Why Use Digital Storytelling?

Educators should understand how and why to incorporate digital storytelling into a curriculum. My previous posts have addressed how to incorporate digital stories. This post addresses why educators should incorporate this teaching concept into their curriculum. The definition of digital storytelling combines two essential elements that are related to modern learning. Since the development of the earliest teaching practices, educators have used narratives to reinforce learning. These narratives allow students to attach additional meaning to topics which reinforces the understanding and retention of information. Digital storytelling combines the use of narratives with modern technology to formulate a new teaching concept. Computers provide modern learners with limitless amounts of information and easily-accessible software applications. According to researchers, digital storytelling is effective because it requires students to develop and use critical thinking skills. This process also allows learners to employ creativity and visual stimuli into the final product.

The use of digital storytelling continues to spread to all academic levels and subject matter. This instructional technique will continue to migrate as new applications are developed. A major concern for educators is that the digital storytelling process should not evolve into a practice that focuses solely on the use of multimedia applications and the narratives are overlooked. Educators must ensure that they specify an appropriate balance between technology and the discovery of new information when planning to use digital storytelling in their curriculum.

 

 

Digital Storytelling Example

Adult students typically attend a rigorous training course and have to pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) exam before they are certified to work as EMTs. Training courses usually include classroom lectures and hands-on training. Many of the classroom lectures are scenario-based on the students have to apply their training to determine the proper medical responses. The topics covered during the lectures often include a lot of medical terms related to the body’s anatomy, medical procedures, and names of medication. For many of these lectures, having the students create digital stories would enhance the classroom lectures and create a foundation for higher levels of learning.

I’ve created a digital story as an example and I would appreciate your evaluation. The example is linked to my curriculum page which provides students with useful information about creating a digital story. It’s the last link on the page and I am eager to hear your comments!

Using Digital Storytelling Activities with Adult Learners

There’s plenty of information available online that recommends how to create learning activities that allow students to create digital stories. The digital storytelling process begins with the selection of an idea or concept, gathering information, and developing an outline for the story using storyboards. The rest of the process involves using technological resources to turn the storyboards into digital media and to consolidate all of the pieces into a final product. The last step involves presenting the digital story online for others to review and provide feedback.

As a developer of training materials for adult learners, I would like to see digital storytelling activities routinely incorporated into many adult courses. Here are several suggestions that I think would make the activities successful. Teachers can spend a lot of time developing the steps of the process but they may overlook other key aspects of the learning activity. I think that its important to develop learning objectives for the development process rather than simply grading the final product. For example, to ensure that students are achieving the established learning objectives, teachers should grade the outlines, storyboards, and other products in addition to the final product. Another consideration is whether students should work individually or in groups. There are advantages for using either approach. Although it’s easier to grade each student’s work if they work separately, I believe the level of learning increases when students work together and communicate their ideas. Having multiple perspectives within a group also enhances the learning experience. To maximize learning for all students in a group, each member should perform each step of the development process separately and share it with the rest of the group. Then, the group can work together on the group’s digital story. Teachers can grade each student’s individual work to monitor and evaluate their level of learning.

Another key aspect for a successful learning activity is select a topic that directly relates to the students which creates a degree of authenticity. If one of the goals of the learning activity is for students to learn about a topic, the teacher should have students complete essay papers as part of their research. It’s important that students do not overlook the purpose of the learning activity and inadvertently focus too much on the use of the technology. Teachers should regularly check the progress of students to ensure that they remain focused on the problem rather than trying to create media. Teachers should have examples of the products developed during each step of the process so that students can have a visual example of what’s required. Also, teachers should provide demonstrations on how to use online educational resources. In some cases, the resources do not provide enough information for learners to use the tools without becoming frustrated. As a final point, teachers should incorporate multiple learning activities into the curriculum so that the students can build on their previous experiences.

Reference:

 
Rawlins, P. and Kehrwald, B. (2014). Integrating Educational Technologies into Teacher Education: A Case Study. Innovations in Education and Teaching International. vol 51(2) pg 207-217

Learning to use Digital Storytelling

Digital Storytelling Presentation

Looking at Both Sides of the Issue

I recently read an interesting article about the use of tablets in schools. While I read the article, I felt that the article presented a biased perspective against educational technology. The author, Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, voiced his concerns about the dangers of tablets and the possibility of children becoming addicted to computer screens and hand-held devices (2016). He argued that children can suffer from multiple physical and psychological problems from overusing technology and, in his opinion, tablets should not be used in a classroom.
 
His viewpoint compelled me to find out more about the issue. To support his argument, Dr. Kardaras acknowledged that the educational technology industry is expected to grow to $60 billion by 2018. He used examples of two businesses that invested heavily in educational technology solely for profits. Both examples had unfavorable circumstances so he felt that each case supported his position.

During my research, I found a website that presented both sides of the argument. Here are a few of the justifications for and against using tablets instead of textbooks in a classroom:

Pros	Cons
Tablets provide students with access to more information	Hand-held devices can cause health problems
E-textbooks on tablets cost less than printed books	Using tablets is more expensive than textbooks (tablet costs, wifi, etc.)
Tablets allows students to mark and adjust text for better reading	Tablets have too many distractions such as apps, games, etc.
Tablets help prepare students for a world that uses technology	Reading printed text helps you to comprehend, remember, and learn better

 

As I reviewed each point and counterpoint, I felt that many of the arguments against tablets could be mitigated. Of course, overusing a device can cause problems and tablet use by students should be monitored by teachers to ensure the students are only using the devices for the intended educational purposes. I believe that a device or tool is not harmful simply because it can be overused. Both positions used cost comparisons to support their argument but I am in favor of using technology to reduce costs and provide students with access to more information. Even if reading printed text has its advantages, preparing students to use technology is more important. Also, it’s likely that printed text will continue to decline in the future as technology moves forward.

 

References:

 Should Tablets Replace Textbooks in K-12 schools? (2017). Retrieved from http://tablets-textbooks.procon.org/

Kardaras, N. (2016, August 31). Screens In Schools Are a $60 Billion Hoax. Time.  Retrieved from http://time.com/4474496/screens-schools-hoax/

Let’s Think About This….

I read an interesting article the other day and I decided to give the issue more consideration. The article addresses Florida’s State Bill 104, which proposes that high school computer coding classes should become acceptable to meet foreign language requirements. Other states are considering similar legislation as part of a broader effort to improve computer science education for K-12 students (Nevadomski Berdan, 2014). Supporters say that high schools should prepare students for the job market. Opponents argue that this legislation is minimizing the importance of language arts (Clark, 2017).

Senator Jeff Brandes proposed SB 104 and it has passed through Florida’s senate. Based on my research, Senator Brandes does not have a strong record for supporting educational agendas and has not served as an educator. The Florida Chamber of Commerce and Disney are the biggest supporters of this legislation and have multiple lobbyists to ensure that SB 104 is approved (Clark, 2017).

Opponents of this legislation claim that there are several benefits from studying a foreign language. Studies show that students who learn a foreign language have higher academic achievements. Other studies indicate that students who learn a foreign language have sharper mental skills when they get older (Kibler & Philipose, n.d.).

Alberto Carvalho, is a credible opponent to this legislation. He is the superintendent of the Maimi-Dade school district and he is highly regarded as an educator and as a superintendent. He was named as the 2014 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). As a side note, I came across his name three times this week while I was researching of topics such as potential Secretary of Education candidates and the Future of Education Technology Conference (http://www.fetc.org/). Carvalho provides a logical objection to this legislation and says that computer coding and foreign languages aren’t substitutes for one another. The choice for students should not be between coding or a foreign language. Students should have opportunities to study both subjects (Clark, 2017). In my opinion, legislators and lobbyists should focus on providing more opportunities to students rather than trying to consolidate existing studies to meet graduation requirements. If this legislation passes in Florida, students may face more challenges getting accepted into out of state colleges that require students to have two-three years of foreign language studies in high school.

 

References:

Clark, K., (2017, February 5). Computer coding as a foreign language? Florida lawmakers again push the idea. Miami Herald. Retrieved from http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article130772249.html

 

Nevadomski Berdan, S., (2014, April 22). Computer Science Is Not a Foreign Language.  Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacie-nevadomski-berdan/computer-science-is-not-a_b_4823691.html

 

Kibler, A & Philipose, S. (n.d.). What the Research Shows. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Retrieved from https://www.actfl.org/advocacy/what-the-research-shows#academic_achievement

 

Carvalho, A. Retrieved February 07, 2017 from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_M._Carvalho

Let's Make it Better!

The internet has been a valuable tool since from the very beginning but like all tools, it’s time to “sharpen” the internet. If done correctly, we can enhance the positive aspects of the internet while removing the negative aspects such as hacking, malware, identity theft, spam, copyright infringements, and fraud (Barzilay, 2016). These negative aspects are costly for businesses, create social problems for users, and detract from the positive aspects of the internet. Trying to reform the existing internet would be impossible so the most reasonable option is to create a new internet. Without reform, the internet will continue to grow, while remaining virtually unregulated, and businesses will be forced to continue to invest large sums for cybersecurity.

The idea for a new internet has been around for some time. Imagine an internet that was designed to share information and communicate with others using the most efficient and secure methods. Users would have a better sense of security because all users, and their devices, would be positively identified by their internet access providers. Users would have to adhere to a code of conduct and access providers could quickly block any users that violate the standards of conduct.

Technology is at a point where a new internet could be developed using wireless technology. The current version of the internet would remain and users could divide their time between both systems. The current version of the internet could retain some commercial, entertainment, and social applications. The reinvented internet would be used primarily for educational purposes but it would also have commercial applications to ensure that the new network continues to growth. If the right companies and academic institutions join together, a second-generation internet is possible.

 

Reference:

Barzilay, M., (2016) Building a brand-new Internet, Crunch Network. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2016/03/13/building-a-brand-new-internet/