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My students and I were excited at the prospect of utilizing new digital tools to present information in a multi-media format. Most of the students have used PowerPoint and HyperStudio to produce a variety of presentations. The idea of going to the next step of creating digital movies was intriguing. The purpose of these projects was to integrate science, language arts and technology. Students read relevant books about extreme weather and then chose specific topics to work together on team projects. Students learned how to research and process information. In addition to the academic aspects, the students learned to work cooperatively with fellow students on a topic of mutual interest. As a trio, students researched a specific topic about nature's fury, wrote personal narratives, practiced reading fluency before recording the narratives, and selected appropriate media assets (pictures and music). They also learned to scan and save photographs in a jpeg format and keep the images organized in a folder on the server.
Student teams were able to construct meaning on their topic as they learned to match up and manipulate their spoken words and appropriate media assets using Adobe Premiere software on state-of-the-art laptops. They were able to interweave their technological and language art skills while increasing their interest in scientific topics. All these skills will serve these students well in whatever their future may offer. The process was a positive experience for everyone and the finished projects are fun to share.
To view the digital stories, click the images below. |
