“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