of Voice Thread is the ability to upload a power point. I found this out by accident when I mistakenly uploaded a ppt file rather than a jpg. Amazingly, the entire powerpoint uploaded as if each slide were a jpg. Usually, that requires an extra step in the “saving’ process of the original presentation.
I think Voice Thread is a great tool for the classroom because of its ease. Three simple steps : Upload, comment by texting or typing, and sharing. So often, students get caught up in the bells and whisles of certain programs, and Voice Thread will help keep them focused. As with most schools, my district is looking to push collaborative pairs and peer reviewing. The social aspect of Voice Thread allows for students to record or text comments on each other’s work.
So…how would a teacher use Voice Thread? A gym or health class can use Voice Thread as a tool to help show proper form during a sport, show different body parts, and maybe make an impactful “story” of the dangers of drug or alcohol abuse. A math teacher could have student tell a math story – much like Greg Tang’s books. Students could create a story about fractions using images of a pie or pizza. A physics teacher could use the images to create a story facilitating discussions about inertia or laws of motion and energy. A science teacher could have students take photographs during a lab experiment and create a story explaining what is happening during each stage. An art teacher could create stories demonstrating the stages of an artists’ “periods.” Of course, I’m imagining Picasso. With Voice Thread, all of these are not only possible, but can be achieved easily. Additionally, the higher order thinking and collaboration and discussion that can come from the story is a sign of true student learning and engagement.
Here's the link to Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbIXaXwBUgo
Here's the script (that I deviated from...a lot!):
Hi, I’m Joanna, and I’m going to share with you my favorite storytelling tool. I’ve shared digital images with friends and students for quite a while, and can see the benefits both in and out of the classroom. Personally, I love to view my friends’ photos in Flickr, and I also use the tool to find images under the Creative Commons agreement to enhance my personal projects. The photos that have been uploaded to Flickr are of an amazing quality. I think the Hot Spots tool is also valuable both in and out of the classroom and I particularly enjoy playing with Flickr images in Big Huge Labs, a site that allows users to modify images in fun ways.
And as much as I love Flickr, it’s not necessarily my favorite storytelling tool. I’ve amazed myself during this module by falling in love with Voice Thread. I created my voice thread account over a year ago, but it was a “look at it and abandon it” sort of relationship. I knew it was there, I knew what it could do, but I never persued creating anything in it. Now that I have created my podcast through Voice Thread, I can’t wait to bring it to my kids.
First, there is a relationship between Voice thread and Flickr, because for many school projects, it’s easier to locate CC images rather than trying to take our own digital images. Another school-friendly feature of Voice Thread is the ability to upload a power point. I found this out by accident when I mistakenly uploaded a ppt file rather than a jpg. Amazingly, the entire powerpoint uploaded as if each slide were a jpg. Usually, that requires an extra step in the “saving’ process of the original presentation.
I think Voice Thread is a great tool for the classroom because of its ease. Three simple steps : Upload, comment by texting or typing, and sharing. So often, students get caught up in the bells and whisles of certain programs, and Voice Thread will help keep them focused. As with most schools, my district is looking to push collaborative pairs and peer reviewing. The social aspect of Voice Thread allows for students to record or text comments on each other’s work.
So…how would a teacher use Voice Thread? A gym or health class can use Voice Thread as a tool to help show proper form during a sport, show different body parts, and maybe make an impactful “story” of the dangers of drug or alcohol abuse. A math teacher could have student tell a math story – much like Greg Tang’s books. Students could create a story about fractions using images of a pie or pizza. A physics teacher could use the images to create a story facilitating discussions about inertia or laws of motion and energy. A science teacher could have students take photographs during a lab experiment and create a story explaining what is happening during each stage. An art teacher could create stories demonstrating the stages of an artists’ “periods.” Of course, I’m imagining Picasso. With Voice Thread, all of these are not only possible, but can be achieved easily. Additionally, the higher order thinking and collaboration and discussion that can come from the story is a sign of true student learning and engagement.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
