The World of Digital Storytelling

This article addresses something that I think is important in a classroom, but very hard to teach everyone. While the digital storytelling is a great idea, I think that it would be rather difficult to do in a large class setting. I also think that it would be difficult to get students who are shy or consider themselves to not be very creative, to actually get actively involved in this type of assignment. I know that I would be very apprehensive to start on a project like this becuase not only am I not comfortable around a computer, but I also do think that I am very creative. I would think that my story was boring and would get frustrated when things did not turn out the way I would like them to.
Now don't get me wrong, I think that the digital storytelling is great, I just think that teachers need to be prepared to have a lot of work ahead of them if they plan on having their students make them. It is imperative that teachers first prepare themselves and become knowledgeable with the programs that the students will be using. Although there will be some students who will already be able to work the programs, there will be others who may have never worked on a computer or those who only have experience with Word and playing games. Teachers must be ready to answer questions, or have another aid to help them when the process begins.
I think that the storymaps and Visual Portraits are a great idea because they allow students to get their ideas on paper and make decisions before they begin the process of making the digital stories. I am someone who likes to put things down on paper first so I can see what it would look like. I do not like to make mistakes and to not have a plan, so something like that would be great for me. Teachers must be prepared for students like me as well as for the students who like to get things done and may not want to plan ahead because it takes up too much time. So, the preplanning is fantastic in this sense! However, teachers must be flexible and allow their students freedom in their preplanning, since not every students will want to plan every little detail beforehand.
So far I am all for the digital storytelling, even though it really scares me. My concern is not only that some students will have a lot of difficulty with it, but also that it must tie in to academics in the classroom. When students learn a new task like this, it is imperative that they see the connection to the real world and their academics. Students will take this new knowledge and use it in the future. Teachers must show the connection and also ask the students for examples of times they can use the digital storytelling. Teachers should also have the topics of the digital stories relate to things that are being studied in the class. As long as everything relates somehow, I think that it is a great idea because our technology is going to grow everyday, so as teachers we must show our students new ways to use it.

Listen to the Natives

Pensky's article offered a lot of interesting information that most people, especially teachers have not thought about or at least not said out loud. I think that this article was fantastic and that its information was something that people really need to think about. As the time changes, along with clothes, cars, fashions, and more, so does the technology that we use. While some people really have a hard time with change, our children embrace it. They love to find new ways to do things and if it makes any task faster for them, then they are all for it. The great thing about technology is that it is always around us and can be used in so many different ways; music, communication, entertainment, planning trips, research, taking a test, and thousands of other ways.
As teachers it is imperative that no matter how much we hate change or are scared of it, we must embrace it like our students. For the most part I honestly think that people are more scared of change than anything else, but the truth is that we cannot avoid it. As our students become more advanced than us with technology, there are less things that we can teach them effectively. There is nothing wrong with asking them for help; everyone student would love to teach their teacher a thing or two. As educators we should allow and want our students to teach us something that they have quickly become experts at. They know how to google, download, talk, make their own websites, etc. and I am sure that they would love to show us how to do the same.
With so little time to get everything accomplished, I think that it is imperative that teachers incorporate technology into the classroom everyday. If we allow our students to do work at home or access information on the web, we can have more time for art, music, PE, and all of the other things that our students are missing out on. There is so much pressure on teachers to get so many things done throughout the school year, and there really is just not enough time. With the use of technology, teachers can organize everything that they want to teach their students find interactive ways to teach them that students will love.
Children spend hours upon hours surfing the web, so why not have them do some school work while they are at it. Now while I think that it is a little silly to have them take a test on the cell phone, I do think that the day will come when this is possible. I think that right now technology is still new and students would take advantage of that, but I do think that it will happen one day.
It is imperative that teachers change with the times. The world is fast pace and is not going to slow down to meet everyone's needs. We need to jump on the band wagon and ask our students how we can incorporate technology in the classroom. There are so many sources out there and programs that we can use that will not only make our lives as teachers easier, but will also interest our students to learn more and get excited about their education.