The use of digital format storytelling in literature circles

As I was reading about David in 7 things you should know about storytelling, I remembered some of my students for whom the use of technology during mathematics, science or social studies can be a strong motivation to be fully engaged during instruction, to complete projects and to be interested in feedback from the teacher during and after making the digital story. The use of digital stories can be a tool to make curriculum interesting. I also learned about the variety of skills that is offered by digital storytelling (writing, speaking, using technology) and about the broadness of creativity the students have the opportunity to demonstrate.
Regarding the use of digital storytelling in my school, I am not sure whether such instructional method would be possible to conduct as it requires the use of a few technological tools (cameras, computer software, and audio recorders). Also, the argument that digital storytelling will get in conflict with copyright laws might discourage educational leaders from using digital storytelling at other schools.
I can imagine the use of technology in my reading group. Last week one of my students created a puppet play to demonstrate his understanding of the story he read. It was Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. He does not enjoy writing letters to the author, crating story games, or making a story sandwich because these reading group projects require him to use motor skills and spatial awareness. Writing takes him a plenty of time and the result is not satisfactory. On the other hand, he likes to use technology such as alpha smart or computers to learn and to display the outcomes of his learning. I am sure that creating a digital story including a short exert of his puppet play, music from Roald Dahl’s Mr. Fox movie and exert from the movie, little bit of a biography about Roald Dahl and a little bit of talking about why Dan (pseudonym) likes Roald Dahl would allow Dan to create a project addressing his learning styles and intelligences.

Kamil Rudolf

Why not introduce digital storytelling earlier?

While reading the digital storytelling article, I kept having one reoccuring thought. I found it crazy that this was a tool that was discussed being used with college students and older individuals. As someone had stated in a previous response, the problems that are discussed in the article are the same problems that a student could encounter with a regular written assignment. However, writing a personal narrative is not something that is introduced to students in college, in fact it is an assignment that many pre-teens are often given in school. If a person found it diffuclt to produce a coherant narrative, odds are they would have had the same issue if this was a written assignment about the same topic. Even more so, kids these days are exposed to so much more technology earlier in life and tend to get excited to be able to use it, especially in school. I feel as though digital story telling would be so useful with younger kids that are first being introduced to personal narrative. At the younger ages, children tend to be a lot more comfortable using their oral language than written language since they have had more experience with it. It just makes sense to me to give these kids an assignment on personal narrative in which they are able to get comfortable with the topic using their oral skills. In terms of written assignments, one could have kids write out an outline or even a quick write up of their topic of choice. Once the kids get the concept of what it's like to produce a personal narrative, a written one can be given as an assignment.
Another issue I have about the article discussing this as something to be used to college aged students is that it says that it helps with establishing identity which is something that is important in the college years. Last I checked, most kids started to question their identity as soon as puberty hit. If this is a tool that can help people not only in terms of education but on a personal and social level, why keep it from students for so long?

Digital Storytelling and Reflection Benefits

After reading through articles about digital storytelling and reflection, as well as our experience with VoiceThread last class, I realize how important it is for students to have access to such technologies to get their voices out there. In the article “7 Things You Need To Know About Digital Storytelling”, the article addresses the downsides of digital storytelling, but those downsides are really the things that students need to overcome as learners, such as opening up and producing their own material. Digital storytelling can provide students with a great approach to addressing issues such as shyness and anxiety about writing. The positive impacts of blogging are clear in Suzie Boss’ article and th students in George Mayo's class have benefited from having access to such technology. Having such access, especially at a young age is a valuable skill and allows students to learn how to open up from the very beginning. I wish I had this kind of access as a student and I hope to be able to implement blogging and other technology such as VoiceThread that will allow students to show what they have learned to other classmates and beyond.

Digital Storytelling for Emerging Readers and Writers

While reading Kajder and Swenson's article, "Digital Images in the Language Arts Classroom," I found myself nodding along in agreement with student and teacher use of digital images to envision, understand, and communicate meaning. As a special educator, I have witnessed so often the phenomenon mentioned in the article whereby "Good readers often visualize the action of the story...[while] struggling readers often lack this skill."

While the overall message of the article was strong, I was left wanting tangible ways to implement digital storytelling with our emerging readers and writers (PK-2). I immediately began poring through ideas for incorporating digital images into early literacy instruction in order to foster multiple means for student communication of understanding, visualization of written text, and a jumping off point for writing. Given that the majority of my students have speech and language based-disabilities, the benefit of the use of digital images in my 2nd grade self-contained classroom would be even greater.

Here are a few ideas that I've brainstormed for integrating digital images into lower-elementary literacy instruction:
- Activities that encourage students to retell a story using digital images (e.g. work with a partner to take pictures of objects in the classroom, art work, or themselves acting it out that show the sequence of what happened in the story)
- During/after independent reading, students take a picture of something that shows what they thought about as they read their text
- Students bring in pictures from home (in digital form if possible) and discuss and write a personal narrative about the moment in which the photograph was taken
- Students utilize class digital camera to capture moments throughout the school day from which they will choose a personal narrative topic
- Students utilize class digital camera to photograph images that represent the sequence of a story that they will write

Anyone have more ideas for developmentally appropriate applications of digital storytelling for our little ones?

Digital Stories for Social Justice

The articles on digital storytelling made me pause to consider the ways in which these projects have the potential to give students from all backgrounds a voice in the classroom. In Educational Uses for Digital Storytelling, Robin writes that "a student who creates such a story can benefit from sharing that story with others and thereby use information as a way of eliminating some of the distance that foreign born students feel between themselves and their peers." So often, those students who come from some form of privilege (white students, typically developing students, boys, etc), dominate classroom discussions and do not always make room for others. When students from other experiences - especially those who may be English Language Learners and/or students of color, disabled students, girls, etc - have the opportunity to share their stories in an audiovisual format, space is made for these students.


It's quite a powerful thing for the personal narrative to move beyond simple text (which could be the foundation for a digital story) and into a format in which students can make use of pictures, videos, and audio. When students witness each others' experiences and lives in this way, they can be held accountable to that information in a way that perhaps they couldn't in simple text form. What an incredible thing for students from historically oppressed backgrounds, who are often so misrepresented (or not represented at all) in the media, to reclaim that space and create their own media.

In the activist communities of which I have been a part, people often lament the fact that we are all talented in "soft" skills - those that are dependent mostly on social interaction, thought, and process. We tend to lack "hard" skills - a mastered craft, or technical knowledge. Digital stories have the potential to train children in both at the same time, I think. Robin writes that "In the area of
technological literacy, Digital Storytelling can provide a meaningful reason for students to learn to digitize media content by using scanners, digital still cameras, and video cameras. In addition, as students create the narration and soundtrack for a story, they gain skills in using microphones, digitizing audio and working with music and sound effects." This provides a remarkable technical ("hard") skill set for students to use to critically examine their world and to learn more about each other.

I wasn't sure I could get excited about technology in the classroom, but I think I've found my "hook."

-harper keenan

Digital Storytelling

High Tech Reflections

When I read the article about high tech reflection strategies, I was struck by the impact that technology can have on the reflection process. Students are able to express themselves in multiple ways, which will lead to deeper more introspective thinking. A student who has difficulty writing will feel constrained by the form of the reflection and will not be able to think deeply about the impact of a particular learning experience.

I was recently at the Lincoln Memorial exhibit. After viewing the exhibit, there was a video recording machine that asked each participant to talk about his/her experience viewing the exhibit. As Boss suggests in the article, the questions were fairly open-ended, as they asked for recollections of surprising moments or things that were most striking. As I looked at my facial expressions, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of what my reactions truly were. I was free from form and not constrained by page numbers or the formalities of writing. My responses were also not designated to be any particular length. I felt as though I were speaking to be heard rather than to be evaluated. The content of my statements were what mattered most. Additionally, since I was behind a curtain when doing this reflection, I was alone and able to think deeply about my thoughts. I was not worried or concerned with what anyone else would say or think. Since there was a done button that I needed to press each time a section was complete, I felt as though I was in control of this process. It was up to me to decide when to begin speaking and when to finish. In contrast to other reflections that are guided by specific questions and formalities, I felt like I was in control. This type of reflection was empowering for me as a learner.

As a teacher, I can envision high tech reflection to be a powerful tool for many kinds of learners. Students who are more visual will have the instant feedback of their own facial expressions in order to more deeply understand how they felt about a particular experience. Students will also have the opportunity to gauge their own learning by having ample time to process the question, plan a response and record. These are essential steps when responding to questions. Unfortunately, students do not always have the luxury of time when they are responding to questions within a classroom context. Without external pressures of form, time and specificity teachers can also understand what their students are truly capable of. Once teachers have an accurate understanding of what a particular learning experience was like for a student, the teacher can enter into the child’s world and more accurately plan for future learning opportunities.

Cell Phones?

Listening to the podcast, "From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning" was definitely interesting for me. In my experience, cell phones have always been prohibited in the classroom, and I've never thought about them as a tool, but more of as a type of distraction. Hearing about the two student teachers who were able to use them in their units seemed incredibly creative. I understand how Katie, one of the student teachers, intended for the option of calling in a homework assignment to give students an opportunity for different modality, but I wonder if it was as involved as the written alternative would have been. While both options provide students with the chance to analyze and build off the text, written assignments seem to have an inherent element of revision and planning that doesn't seem as applicable to phone conversations, as used in this assignment. Katie mentioned how a lot of the students started rambling, and it seems like requiring some kind of initial planning would have been beneficial (maybe this could have been via phone conversation as well?). She seemed content with the fact that some students chose to step outside the box and try something new than concerned about the form and content of their phone calls, and I wonder if she tried it again and if the responses improved. It seems like this technology can be applied to high school subjects, but I wonder if it is possible, or even appropriate, with younger students. It seems like elementary aged students would also benefit from opportunities to share their ideas orally as opposed to through writing, and maybe through teaching friendly phone conversations as a way to develop communication skills, but it still seems like it doesn't really fit. I'm curious about how parents reacted to this assignment, and how they would feel if it were middle school, or elementary school children as opposed to high schoolers, and if the outcome would be as successful.

blogging reflections

I was inspired by Suzie Boss' article, "High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Stick." As a teacher who believes firmly in the value of reflection before, during, and after learning, this article highlighted some great ways to encourage this reflection process in ways that might be more appealing to students than simple paper-and-pen writing. I especially liked the questions that Anne Davis suggests teachers ask their students to reflect upon: "What did you learn? How do you know you learned it? What got in the way of your learning? What helped your learning? How did you feel?" These questions really scaffold the reflection process for students who may have a difficult time coming up with an answer to a more traditional question about what they learned. There is something about the blogosphere and knowing that someone else can actually read your journal entry that hopefully will inspire students to really think hard and deep about how they answer these reflection questions and how they present their thoughts.

Ruby Stardrum

Google Lit Trip

After reading the article on Google Lit Trip, I was really impressed and intrigued with the work this technology teacher did with her fifth grade class. I instantly began to wonder how I might integrate a project like this into my classroom as well as teach fellow teachers in my school how to use the technology. Although we have access to computer, I have never once created a project for my students to use them. The project that this teacher created enhanced the lesson, engagement, and learning of the students.

I realized that the only reason I know about this technology project (and a few others) is because of this bank street class. I am thrilled by the ideas and resources this class has giving me, however, it has also made me realize how outdated and often times obsolete professional developments have become. Teachers need to be taught extensively how to use computers and the different programs and websites that are available to them and that will enhance learning. In addition, teacher need to be trained in how to effectively integrate technology into the curriculum that is not daunting or overwhelming. I believe the only way to do this is to have extensive training for teachers, and access to these resources (something that many teachers do not have access to).

I was impressed by how a literacy unit was able to bring in current day issues through journal and newspaper articles, as well as provide visual images for students to connect with. My biggest question so far is how do I create a project like this that allows my second graders to experience the same learning, but be age and developmentally appropriate?

Alicia Citro

Technology and Identity

Thinking about integrating technology in mindful and purposive ways is, I grant, an important agenda item for the 21^st Century educator. Reading and reflecting on the articles assigned for this week, however, emphasized for me not the technologies available to me but the students who will be in my classroom. I appreciate how the acts and importance of reflection described by Boss dovetail nicely with the emotionally intellectual act of digital storytelling addressed in Educause’s pamphlet: both address the conscious creation of opportunities for students to explore and construct their own voices and identities.

Identity development is a primary concern for the maturing youngster and is often expressed through spoken and written work/word. As a child ascends in grades, he hopefully becomes a more conscious architect of his persona. He hopefully comes to a better understanding of himself, his family, his culture and background while simultaneously gaining exposure to and knowledge of academic content. Thus, can he integrate his experiences with his world and create personal meaning that is both grounded and dynamic. These articles have shown me how technology can facilitate this process in ways that are responsive to diverse learners with diverse needs. Storytelling and blogging are a means to an end – technological vehicles that can bring our students closer to developing a personal literacy, an understanding of themselves.

As a social worker and an educator, I appreciate the potential inherent in these technological means to promote not only an appreciation of students as social-emotional (as well as intellectual) beings but also as means by which to pursue the holistic growth and development of those students. I have often considered technology as lifeless and diminishing – as something that buffers and stands between people. It is, in consequence, very educational for me to think about technology as a means of unifying people and of fostering self-discovery.

The many uses of digital storytelling

In researching for our upcoming presentation on the topic, I attempted to find my way through the seemingly endless topics that fall under the category of “Digital Storytelling.” I have to admit, I am a bit jealous that students today have so many options to express themselves, share their ideas, and generally just learn in a different medium. (I wish I had so many options available when I was a kid!) I am impressed by the amount of real learning that can take place with the appropriate technology. As a teacher, I would love to open my classrooms up to this ever-growing field of learning.

I think it is very easy to think of storytelling as something that happens orally, from person-to-person, or within the pages of a book. However, we can tell stories through (digital) photographs, sounds, music, videos, blogs, and so much more. We can compile sound, image and text to create a project that is so much more expressive and creative than anything we can do with paper and pen. “Reflection” need not be something we do orally, in a large circle (as explained in High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Stick). A project need not be in essay format (as described in David’s example in 7 things you should know about Digital Storytelling).

The main benefit about all of the different methods of digital storytelling is just that—the choices! Differentiation suddenly becomes attainable, as teachers can provide multiple modes of learning, means of instruction, and methods to show learning. We can accurately assess our students’ knowledge by allowing them to excel in whatever style of learning works best for them. If they are hesitant about writing, let them pre-write and organize their story through Comic Life. If they struggle to orally describe their thoughts, let them blog or express their ideas through images or sound. As teachers, if we have these options for differentiation, why would we not use them? Why would we limit our students with just one means of storytelling, when there are so many options available?

As the article, The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling explains, Digital Storytelling “can be very time consuming.” It can require much study and practice by us, in order to make the best use of this educational resource. But this technology is vast and varied, and what works well for one teacher or student may not be useful for another. I believe it is worth the time and practice, and I’m excited to share what I have learned with the class on Monday.

~Marie Larson

Digital Discussions

Reflection is a very important step in the learning process.  Students naturally reflect on everything they do, but perhaps in school, they tend to become more passive about their experiences.  In any lunchroom, playroom, or sidewalk (and perhaps even in the classroom), students are constantly reflecting on the social situations of the day.  Who is dating, who broke up, who are friends, what is hot, what is not, etc.  This style of reflection is social in nature, but can also be applied in the classroom.

In the readings this week, there was an emphasis on using electronic techniques for student reflection.  Children do not naturally reflect by writing the answers to questions on paper.  They talk to each other; they instant message or text; they keep a diary.  The techniques suggested will help our children better think about the learning experiences they have.  They will be more enthusiastic, open, and thoughtful by doing a video response or posting to a blog.

These instructional technology tools will also serve another great purpose beyond reflection.  The power of blogging is that it is an equal setting, where all voices can be heard equally.  In a classroom, a teacher must call on students to answer; or there may be a reliance on written word.  Many students do not feel comfortable speaking up in class, or perhaps they do and the teacher doesn't call on them for one reason or another.  And with written reflections, perhaps a student struggles with writing or some grapho-motor deficiency. 

For these students, the blog can be a very useful tool.  Online dialogue between students will help these students express their voice, whether its for the process of reflection or just to discuss content.  This dialogue also brings content outside of the classroom.  In many settings, there is very little transference of material from school to outside of school.  And perhaps this facilitated more in communities where families are more "involved" with their child's education.  If this resource doesn't exist for students, then turning to their peers can be a powerful, perhaps an even better, resource.  Continuing the conversation past the classroom shows students that the content is real, meaningful, and can be applied outside - even if it is used only for online discourse!

Reflections on Digital Storytelling

As the archetypal skeptic, after reading the articles for this week I once again found that if I make a conscious effort to curtail my knee jerk reactions to the mere idea of new technology, I not only agree with the information and sentiments presented in the articles, I am inspired and excited by the possibilities.

So true is the idea that "Good readers often visualize the action of a story," and that "Struggling readers often lack this skill," which Kajder and Swenson point out in their article Digital Images in the Language Arts Classroom. In fact, where language arts and literacy are concerned, visualization is such an important aspect of comprehension and retention I'm hard pressed to think of a single instructional approach to reading (and writing for that matter) that does not explicitly teach this particular skill. In this respect, I really believe it's hard to disagree that this new brand of digital storytelling enhances every student's ability to "visually communicate meaning." Moreover, I think this can be especially helpful for those visual learners who may struggle with the verbal-linguistic aspects of literacy. This, for me, is a perfect example of how these new technologies hold such great potential to actually accommodate different learning styles, and intrinsically lend themselves to the idea of universal design.

I came to this same conclusion after reading the article 7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling, from the Education Learning Initiative--Advanced Learning through IT Innovation (this says it all, in my opinion). The article states, "Digital storytelling is fundamentally the application of technology to the age-old experience of sharing personal narratives." But what was even more compelling for me was the notion that "the storyteller...assembles rich media to support the ideas and emotions in [the] script." In other words, it seems to me this digital storytelling, which "typically [involves] a strong emotional component," lends itself perfectly to those naturalistic and social-emotional learners who are prone to creativity and self-expression. Another great example of the universal design qualities inherent in a new technology.

I felt the same way about the discussion of reflection as a "critical piece to learning" in the article High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Stick. I agree wholeheartedly that reflection "isn't just busywork or an unnecessary step," but that reflection may just be "'the mind's strongest glue' for making the connections essential to understanding, regardless of the subject matter." I know it's an absolutely critical component of just about every classroom activity here in a progressive school like the Bank Street School for Children. And it seems to me the type of blogging described in this article represents a more contemporary technology, one that 21st century kids are much more likely to embrace than, say, a notebook journal. Furthermore, I've known many kids who abhor notebook journal activities, not because they're philosophically opposed and see them as antiquated and irrelevant, but because they struggle graphomotorically with the mechanical aspects of writing. Here I recognize yet one more opportunity to use a new technology like blogging not only as a tool to help develop skills like reflection and retention, but as a universal design tool to support individual learner needs.

In the article The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, digital storytelling is categorized into three basic groups: stories that contain accounts of significant incidents in one's life, stories that examine dramatic events that help us understand the past, and stories designed to inform or instruct the viewer on a particular concept or practice. Also pointed out in the articles was the notion that an "oral tradition of knowledge transfer and exchange has served as the basis for education since humans began teaching one another," and that digital storytelling simply builds on this by "incorporating rich, dynamic media." Cited as "one of the earliest large-scale digital storytelling projects" was one sponsored by the BBC, which sought "to capture and share stories from around the United Kingdom that reflect different local histories and cultures."

This was the only place in the readings that made me pause. I wasn't entirely convinced the BBC project was really one of the earliest examples. I wondered if digital storytelling may not merely be the wave of the future, but also a return to the past. It seems to me that using multimedia (sound, visual imagery, emotion, live action, etc) to "visually communicate meaning" is precisely what a writer like Shakespeare mastered. Or, for that matter, the earliest of the Greek playwrights, like Aristophanes and Aeschylus.

I guess it really is true, as quoted earlier, that "Digital storytelling is fundamentally the application of technology to the age-old experience of sharing personal narratives."

Jeff Kulick

Reflection Strategies Using Technology

After reading Suzie Boss's article "High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Stick," I began to ponder how technology can help enhance and strengthen reflection practices in the classroom. According to Katie Charner-Laird, a principal at Lincoln-Eliot School in Newton Mass, "encouraging students to pause and think about what they're learning and why it's relevant to their lives is a critical piece." Reflection is the time where students analyze what they've been learning and ask why does this matter? How can I relate? How do I feel about this issue? What can I do about it? This is where I believe the learning really takes on meaning and the essence of the material gets stored into memory.
I loved the way that teachers in this article utilized technology to diversify the ways in which reflective activities were explored. Besides written journals which could sometimes be tedious for students, one teacher used video confessionals to elicit student responses to curricular topics. He used peer interviews and teacher led interviews to encourage daily reflection. Technology offers different ways to address children who process information in different ways. Charner-Laird explains that regardless of using blogging, conversations or writing, teachers need to provide a variety of ways for children to process and reflect on their work.
After reading a variety of material on digital storytelling I believe that this would be another wonderful way to encourage personal reflection. Students can use VoiceThread or ComicLife to construct meaning out of what they are learning. They can create a narrative of how material relates to their experiences using a variety of multimedia and/or use it as a means to inform in a more creative way.
I believe that offering a variety of tools for reflection purposes is very important when trying to differentiate for a variety of students. I have worked in Special Education for four years and I love hearing about how various teachers are using technology and how it can benefit me in my classroom.

Digital Storytelling

The articles for class really provoked me to think about the uses of technology within my classroom. I am an assistant teacher in a special education setting and while every now and then a movie clip is shown or the kids are asked to type up a piece of their writing, technology is not a large part of the learning experience. After reading these articles, I am convinced that technology could be and should be incorporated into the classroom in many other ways. Through digital storytelling alone kids can become active, engaged participants in their learning. Digital storytelling can be used to introduce a topic (YouTube video), help kids organize their thoughts and ideas (ComicLife), or understand a story in an in depth manner, the options are endless. I look forward to presenting these ideas to my head teacher and working with her to add some of this technology into our classroom.

Reflecting on Reflections

While reading Suzie Boss’ article "High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Stick", I felt a wave of empathy for the groaning students she described. In my own experience as a student, I have often felt like the reflections I've been asked to engage in more accurately measured how fast I could produce two pages of text tangentially related to the topic of study as opposed to actually reflecting my learning. I've taken several courses in which I've been asked in very vague terms to produce a reflection week after week, and I've become adept at doing so with a minimum of thought and effort. This was due to both the format of the assignment and to boredom with the requirements.

I do believe in the importance of reflection, both to solidify learning and to promote metacognition. That's why Boss' point about providing opportunities to reflect in a variety of different formats really hit home for me. For some students (like me), writing a formulaic essay about what I learned in class every single week is a meaningless exercise, whereas an interview or conversation with a classmate--or the opportunity to read others' thoughts and respond to them on a forum like this blog--promotes much deeper thinking and sincere reflection.

This is yet another example of why it is important for teachers to differentiate their expectations based on their students' learning needs and styles. The actual goal of reflecting should not be that students write something for the sake of writing each week. The goal should be to help students process more deeply what they've learned and to reflect on their experience with the learning process. If teachers were to keep that end goal in mind rather than becoming stuck on the process, I think we would have an easier time modifying our ideas about what a reflection should be and tailoring our expectations to fit our students' needs.

-Molly Betty

Blogging from K-12

      I was also intrigued by Suzie Boss’ article High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Stick. The author pointed out that many classroom activities are only truly meaningful when accompanied by student reflection. Yet, I too have heard the moans and groans of students when asked for yet another written reflection about what they learned in a particular unit or what they would do differently if they were to start all over again. When reflections become tedious processes, it seems less likely that students will take the time to reflect thoroughly and meaningfully.
      To me, the most inspiring suggestion in Boss’ article belonged to George Mayo, who asks his middle-schoolers to post on their personal learning blog each week about their progress in reading and writing. Mayo suggests a more long-term blogging project for students: “Imagine if you started blogging in kindergarten and blogged all the way through high school,” Mayo says. I think this idea could really transform the way that students understand their own learning styles, as well as their appreciation for how much they are growing throughout their school years. Students could quickly scroll through reflections made in previous weeks, months, and even years to help connect their current learning experiences with those they have had in the past.
      Teaching students how to make audio or video posts would help ensure that students with varying abilities are able to access this ongoing activity. Additionally, having personal student blogs would enable students to share what they have learned with others, from classmates and teachers to family members and friends. Students would progressively grow in their understanding of what it means to consider an audience when writing their posts. Teachers would have additional opportunities to examine how children are understanding material, and could even respond to posts to prompt further thinking or reflection.

Mollie Murphy

Various Modes of Media in the Classroom- Elena McNish

I think that as educators it is important for us to make an effort to keep our classrooms up to date with the technology that our students regularly encounter. In the article High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Stick by Suzie Boss, I loved the idea of having a “video confessional” corner where students were given the opportunity to reflect on the work they had been doing. This teacher figured out a way to understand his students learning by connecting his classroom to the to ever so popular reality television faze that our society currently loves. I really appreciate his creativity and willingness to connect with his students.

I am student teaching at a school for Autistic students. In our classroom this year, my head teacher is focusing on student comprehension. We have just finished up a unit on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The students read several versions of the story and noticed the similarities and differences. Every week we would use the smartboard to watch and interact with the story. BBC has a version where there is a narrator that reads, but then each of the characters lines has to physically be pushed by someone. This one activity met all of our students needs in a variety of ways. For example for our very high functioning student, he worked on taking turns and allowing his peers to take the time that they needed. For another student, we focused on getting him to know when it was his turn without a verbal or physical prompt. For one of our non-verbal students, this activity gave him a voice and a role in the classroom. I think that the use of Digital Storytelling is a great way to enhance student learning and meet the needs of different learners.

Use of technology = equity in the classroom

I assistant teach currently at private school in general education classroom. The school has in its name “cooperative”. The philosophy of the school is to provide the students with social skills, which will allow them to be effective participants and leaders positively impacting their environment and communicating with other members of society. We do not use technology in the classroom. I used video once as I wanted the students to see the ecosystem of the Hudson River. Paradoxically, because the students in my classroom have no the opportunity to use technology, they are exposed to instruction which do not accommodate their intelligences, learning styles and level of difficulty of taught curriculum. As a result, the students have no the opportunity to learn about each other’s needs and to get to know each other based on what they would be able to do if they were exposed to various technological tools. Situations occur when the students are bored because the taught material is not interesting, or is too difficult, or too easy. Such atmosphere sometimes contributes to an undesirable behavior which is exactly the opposite of what the school has in its credo.
As I read the NCAC article and the listened the podcast dealing with UDL, I realized how complex the use of technology could be specifically in progressive education. Planning for my lessons at SCS requires a wide knowledge of the theme. I have to read expert books about the Hudson River, its historical development and environmental characteristics. It is important that I do so, so I can shift the unit in direction of the students’ interest and background knowledge gained at school or out of school. Integration of various technologies in a diversified way requires additional preparation which the teacher has to undergo as he plans for lessons. Thinking about my lessons in retrospect, I can imagine how the use of technological tools would make learning about Hudson more fun and effective.
Kamil Rudolf

Digital Images in theLanguage Arts Classroom

I think that using digital images and new age technology in the classroom is proving to be beneficial for all students. At my school, we too bring digital technology into the classroom and use it to expand what we are learning about in reading. All of my students are diagnosed with autism, and these tools have really helped everyone in the class to gain a better understanding of everything that we are learning about. We just finished doing a unit around Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We used our smartboard to show various videos of the same basic story. This really helped the children who had difficulty processing the textual format of the book to gain a more concrete understanding of the story. We looked out how all of the stories were basically the same but examined the differences in each one. It was nice that the kids got to see that there could be more than one ending to this story. It helped my students to become more abstract, by giving them ideas for alternate endings. Although we didn't take digital storytelling beyond this, (because it is too complex for my students at the current time), I have already experienced how beneficial introducing these alternate modes of the story can be for them. In the future, maybe I can start to introduce digital storytelling into the classroom further by giving my students some choices of pictures that they might want to use to create a similar story of their own.

- Megan Miller

Univeral Design for Learning is a process

After reading about the principles of Universal Design for Learning I am impressed and inspired by the way that technology can offer equity and access to students who require alternate modalities for learning. Although I am not in a classroom this year, I have worked in self contained special needs classrooms for three years, teaching students with autism, learning disabilities and emotional/ behavioral disabilities. My co-teachers and I worked collaboratively to provide child-centered curriculums that met the needs of each of our students however applying UDL in our classrooms would've allowed us to apply greater flexibility in our curriculum and teaching because of computer technology. Computers afford multiple means of variation by way of presentation, assessment and engagement, finding ways for all students to learn the given material in the way that’s most effective for them. In our classrooms one of our primary goals has been to empower our students to be their own self advocates, understanding how they learn best so that they can ask for what they need as they continue their educational and professional journeys. UDL seems like an incredibly efficient way to achieve these goals.
I really appreciated that David Rose spoke about UDL as an approach and a journey and that as of yet, there is no perfect example. As I idealistically thought of the ways that UDL could improve the quality of education for my students I also had to recognize that the schools I worked in didn’t allot funds for computers or technology. There was one computer in each classroom and the internet sometimes didn't even work. If it did, it was really slow. We would use the computer to adjust font size and spacing when creating handouts and we would use student names in assignments to engage them in the content but we were limited in technological resources. Most of the time we drew and wrote on poster board so that we could utilize color and adjust size and spacing during our lessons. We didn’t have access to smart boards. We didn’t have the funding necessary to provide all the necessary technology nor administrative support. A main concern of mine is teacher training. As I would love to implement all of these wonderful resources in my classroom, I am still of the technologically phobic and would need to feel adept and confident before utilizing technology to this capacity in my classroom.

Yamit Sasson

UDL and New Technologies

The idea of Univeral Design of Learning (from herin referred to as UDL) in the podcast by David Rose was interesting to me though a bland podcast. I picked up mostly on the idea of UDL being about alternatives and options. I assistant teach in a gifted and talented classroom and am always trying to think of new ways to reach many of my students who already believe they have seen it all and understand it all. UDL is an idea that can help me have options to reach all of my students. David Rose pointed out how this information was presented in many ways, the book, podcast, etc, and I think about those options and ties to my students. The technologies today may seem overwhelming to teachers but can provide for students many more alternatives and options for them to be able to engage themselves and reach concepts that with fixed media they couldn' always get. The multiple intelligences of Howard Gardner alone brings to mind all of the different ways technology can engage all of our different students. It is up to teachers to be able to introduce and assess the value of these different technologies and present to students a UDL.

reflective teacher communities

I was struck with the article about blogs and wikis. It really made a case for how useful these new technologies can be for building a more reflective teacher community. As I was reading it, I imagined a kind of professional development that was ongoing through out the year. School administration would actually build in time in the schedule to have reflective discussions based on whatever blog teachers were following, or wiki that was being built. I know "build in time" seems like a ridiculous thing to say, but it might be in place of hours of professional development that is often just time for teachers to sit and grade a stack of papers or tests. It would be PD that was far more meaningful and personal for teachers. Its also a way to make teachers responsible for their own professional growth. There are probably enough blogs out there for an entire faculty to be following, as well as an opportunity to collaborate on a wiki.

I'm also glad to read ideas about making schools better learning environments for teachers. I agree with the quote included by Richard Elmore, that schools are hostile places for learning. I've worked in schools where this was the case and the culture of surveillance, mistrust, and laziness was palpable among most of the staff. The administration was viewed as an adversary to the teachers. I believe, and hope, that this was an extreme case. But even in schools where the administration is not the ideal supportive and thoughtful body of people we all hope for as teachers, this system of PD may not be so negatively affected. Many poorly run schools have very few meaningful and substantive PD opportunities for their teachers within their schools. Surely it can be enhanced by a supportive administration, but by nature, it is hard to mess up. There will always be teachers who may put very little energy into finding a good Blog and finding ways to challenge and improve one's own teaching, but it just seems like teachers would be excited to have more control over their PD, and the fact that they are given time to be reflective. This shows that teachers are also valued as learners and not just as workers. It is also a huge commitment to genuine reflective practices.

giselle

Teaching Children How to Learn

The title of this post is co-opted from Baird's (Learning Styles 2.0) quote from Peter Drucker, who says that in a constantly changing world..."the most pressing task is teaching people how to learn." I believe this quote cuts to the heart of our purpose as teachers. It's incredibly important to help our kids discover what kinds of learners they are and provide them with the tools to support their individual learning needs. Several students in our 4th grade CTT class have language-based learning disabilities. The traditional, word-based instruction for teaching reading, writing and math skills just don't meet their needs. One student is encouraged to listen to books on tape within our classes listening center and the teachers are able to set aside some time to discuss the content of the books with her. Over time, this has actually helped her begin to feel comfortable writing in her reading notebook. The scaffolding provided by the technology has enabled her to become connected to reading. She's feeling confident that she can understand. I hope to be able to learn more through our readings and class discussions about technology tools that help language-based learning disabled students be able to connect to the material. Successful deployment of these tools will, I'm sure, help students to "learn how to learn".

Jamie Hooper

I thought I signed my post, but evidently I did not. Mine is the post below ("As a new teacher....").

Emily Firman

As a new teacher, I find myself feeling bombarded and overwhelmed with new technology. Even figuring out how to navigate this website was a challenge for me. I try to remind myself that the same feeling of frustration with digital media is similar to the struggles that people with different learning styles may have to printed text or oral questions, both formats that are easy for me to understand and use to access different pools of knowledge. For example, struggling to put together my first power point presentation for a class last semester is a feeling that others may confront when asked to demonstrate their knowledge using a format that feels equally foreign and inaccessible.

I teach in a K/1 classroom at a school for children with special needs. The children in my classroom, like children in all classrooms, have a variety of learning styles and abilities. I found the Strangman, Hall, & Meyer article on Graphic Organizers interesting. For some reason, I had never considered graphic organizers to be a kind of technology, but I find that they are really helpful to a lot of my students and use them in my classroom. Due to the age of my students, the graphic organizers we use are very simple and usually aid reading lessons. Many of my students have language delays and have difficulty with story comprehension and structure. We use story trains to map out the beginning, middle, and end of stories we read together, and series of event chains to describe the plot through the various events of a story. Most of these graphic organizers are constructed by the teacher, with student input, as part of large-group activities on the smartboard, but reading this article made me think about different potential activities to use them for, such as having students complete them in small groups on printed copies. With teacher guidance and differentiated means of expression (some kids will be able to write short sentences about story events, others will be able to demonstrate their knowledge through drawing), I think this may be a good strategy to assess reading comprehension and understanding of story structure in my classroom.

I also found Ferriter’s article, “Learning with Blogs and Wikis” really exciting. It is amazing to think of the potential professional knowledge teachers have access to because of digital tools that enable collaboration and a means to share thoughts and opinions. I think it would be incredibly helpful to have an avenue to share milestones, ask questions, seek out opinions and push my own thinking, especially as a new teacher. While I see this as a great opportunity, I also feel like it is still slightly inaccessible to me because I am not comfortable with a lot of the Web 2.0 technology. Even though I’m a little intimidated, it was helpful how Ferriter recognized these sentiments and provided examples of websites for teachers to use to ease themselves into the global community, and I am excited to launch myself into this world, and know that there is guidance and support among peers.

Re: Learning Styles 2.0

On a semantic, if not basic, level I take issue with the article “Learning Styles 2.0: Digital, Social and Always On.” The article opens, “Raised in the “always on” world of interactive media, the Internet, and social media technologies, Generation Y has different expectations and learning styles than previous generations” and immediately introduces the idea with which I have a problem: a new generation having new learning styles. Different expectations? Granted. These young people live with these new technologies as previous generations lived with books. Just as those who came before us expected to be taught using books, the then current media, so too will and should Generation Y expect to be taught using its current media: the internet and all its technological accoutrements. What I take issue with is the idea that this new generation of young people present with different “learning styles.” I think that Generation Y has different learning opportunities, opportunities that allow for heretofore unthinkable levels of individualization, but I do not think that they learn differently from past generations. I think that we will find the same students, with the same differences in abilities, interests and passions, with the same diversity of intelligences (a la Gardner) and that the main difference will be in how we can meet their varied needs. Certain students will thrive when given opportunities to learn from and express themselves through technology. I think that we also need to accept that not all students will so thrive. Some students may require the pen in hand-pad before them method of note taking, idea development and product creation and these students should not be thought of as deficient for their “learning style.” All options for presentation, participation and expression should remain open to students – including those that do not need to be plugged into a socket. Technology has the potential to be a great unifier as long as we don’t prioritize innovation over need.