Digital storybooks allow the technological inundated students and the classroom to mesh into an education and exciting lesson. Media specialists can use digital storybooks to enhance a textbook lesson into a sensory experience with pictures, movies, sounds, music, narration and much more. These elements can be combined to make one “story”. Digital stories are a unique way a media specialist can collaborate with the teachers. To have a selection of digital stories to use in the classroom saves the teachers’ time in pulling all the resources and it makes the lesson engaging and more likely to connect with students and their lives. It also offers the opportunity to combine 21st Century Learner standards with the state standards. Teachers are constantly looking for ways to meet the standards of the state while incorporating technology, primary sources, and hands-on learning. Digital stories can help in those areas. It can even be a bridge to getting teachers to create their own digital library or moving in that direction. They can also offer alternatives to “poster or paper” projects for students. Students can create their own digital story. Instead of writing a report over the causes and effects of the Vietnam War, students can demonstrate it in a movie format with primary source documents and pictures. They can incorporate music from that time period or narrate their points. This new medium of technology and presentation can help students not only meet the standards, but master and apply them. Even with all the pros of digital stories, there is a con. The only cost is the time of gathering resources and putting them into a “story”. It is time well-spent when looking at the benefits and the organization of having a way to present a large amount of audio and visual effects in one format.
Ebooks are a growing trend with everyone including education. A neighboring county is piloting laptops for every high school student. They will have all their textbooks electronically or as an ebook, instead of a physical book. The students are excited about “going paperless” and the school system is excited about saving textbook money. This brings up the reason I believe ebooks are not regularly used in a school system: cost. The cost of purchasing an ebook is smaller compared to the physical book. However, the cost of the mode ebooks are presented can be expensive. For example kindles, ipad, and even laptops can be a very expensive purchase for a media center. The thought of “checking out” one of these to a 7 or 8 year old who forgets her lunch or to tie his shoes is a nightmare to a media specialist. Our school does not have ebooks for “checkout”. We do subscribe to Worldbook online. This offers ebooks that can be accessed by the students, even from home. This is viewed as a webpage and doesn’t require downloading. I think ebooks will continue to grow and become more popular in the future. Hopefully with the popularity, the cost will go down.
I like the examples you used for the uses of digital stories. I think it is a great way for students to get to know each other, and for teachers and media specialist to create activities and lessons from them. I also think it is a great way for parents to connect with students. Parents can get involved in the making of a digital story with their child. Since students are so familiar and up to date with technology these days, it only makes sense to make lessons around things that they know and are familiar with. Plus, it may just even make them want to create and really get involved and interested in the project. This technology outlet has so many benefits for teachers, students, and parents. This is a great way to bridge that gap between school and home.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea that the typical "projects" that are the accumulation of the learning from the unit can begin to change. Those posters and PowerPoint presentations are not bad but with the use of the digital storytelling technology the project can be taken to an entirely different level. It also allows for the integration of speaking skills and primary sources. It allows for problem solving experiences and use of technology. Of course there is also the content knowledge that is displayed through the assignment.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of every high school student having their textbooks electronically is an interesting idea and a very exciting one. This would not only provide access to any book at any time but also the laptop could also be used in the creation of these technological projects. This would allow for all students to have an even playing field.