Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Week 3 Digital Storytelling Reflection
Unfortunately, I have been a teacher who rarely uses video in the classroom past the usual Unitedstreaming clip or library video tape. I have created videos before using a Mac, but since we don't have them in my current school, I haven't had the students create any. Only after reading Chapter 2 did I really open up my pc's Windows Movie Maker and start playing around. I now regret not using it earlier in the classroom. As my students are in fourth grade and we have such a big emphasis on reading and writing, I immediately started picturing the ways my students could create stories using videos. However, I also see the value in accessing science content, creating videos about life cycles and plants, slowing down the effects of magnets, or recording the nightly images of the moon in the night sky. I also have loved the idea of displaying a photo, or video for that matter, and creating a writing prompt for the photo. So often I know my team and I get stuck in the idea that writing is reserved for the writing period of the day, but I would love to incorporate more writing based on photos and videos into science. I think it's a great way to start off a unit, whether it be about personal experience and background knowledge or formulating questions. Even though we don't have any type of cameras yet in our school I am still excited to get back in the classroom and try out the various modes of pictures and recordings.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I am a fifth grade teacher and we too have a huge emphasis on reading and writing. I was thinking about having my students make video but also handing to hand in a copy of a finalized script that has gone through the writing process as a creative writing assignment.
ReplyDeleteI teach in the high school and their seems to be a disconnect with reading and writing once the kids get to HS. We have a fairly small school about 75 - 90 kids per grade level. I had all the 9th graders last year for 9th grade science. We tested all our HS students using the STAR. I could tell I had some VERY POOR READERS in my class but never imagined that I had 3rd or 4th grade level readers in my classroom. I truly think that being able to read well is one of the keys to being a successful student.
ReplyDeleteAs far as digital story telling, I took a grad class where one of the 1st grade teachers, shared how her students made a "Brown Bear, Brown Bear"-like digital story book. It was so cool! The kids got to take all the pictures (they used their classroom digital camera) and the teacher/para-pro made a slide-show presentation.
The age with which technology is incorporated is amazing. Even from a young age our students are memorized.
The important thing isn't when you start...but that you start (and use them in a way to enhance student learning)!
ReplyDelete