Digital stories are a fun way to share information or introduce a topic with students! The digital story we watched in class about the heroes of history that was made out to be a movie trailer was so fun to watch. The music, along with the pictures, actually got my attention and made me want to learn more about the topic it was presenting. The music and visuals you choose to use in a digital story have a big part in how effective the digital story is.
I can create digital stories for my class presentations, today. I've used PowerPoint presentations before, but I've never tried a digital story. I'm excited to try a new approach! I believe that a digital story helps rouse emotions, and when emotions are a part of learning, it is more easily remembered. Visual images, with music that flows into the main idea, create a captivating story line. I, personally, am greatly affected by the music. If there is a lame commercial with a good song in the background, I listen to the message and enjoy the experience. I can do this in my presentations today and in my field work.
In my future classrooms, I can use digital stories to introduce an upcoming topic. As we experienced in class, I can also present important pieces of information on a topic by simply using visuals and music. I can teach my students how to create their own digital stories for class presentations. I can use digital stories in weekly class podcasts. It is an effective and great way to teach a topic, as well as get students excited and ready to learn!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
17 February - Vidcast Reflection
Maps with Max Vidcast Series!
Maps with Max covers the 2nd grade core curriculum for Social Studies, Standard 3, Objective 2. Today's Vidcast covers Part A. The purpose of this vidcast is to help second graders learn a few basic points of how to use a map and its key. By watching this video, students should learn directions and a fun way to memorize them. They also learn how the key represents what is on a map. The next podcast will help students learn more about the possibilities of a map key, the mile markers on a map, and go more in depth on the oceans and continents. I worked alone on this project, except for a voice-over by someone outside of my cohort (because I wanted a male voice) named Matt. I used a few photo and clip art images from Microsoft Word Clipart, and the music was sample music from Microsoft Window's Media Player library, entitled "Kalimba" by Mr. Scruff.
Any potential draw backs to this series might be that I miss information in the early episodes that they need to know for later episodes. I hope to get all the primary information covered and make the episodes interactive, but I'm sure I'll learn as I go along!
I plan to first explain information about the continents, then the oceans, then go more in depth with countries. From there I'll go into states, and focus on Utah. We will learn about parks and monuments around the country. When we talk about Utah we can focus on counties and go further into land formations. A lot of information can be covered with this series and be fun and beneficial for students!
Maps with Max covers the 2nd grade core curriculum for Social Studies, Standard 3, Objective 2. Today's Vidcast covers Part A. The purpose of this vidcast is to help second graders learn a few basic points of how to use a map and its key. By watching this video, students should learn directions and a fun way to memorize them. They also learn how the key represents what is on a map. The next podcast will help students learn more about the possibilities of a map key, the mile markers on a map, and go more in depth on the oceans and continents. I worked alone on this project, except for a voice-over by someone outside of my cohort (because I wanted a male voice) named Matt. I used a few photo and clip art images from Microsoft Word Clipart, and the music was sample music from Microsoft Window's Media Player library, entitled "Kalimba" by Mr. Scruff.
Any potential draw backs to this series might be that I miss information in the early episodes that they need to know for later episodes. I hope to get all the primary information covered and make the episodes interactive, but I'm sure I'll learn as I go along!
I plan to first explain information about the continents, then the oceans, then go more in depth with countries. From there I'll go into states, and focus on Utah. We will learn about parks and monuments around the country. When we talk about Utah we can focus on counties and go further into land formations. A lot of information can be covered with this series and be fun and beneficial for students!
Friday, February 11, 2011
10 February - Vidcasting!
Vidcasting is so much fun! Creating videos to post on the internet is easier than I thought, too. I didn't know You-tube accounts were free! You can use any multimedia source and post it to the internet. Whether its a Windows product or a Mac movie maker, it all works, and its so fun to make!
In my future classrooms I will definitely be using vidcasting! There's so many ways and reasons to use it. I can post videos on a class website as a resource or for homework (FUN homework). I could even create videos with my students, as group projects in class, or out of class, to present a topic. We could post those videos to our class website and show them to our class, even other classes. I could also use those videos every year, to show to my new students. I remember in my junior high English class, our teacher would show us examples of videos that former grades had made for a project. We always loved to watch them and thought they were so funny. I'm sure my classes would enjoy creating and watching their own vidcasts.
I can use vidcasts now in my field experience. I can also use a vidcast to create a visual report or project for school and be able to open it at school, with out bringing my computer and trying to set it up with a projector. Vidcasting will make things more simple and a lot more fun!
In my future classrooms I will definitely be using vidcasting! There's so many ways and reasons to use it. I can post videos on a class website as a resource or for homework (FUN homework). I could even create videos with my students, as group projects in class, or out of class, to present a topic. We could post those videos to our class website and show them to our class, even other classes. I could also use those videos every year, to show to my new students. I remember in my junior high English class, our teacher would show us examples of videos that former grades had made for a project. We always loved to watch them and thought they were so funny. I'm sure my classes would enjoy creating and watching their own vidcasts.
I can use vidcasts now in my field experience. I can also use a vidcast to create a visual report or project for school and be able to open it at school, with out bringing my computer and trying to set it up with a projector. Vidcasting will make things more simple and a lot more fun!
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