“Creative Educator 4: The Art of Digital Storytelling”

Bernajean Porter, the author of the article explains that digital storytelling is a 21st century method by which stories can be told. She believes that stories are important because they can be motivational and educational. She goes on to explain that she developed 6 characteristics for students to focus on to develop a good digital story. However, in this article she is focusing on living the story and unfolding the lesson learned. She explains that without these two aspects of the story, the story might be a good story, but it is not storytelling.

Living in the story:
It is important to remember to not tell about something, but rather to have the reader feel and experience the tale. Often writers will tell stories about a pet or a grandparent, but this is not an effective way to storytell. Instead, the writer needs to share their emotional connection with the pet or grandparent.

Unfolding a lesson Learned:
A good story needs to have a moral or lesson learned. If there is no moral to the story, it leaves the reader wondering what is the point to the story. In addition, the writer needs to remember not to bore their audience with long drawn out stories.

Find the Lesson Learned:
Often in order to find the lesson learned, the author must do much personal reflection. Ms. Porter gave an example of a digital storytelling experience she had when she observed a teacher teaching middle school students how to dig deep to find the moral of the story. The teacher told her story in two different ways. The first story she told as a summary, the second story she told in narrative form. After hearing both stories all the students agreed that the second approach was the better story.

I think that digital storytelling can be a very effective way for students to learn how to write. Digital storytelling can be a good way to engage students. Furthermore, while they learn to write well, they will be learning how to use technology effectively.

Reference:
Porter, B. Creative Educator 4: The Art of Digital Storytelling. Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6NjgyMDFiYzM2MGM3NzhhMw

“Take Six: Elements of a Good Digital Story”

The author of the article says that there are 6 basic components to creating a good digital story. The 6 components are:

Living inside your story:
When telling a story, you tell the story in first person while sharing your feelings and thoughts. You must make sure your voice can be clearly heard and that you share with your heart not your head.

Unfolding Lessons Learned:
A good digital story must have an insight into how a particular situation touched your life. It must have a moral or a lesson learned. The ending must give a clear picture of the point of the story.

Developing Creative Tension:
The story must have a good hook that grabs the reader and does not let go until the end. The problem must be paced and a surprise turn of events is a good way to keep your reader’s attention.

Economizing the Story Told:
A good story has a purpose and seeks that purpose by the shortest path available. A digital story should be no more than 3-5 minutes with no more than one page or 500 words. The tail must be short, but still be true to the tail. Use the fewest words and images to make your point.

Showing not telling:
A good storywriter gives a clear, vivid picture in the mind of the reader. Unlike traditional stories, digital stories can have sound or music added to parts of the story.

Develop Craftsmanship:
A good story incorporates technology in skillful ways. The images, sound, voice, color, white space, animations and overall design effectively work as a whole to communicate the story.

This article was very informative. I agree that a good story must have the voice of the writer as well as a good hook. The reader must be able to feel what the writer is experiencing and be able to relate to the writer. Furthermore, the use of technology must not distract from the overall meaning of the story.

Reference:
Take Six: Elements of a Good Digital Story. (2004). Retrieved February 22, 2010, from
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6MWQyMTgyMTg3ZDZjYzQ1MA

“P21 Framework Definitions”

This article was written to help teachers integrate skills into teaching the core subjects. The article describes the skills, knowledge, and expertise that teachers must teach their students. These skills are important so that students will be able to succeed in work and life. The teacher must integrate these important topics into their lessons by blending content knowledge, specific skills, expertise and literacies into the lesson.To be successful, students must be able to master core subjects. The core subjects include:
· English, reading or language arts
· World languages
· Art· Mathematics
· Economics
· Science
· Geography
· History
· Government and civics

Furthermore, the writers of the article believe that students must be able to understand academic content at higher levels. The authors suggest that this can be done by integrating interdisciplinary themes into the core subjects. The following are some of the topics that teachers should integrate into the core subjects:
· Global awareness
· Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial literacy
· Civic literacy
· Healthy literacy
· Environmental literacy
Other important topics that educators should integrate into their lessons include:
Creativity and innovation:
· Teach students to think creatively
· Work creatively with others
· Implement innovations
Critical thinking and problem solving:
· Use logic and reason effectively
· Analyze how parts of the whole interact with each other
· Make judgments and decisions
· Solve problems
Communications and collaboration:
· Communicate clearly
· Collaborate with othersInformation, media and technology skills:
· Access and evaluate information
· Use and manage informationMedia Literacy:
· Students need to learn how to analyze media
· Students need to learn how to create Media ProductsInformation, Communications and Technology (ICT):
· Students need to know how to apply technology effetely
Life and Career skills:
· Students need to learn to be flexible and adaptable
· Adapt to changeImitative and self-direction:
· Manage goals and time
· Work independently
· Be self-directedSocial and cross –cultural skills
· Interact well with others
· Work effectively in diverse teamsProductivity and accountability:
· Manage projects
· Produce resultsLeadership and responsibility
· Guided and lead others
· Be responsible to others

Furthermore, teachers need to assess student’s 21st century skills, implement 21st century skills into the curriculum, receive 21st century professional development and create an environment that supports the teaching and learning of 21st century skills.

I thought this article presented important concepts of analyzing and using technology in the classroom. I agreed with the emphasis that placed attention upon providing information that will help students to develop adequate life and career skills needed in a global market.

Reference:
The P21 Framework Definitions. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6NGYyZmIwYThmY2FhODJkZg

“National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers”

The teacher must be able to do the following:
Technology operations and concepts:
· Have a basic understanding of skills related to technology
· Continue to grow in skills for emerging technology
Planning and designing learning environments and experiences:
· The teacher must be able to develop developmentally appropriate tasks involving technology
· The teacher must apply current best practices for teaching with technology
· The teacher must be able to evaluate the accuracy of technology resources
· The teacher must be able to implement technology into his/her lesson
· The teacher must have strategies for managing student learning with technology
Teaching, learning, and the curriculum:
· The teacher must be able to facilitate the use of technology to enhance learning experiences
· The teacher must be able to use technology to support the diverse needs of all learners
· The teacher use technology to develop student’s higher order thinking skills
· The teacher must be able to manage student learning activities using technology
Assessment and evaluation:
· The teacher must apply technology to assess student learning
· The teacher must use technology resources to communicate student progress
· The teacher must apply various methods to evaluate whether students use technology resources appropriately

This article brought basic concepts for teaching and incorporating technology into the classroom into a concise list of standards.

Reference:
National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6NDhkZTU1OWMxMjRkMTVhNQ

“The National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Students”

This article gave clear standards of what teachers are required to implement into their classroom.
Under creativity and innovation, the teacher must implement the following:
· Student applies existing knowledge to generate new ideas
· Have students create original works that promote students personal and group expression
· Use models to explore complex ideas
· Identify trends
To implement communications and collaboration, the teacher must implement
· Have students interact with each other to employ a variety of digital media
· Students communicate information effectively using a variety of types of media
· Students develop cultural awareness by engaging with other cultures
· Contribute to teams to solve problems.
To implement research and information fluency, the teacher must,
· Plan and guide inquiry
· Have students, locate, organize, evaluate and use information from various sources and media formats
· Have students evaluate and select digital media based on the type of task needed
· Have students report the results they find
To implement critical thinking skills and problem solving, the teacher must,
· Have students identify and define real life problems and significant questions
· Have students plan and manage activities to come up with a solution
· Have students use multiple processes and implement diverse perspectives
To implement digital citizenship the teacher must have students:
· Use safe and legal digital practices
· Teach students to have positive attitude toward the use of technology and support collaboration
· Teach students to have a lifelong love for learning
· Teach students to have digital citizen and leadership skills
To implement operations and concepts the teacher must have students:
· Understand and use technology
· Students must be able to select and use applications effectively
· Student must be able to troubleshoot
· Use current knowledge to learn new technology

This article brought basic concepts for teaching and incorporating technology into the classroom into a concise list of standards.

Reference:
The National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Students.
Retrieved February 19, 2010, from
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6NDhkZTU1OWMxMjRkMTVhNQ

"Standards for the 21st-Century Learner”

Common Beliefs:

• Reading is a very important skill. Whether it is reading a picture, video or print.
  
• For students to become an independent learner, they must not only gain skills, but they must also have a disposition that promotes those skills.
  
• Students must be taught how to use information ethically.
  
• Technology skills are very important to students when seeking employment.
  
• All children should have equitable access to technology and books.
  

It is now necessary that students are able to acquire the thinking skills that enable them to learn on their own. Students need to be able to evaluate information effectively. Students need to be able to share knowledge and participate productively as members of a democratic society. In my opinion since we are living in the technology era, all students must be given training and access to the new technologies that are being developed and used. Without this training, students will be at a significant disadvantage in both the educational and occupational fields. For this reason, students must be not only familiar with the mechanics of the new technologies but they must be also able to analyze the content to determine if the sources are reliable and accurate.
Reference:

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Retrieved February 13, 2010, from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6MzQ4YzY3NGM4NzgxM2U4NA

“Education for the 21st Century: The Basics”

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed six elements for 21st century educators. The elements provide a framework for teaching and learning in the 21st century and help focus on areas that need to be reformed within teaching. They center on core subjects that are legally mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. They also focus on the new content areas of global awareness; financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy; civic literacy; and health/wellness awareness. In addition, they address learning and thinking skills that include critical thinking and problem solving skills; communication; creativity and innovation; collaboration; contextual learning; and information media literacy. They also concentrate on life skills such as leadership, ethics, accountability, personal responsibility, and self-direction.
The author suggests that 21st Century Educators need the following skills:
The teacher must be able to adapt the curriculum to teach digital tools. He/she must be able to adapt software that is made for a business so that it is suitable for various age groups. The 21st Century Educator must be a visionary. He/she must be able to look at other’s ideas and see how they could be used within the classroom. The teacher must be able to look at other disciplines and fields and integrate it into the students’ learning. The teacher must be able to utilize collaboration within his/her classroom using electronic mediums such as Blogger and MySpace. The teacher must be willing to take risks to further student knowledge of technology. The 21st Century teacher must be a learner and continue to stay current on the technological advances. The teacher must be able to effectively communicate using technologies. The teacher must also model behaviors they expect their students to display. Finally, the 21st Century teacher must be an effective leader.
Furthermore, the article suggests that there are three factors that must be present for integration and implementation of information and communication technology to work.
The classroom must be equipped with up-to-date technology. The teacher must be proficient in his/her ability to use a variety of pedagogical integration strategies. Finally, the curriculum must implement technology so that it mirrors the world that our students will live in. Finally, the learning space must have a shift from the traditional setting. It must move away from teacher-centered and move toward student-centered. It must be flexible and support technology.
I believe that it is very important to integrate technology into our lessons. The more we teach our students how to use technology, the better they will be prepared to work in the real world. As time progresses, technology will become more and more a part of our everyday lives. Therefore, it is important that student become as proficient as they can in the use of various forms of technology.
Reference:
Education for the 21st Century: The Basics. Retrieved February 13, 2010 from
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6NTI0ZDFmOWIwNGNiMDQwMg&pli=1

"Copyright 101"

The article, "Copyright 101," educates teachers of their rights and responsibilities when using copyrighted material. The author starts out by giving the reasoning behind the use of copyright and why it is important to abide by the rules when using copyrighted material. Ms. Thompson presents an explanation of "fair use". She explains that teachers are free to use "fair use" works if they are using them for teaching, scholarship, or research. Thompson also explains the way the court determines whether "fair use" applies to a work. There are four main factors when deciding if "fair use" is applicable. The court will decide whether the work was used for commercial or nonprofit purposes. They will determine if the work is fact-based or highly creative. Finally, it will decide whether the amount of work used will have an effect on the open market. Thompson also explains public domain. A work that qualifies for public domain is one in which either the copyright has expired or the work is created by the federal government.

Reference:
Thompson, K. (2005). Copyright 101. Learning & Leading with Technology (Vol. 32 No 7). Retrieved February 7, 2010, fromhttp://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6MTU4YTI5NDFlZmU0M2FiYw

“What is Creative Commons”

This article explains what Creative Commons, CC, is and how it works. CC is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals and companies legally share creative works. CC has been used to share cultural, educational, and scientific works. It is a free and easy to use tool that gives individuals legal rights to their works. It is less stringent than traditional copyright in that the creator of the work can allow others to use their works while putting some stipulations on its use.
Reference:What is Creative Commons. Retrieved February 7, 2010, fromhttp://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6OTE3OWE0YjAxZDhkMGVi&pli=1

Review of “Universal Design for Learning Guidelines”

This chart presents learning guidelines including multiple means of representation, multiple means of expression, and multiple means of engagement. The multiple means of representation provides options for perception, use of language and symbols, and options to improve comprehension. Multiple means of expression include expression by physical action, expressive skills and fluency, as well as options for implementing the strategies. It also provides multiple means of engagement including options for creating interest, staining effort, and self-regulation. This is a well-organized chart that could be useful in implementing teaching strategies.
References:
Universal Design for Learning Guidelines. (2008). Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6NDNjOTgzNTJkZjVlNjM3Ng

Review of “Universal Design of Web Pages in Class Projects”

This article was written to inform web designer of the need to make websites accessible to everyone. Some people who use the web have visual impairments, hearing impairments, cannot operate a mouse, have slow internet connections, have difficulty navigating the web due to a learning disability, speak English as a second language, are younger than the average user, or are senior citizens. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that web pages produced by federal agencies adhere to accessibility standards.
Some tips that were given to help make websites accessible to everyone were to maintain a simple and consistent layout of the webpage, keep the background of the webpage simple and make sure there is enough contrast in coloring. Make link text descriptive so that it can be understood out of context, and include a note about accessibility.
This article was helpful to me. I had never thought too much about the need for making webpage accessible to people with disabilities.
References:
Burgstahler, S. (2005). Universal Design of Web Pages in Class Projects. Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6NzJjZjE1YTNlN2QyODI5NA

Review of “Design Your Web Site from the Bottom Up”

This article gave very helpful tips on developing a high quality website. The author gave many good suggestions along with his reasoning behind those suggestions. One of his suggestions was that when developing a website, the web designer should start with the last page of the website and work his/her way up. At first this seemed counter-intuitive, but after reading further, this idea makes sense. The author goes on to suggest that web designers brainstorm to come up with a table of contents on how they are going to group their pages, decide who their audience is, and what is most important to their audience.
Mr. Pappas goes on to suggest that a web designer develop a flow chart of how the web pages will flow. When designing a navigational plan it is important to remember that some of your audience might have disabilities, and to make your website accessible to these viewers as well. Finally, it is important to keep your website uncluttered.
I think the tips given in this article were presented in a very logical sequence and were very helpful. I have developed a website before, but many of the tips given were new to me.
Reference:
Pappas, P. (2000). Design You Web Site from the Bottom Up. Retrieved from
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6NjMxYjkxMGZlZGMwOWQ4Yw&pli=1

Review of “Five Rules for Writing a Great WebQuest”

The author of the article provides five general pieces of advise on how to create a quality web quest. He gives the acronym, FOCUS, to aid in recalling the steps to making a great web quest. FOCUS stands for finding great sites, Orchestrate your learners and resources, Challenge your learners to think, Use the medium, and Scaffold high expectations. Knowledge of cooperative learning strategies is also useful for web designers. A cooperative learning environment should include: positive interdependence, promotive interaction, individual and group accountability, interpersonal and small group skills and group processing.

I think Bernie’s five rules for developing a great web quest could aid both teachers and students by giving a clear template to follow.

Reference:

Dodge, B. (2001). Five Rules for Writing a Great WebQuest. Learning & Leading with Technology, 28(8), 6-9. Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjd3UzMTZlZHRlY2h8Z3g6MzU0OWQwZGVmZjY3Yzhk

Review of “The student Web Quest”

The article “The Student Web Quest” informs teachers about what a web quest is and how it can be useful within the classroom. The author claims that web quests promote problem-solving and decision-making skills. She goes on to give tips and advise on how to set up a web quest. Maureen gives many examples of how teachers have used web quests to further their curriculum and to promote student interest and critical thinking skills for their students in their lessons.

As a future teacher, I can see where web quests could be a valuable tool for student learning. I can see myself using web quests for topics like math and science. For example, in a calculus class, the students could do a web quest on the design and engineering of a bridge. This would give them a better idea of how math can be used within the real world.

Reference:
Yoder, M. B. The student Web Quest. Retrieved from http://wikitraining.acsd.wikispaces.net/file/view/5+The+Student+Web+Quest.pdf

Review of “Family Guide to Child Safety on the Internet”

This article is a guide on how to help parents advise their children and keep them safe on the Internet. There are many resources listed as well as tips on how to avoid problems. The article also informs parents of the need to teach their children about intellectual property, and how to validate the information they find on the Internet. There is also a helpful safety checklist.

Reference:
Retrieved January 15, 2010,
from www.marylandfamilymagazine-internetsafety.com

Review of “Teaching Zack to Think”

In this article, the author suggests that students often believe that all information that is on the Internet is valid. The author gave an example of a student who was researching the holocaust for a history paper. The student found information on the Internet claiming that the holocaust never happened. The student did not question the information since it was from a website with the name “Northwestern University” and the author of the website claimed to be a history professor. Mr. November goes on to explain some useful tips to teach student how to determine if a website’s information is valid.
I think that it is very important that we as teachers teach our students how to find accurate information on the Internet. As the Internet becomes more and more a part of our lives, students will need to be able to know skills for evaluating information given on the Internet. The more we teach students about these skills, the better they will be able to think critically.

Reference:
November, A., Retrieved January 15, 2010,
from novemberlearning.com

Review of "Developing Ethical Direction"

In the article “Developing Ethical Direction” the authors explain that children need to be taught that stealing copyrighted items from the Internet is illegal and unethical. They go on to suggest that students will not always agree on what is right, and often will argue that there are shades of grey when it come to copyrighted material on the internet. Another prevailing belief that young people hold is that if no one knows that they are taking copyrighted material it is acceptable. The authors suggest that the best way to help young people understand what is right is through discussion, self-reflection, and role modeling.
I agree with the author that when it comes to the Internet, people often believe that everything is “fair game.” For several years, musicians were loosing a vast amount of money by people downloading their music for free. It was not until the government started to crackdown on the crime that people stopped the illegal activity. If other media forms are not also regulated and people are not taught to be more conscientious, I believe that this activity will continue.

Reference:
Ribble, M. S., & Bailey, G. D. (2005). Developing Ethical Direction. Learing & Leading with Technology, 32, 36-38.

Review of Digital Kids. Analog Schools.

The article presented different opinions regarding the use of technology in the classroom.
We are living in a digital age, but we are also living in an age where a key to success will be able to learn new tasks quickly and independently. As educators our primary goal is to teach students the basics including being able to read and write proficiently. If students have these basic skills, they will be able to quickly learn the new technology that is available.Reference:
Digital Kids. Analog Schools. Retrieved January 8, 2010, from http://www.scottmcleod.net/storage/digitalkids.pdf

Review of Tools for the Mind

In the article “Tools for the Mind” the author argues that computers are not being used to their full potential to promote higher order thinking. I agree that computers can be a very useful component in helping students with higher order thinking skills. When I was taking an online math class, I found the interactive computer software more helpful in learning concepts than most of my college professors. I liked that I could view 3D graphs from multiple perspectives as well as see how the graph would change by entering new data into the software. As a result, I believe the more we can integrate technology into our classrooms the more successful a student will be.Reference:Burns, M. (2006). Tools for the Mind. Educational Leadership, 63 48-53.

Review of Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Article

In this article, the author is describing how the world is different from the world of previous generations. Mr. Prensky goes on to describe how the people of the pre-millennial and the millennial generations think and how they perform tasks differently. He states that even the way the millennial generations talk is different from the previous generations. Today’s students generally are able to multi task and have little patience for slow paced lectures.
I felt that the he author of “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” had a rather harsh view of the pre-millennial generations. It seemed as though the author was belittling the skills of earlier generations. The earlier generation’s skills could be viewed as just as important as the computer and technology skills of the millennialists. I also disagreed with the author in that he believed that the millennialists are able to multi-task better than prior generations. While it would appear that they are able to multi-task better, it is my belief that humans can only attend to one task at a time. Yes, we can multi-task, but not well. Texting and talking on the cell phone while driving a car has become a major problem. As a result there have been many car accidents. New laws are being written to prevent the use of cell phones while driving.Reference:Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon (Vol. 9 No. 5).NCB University Press.