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The writing process is familiar through the need for a written composition. Writers need to produce a tight piece of writing. The piece should be revised extensively. Digital storytelling also reinforces reading the writing aloud during the revision process. It includes offering a larger audience than simply the teacher. Overall writing, speaking, and revising are all involved. Digital storytelling takes students through the entire writing process. One aspect that needs to be justified to other teachers is that of time. Why extend the process to a digital story? Digital storytelling further extends the revision process, provides a means for a multi-modal composition, makes writing available to a larger audience, connects student writing to a more relevant writing situation, helps students to see the connection to presentations, assists students in being critical of new media and the influence of visuals on them through the process of production, and keeps English classrooms savvy to new media and our changing world. Digital storytelling is new and innovative as it provides the possibility for students to engage at different levels. All too often, students become disengaged and need buy-in to truly become part of a relevant learning experience. Digital storytelling offers that relevance. When implementing digital storytelling in the classroom, it could be challenging to field technology questions and work with large numbers of students as the one teacher in the room. It can be transforming as it offers a chance to present information in a new and interesting way. This is becoming more and more necessary in our advancing technological society. Describe your current teaching situation, as well as the rubric(s) you might implement for digital storytelling projects. I'm excited because my teaching situation allows for these kinds of projects. It will be important for me to run through the technology and work on how to save student work. It is also important to have a solid rationale for using the technology so that the time spent on the project clearly aligns to content standards and benchmarks. The new Michigan content standards address students being able to produce multi-modal compositions, which is not only keeping up with current educational society needs, but also allows for the extension of these sorts of projects that offer a chance for engagement and real learning. What are your thoughts about audience and voice? Audience and voice are so much more real through a digital story. Investment changes because as an author you know more people will watch your video, and therefore you want it to be just right. Also as an author, you want it to be an extension of your own creativity. Working with visuals allows the author to extend the work. Where some words might not work quite right, you could express the idea visually. With digital storytelling, the use of figurative language can also be applied. Working in this digital media is actually easier than one might think. It does involve the need for patience and the willingness to "play" and try new tricks with the media. Describe your project and your workshop experience. My project is called "Why I Teach." Over the years I've revisited my story of visiting the projects in D.C. When I was in college, discovered my passion for teaching, and realized that I was meant to be an English teacher, I immediately made the connection to my experience of talking with people who felt they didn't have a voice. I teach literacy, and I want my students to develop, find, and explore their voices. When I was presented with the opportunity to be a part of this digital storytelling workshop, I revised some sections of my writing about D.C. and teaching to fit the time of a digital story. I wanted to create something that I could share with others. The digital medium allowed me to show some of my ideas through images. Before the workshop, I prepared my script and a few images. During the week, I found more images and figured out the sequencing. As the workshop went on, I began to see how to more fully incorporate this work into my classroom. I am looking forward to developing my own rationales and assignments for the project further and to adding this to my digital teaching portfolio, though that is still under construction. Thanks for a great experience!
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