This is a Google Drive link to my draft: Life's Moments
It is still in PPT form and some of the slides will have further narration.
This is a Voice Thread Link : Life's Moments
I will likely finish this product as full youtube video and welcome comments on what you are missing in this story. I need to fininsh the dialogue for the final slides that bring my project full circle, but tell me what else I'm missing. Thanks!
............Welcome to Rafe's Random Rants
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Wk 6 Reading: Critical Questions and Close Reading
Why critical questions and what is exactly a critical question, the root definition for critical (expressing or involving an analysis of the merits and faults of a work) coupled with the basic (who what when why and maybe how?). Does this mean that the answer to questions are not on the surface like the material you get when you only skim or scan a text for obvious answers. All of this led me back to the idea of underlying meaning and motives, which leads right in to my quote from the reading. Henry Jenkins named it the "Transparency problem," when talking about how the "media are actively involved in processes of constructing or representing 'reality' rather than simply transmitting or reflecting it." I found this to be essence of why we need to think critically and teach critical thinking skills. The basic beginning of the scientific process starts with curiosity to explore a question deeper. Teachers should be guiding students in this approach about all the subjects (even life), meaning that there is always more than meets the eye to be discovered. This led me to a blast from the past Milli Vanilli a duo that pulled off one of the greatest spoofs ever and even won a Grammy. They fooled everyone even some of the greatest so-called experts serving on the judging panel that hand out the music industry's most prestigious awards, the Grammy's not to mention selling millions of records.
This elaborate scheme to fool the world plays right into the "Five Critical Questions" from various angles. The true singers were not the true authors of the scandal, the lip syncing duo Milli Vanilli were not the true authors, so searching for the true author and the purpose or motivation becomes a vital question to know the answer to.
The creativity was pure genius and captured the attention of the world. The different messages and mixed reactions were not fully known until the duo became the scandal of the decade. This led to audience's questioning a lot of other groups and their potential for not performing live or actually performing as themselves.
The lifestyles and values are the ideas of what some people may be willing to risk in order to gain notoriety and fortune (because the true motive behind this scheme was money).
The Omission beyond the obvious was the turmoil and destruction the scandal left the two front men for the group lives. While it's true they willingly participated in the scandal, I'm not sure they were prepared for the fallout if their deception was discovered.
The truth
The True Milli Vanilli
Citations:
Hobbs, R. (2011). Research as Authentic Inquiry. In Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.
This elaborate scheme to fool the world plays right into the "Five Critical Questions" from various angles. The true singers were not the true authors of the scandal, the lip syncing duo Milli Vanilli were not the true authors, so searching for the true author and the purpose or motivation becomes a vital question to know the answer to.
The creativity was pure genius and captured the attention of the world. The different messages and mixed reactions were not fully known until the duo became the scandal of the decade. This led to audience's questioning a lot of other groups and their potential for not performing live or actually performing as themselves.
The lifestyles and values are the ideas of what some people may be willing to risk in order to gain notoriety and fortune (because the true motive behind this scheme was money).
The Omission beyond the obvious was the turmoil and destruction the scandal left the two front men for the group lives. While it's true they willingly participated in the scandal, I'm not sure they were prepared for the fallout if their deception was discovered.
The truth
The True Milli Vanilli
Citations:
Hobbs, R. (2011). Research as Authentic Inquiry. In Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.
Published on Feb 14, 2014
Music video by Milli Vanilli performing Girl You Know It's True. (C) 1994 BMG Berlin Musik GmbH
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Story Board: The 7 Elements
The 7 Elements play a key role in helping to outline and plan your proposed digital story.
1. POV: This story will be told from my point of view, even though I like stories that capture a third person viewpoint, but that isn't the best option for this story.
2. Dramatic ?: I was given some good questions to reflect upon as I was searching for that crafty way of hooking the viewer. It seems odd how we can so easily be swayed by a title or a sentence. I wonder how many wonderful things I have missed in my life simply because the title or first sentence did not capture my interest. So, the dramatic question has the greatest task in that it will determine the "watch or skip"... "I was forty-six when my education began, yet so much learning had already occurred..." or "The dirt in which I am made of literally changed my life" or "Life's Moments... some take your breathe away, others give you courage to breathe"
3. Emotional Content: When talking about life and death the emotional content comes from the experience the producer had and more importantly the experiences and perceptions the viewer with the topic. My life has changed, but many of the experiences I have had shaped me into who I really am!
4. Narration: This element allows the voice of the story to be heard. My story seems like so many others and yet filled with unique characteristics that are truly my own. My grandmother Snell left school in the 8th grade because that was the norm, she raised her children (6= 3 boys and 3 girls) and decided she wanted her high school diploma. Due to graduate in 1968 she was diagnosed with terminal cancer with 6 months or less to live, undetered she graduated. She also made sure her daughters had a college degree so they could by their choosing live independently and self relient....
5. Soundtract: Like great movie soundtracts this element is designed to enhance the story not be a focal point, background sounds can elevate the viewer's emotion and connection to the story.
The mixing will be the challenge because some of the story is a heavy and much of the story is bright and filled with a positive message. Like this (link) Original Classical or possibly b minor folk country on the otherhand well know music can tell an underlying story like Classic Themes
6. Economy:Too much and story cannot keep the viewer's attention and too little doesn't give the viewer a clear picture. The psychology term is "flow"... that dynamic tension between to hard and too easy... the story changes that into too long or too short, it needs the "Goldilocks" approval stamp. Still assessing photos
7. Pacing: This is the element that ensures the choosen images maximize their impact on the viewer, to much of a pause loses interest too short loses content. The power point option will likely work best for me since PPT suits movie maker well.
1. POV: This story will be told from my point of view, even though I like stories that capture a third person viewpoint, but that isn't the best option for this story.
2. Dramatic ?: I was given some good questions to reflect upon as I was searching for that crafty way of hooking the viewer. It seems odd how we can so easily be swayed by a title or a sentence. I wonder how many wonderful things I have missed in my life simply because the title or first sentence did not capture my interest. So, the dramatic question has the greatest task in that it will determine the "watch or skip"... "I was forty-six when my education began, yet so much learning had already occurred..." or "The dirt in which I am made of literally changed my life" or "Life's Moments... some take your breathe away, others give you courage to breathe"
3. Emotional Content: When talking about life and death the emotional content comes from the experience the producer had and more importantly the experiences and perceptions the viewer with the topic. My life has changed, but many of the experiences I have had shaped me into who I really am!
4. Narration: This element allows the voice of the story to be heard. My story seems like so many others and yet filled with unique characteristics that are truly my own. My grandmother Snell left school in the 8th grade because that was the norm, she raised her children (6= 3 boys and 3 girls) and decided she wanted her high school diploma. Due to graduate in 1968 she was diagnosed with terminal cancer with 6 months or less to live, undetered she graduated. She also made sure her daughters had a college degree so they could by their choosing live independently and self relient....
5. Soundtract: Like great movie soundtracts this element is designed to enhance the story not be a focal point, background sounds can elevate the viewer's emotion and connection to the story.
The mixing will be the challenge because some of the story is a heavy and much of the story is bright and filled with a positive message. Like this (link) Original Classical or possibly b minor folk country on the otherhand well know music can tell an underlying story like Classic Themes
6. Economy:Too much and story cannot keep the viewer's attention and too little doesn't give the viewer a clear picture. The psychology term is "flow"... that dynamic tension between to hard and too easy... the story changes that into too long or too short, it needs the "Goldilocks" approval stamp. Still assessing photos
7. Pacing: This is the element that ensures the choosen images maximize their impact on the viewer, to much of a pause loses interest too short loses content. The power point option will likely work best for me since PPT suits movie maker well.
Teaching: "A Note Card Confessional"
My Note Card Confessional:
Teaching a note card confession
Just saying it aloud brings the connotation of a hidden secret about to be revealed. This week's reading is filled with wonderful ways to connect learning and make it relevant to the social classroom of today. Students need to understand how their learning is connected to the world in which they currently live. The quotes I chose for my "note card confessional" were...
David Buckingham has explained, " very different conceptions of morality and very different cultural traditions exist side-by-side." (Hobbs pg. 29) This powerful quote explains the cultural diversity teachers and students face everyday in the learning environment. I immediately thought of the sociology side of "in-groups" and "out-groups" of "social norms" and "folkways" and "socialization" in general with the thought that educators are not just purveyors of content, but teachers of life skills and social awareness. Helping students make connections from content to real world experiences and vice a versa produces the greatest of "ah ha" moments (teachers live for these moments).
"Reality TV is just a new type of drama, blurring fact and fiction in ways that keep audiences psychologically involved in the lives and experiences of the characters." (Hobbs pg. 32) is the second quote I chose to illustrate another point I found very interesting. Back in the day, I mean way back, the reality TV of the time were "Greek Tragedies" and like reality TV of today the audience had to have some real connection to the characters. While I must admit I do not readily have anything in common with "Snookie," I do recognize the connection to choices and consequences. On a very deep and even somewhat subconscious level "reality TV (Greek Tragedy)" is designed for us to self-reflect on our lives and how we exist in our local / global community.
.
"students in Mr. Fisher's class began to see how Arthur Miller's dramatization of American history was similar to the dramatization of daily life that we see on reality TV shows," (Hobbs pg 32) was my third quote. This is the "ah ha" moment I was talking about earlier. I believe in the interest driven model of education, knowing that many students will inherently try to learn more about subjects that interest them. Therefore, the educator must find ways to turn interest driven learning into interesting relevant connected learning (try saying that 5 times fast). I understand that not every student will like the content you are teaching, but I also know that No student lives in a vacuum. Connecting the social envirnoment the student lives in to the content provides a chance for an authentic learning experience, which will Not occur in a self-guide packet. Try and remember just how much you hated "busy work" in your own education, things have Not changed, students today hate it too!
Buckingham, D. (2003). Media education: Literacy, learning, and contemporary culture. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press ;.
Hobbs, R. (2011). Research as Authentic Inquiry. In Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.
Teaching a note card confession
Just saying it aloud brings the connotation of a hidden secret about to be revealed. This week's reading is filled with wonderful ways to connect learning and make it relevant to the social classroom of today. Students need to understand how their learning is connected to the world in which they currently live. The quotes I chose for my "note card confessional" were...
David Buckingham has explained, " very different conceptions of morality and very different cultural traditions exist side-by-side." (Hobbs pg. 29) This powerful quote explains the cultural diversity teachers and students face everyday in the learning environment. I immediately thought of the sociology side of "in-groups" and "out-groups" of "social norms" and "folkways" and "socialization" in general with the thought that educators are not just purveyors of content, but teachers of life skills and social awareness. Helping students make connections from content to real world experiences and vice a versa produces the greatest of "ah ha" moments (teachers live for these moments).
"Reality TV is just a new type of drama, blurring fact and fiction in ways that keep audiences psychologically involved in the lives and experiences of the characters." (Hobbs pg. 32) is the second quote I chose to illustrate another point I found very interesting. Back in the day, I mean way back, the reality TV of the time were "Greek Tragedies" and like reality TV of today the audience had to have some real connection to the characters. While I must admit I do not readily have anything in common with "Snookie," I do recognize the connection to choices and consequences. On a very deep and even somewhat subconscious level "reality TV (Greek Tragedy)" is designed for us to self-reflect on our lives and how we exist in our local / global community.
.
"students in Mr. Fisher's class began to see how Arthur Miller's dramatization of American history was similar to the dramatization of daily life that we see on reality TV shows," (Hobbs pg 32) was my third quote. This is the "ah ha" moment I was talking about earlier. I believe in the interest driven model of education, knowing that many students will inherently try to learn more about subjects that interest them. Therefore, the educator must find ways to turn interest driven learning into interesting relevant connected learning (try saying that 5 times fast). I understand that not every student will like the content you are teaching, but I also know that No student lives in a vacuum. Connecting the social envirnoment the student lives in to the content provides a chance for an authentic learning experience, which will Not occur in a self-guide packet. Try and remember just how much you hated "busy work" in your own education, things have Not changed, students today hate it too!
Buckingham, D. (2003). Media education: Literacy, learning, and contemporary culture. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press ;.
Hobbs, R. (2011). Research as Authentic Inquiry. In Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Digital Story Brainstorming
I have so many rich experiences that many people may describe as life defining moments both good and not so good (I hate to use bad, because I learned from those experiences too and that was good). This brainstorming post is about reflecting on events or memories that help define parts of your character and the journey of life. The aspects of defining positive and negative events, seems so harsh when thinking about so many different memories. I can remember the worse whipping I ever received at the hands of my dad. The evening was a typical evening except we had dinner guests. My mom always fixed such great meals for us to eat and we usually had desert, so when we had guest for dinner it was great treat for them, but supper as usual for us (that's the way I remember supper at my house, Yes supper the evening meal! we ate breakfast, lunch, and supper except for Sunday when we on special occasions had breakfast, Sunday dinner, and supper). The evening was as I remember filled with mostly grown-up talk and it was time for the "boys" to get ready for bed, which meant bath and teeth brushed then off to bed. Unsupervised bath time for young boys (age 2 or 3 to 5 or 6) could be a bit rowdy; it must have been pretty over the top that night. I remember being told, "settle down! get your bath! knock off the grab ass! and get to bed!" This didn't happen fast enough for dad that as he came up the stairs with loud thundering steps, threw the bathroom door wide open, and yelled I said enough!!! He then ripped the belt from his pants and one by one pulled the three of us from the tub, I remember that night well.
The positive times are harder to narrow down, not because of scarcity, but rather the opposite. Many of these experiences are rooted in learning how to work and work ethic or learning how to be resourceful. I will try, over the next few weeks, to pick a few really good examples. The one that comes to mind had a not so positive long-term outcome, but was a great learning experience. Milking the milk cows we kept and tending to their calves. We milk twice a day, which is what the cow requires not the other way around, early morning before school and just after 5 or so in the evening. We only milked three teats on each cow and let the calf have one, which usually meant trying them all before finding the right one (it was never the same teat so the cow wouldn't get sore). The collected milk was then strained through cheese cloth filter, separated with a cream separator, and sold. We sold most all the cream milk, which left a watery substance affectionately refer to as "bluejack." The bluejack was so thin mom had to add Carnation Powdered Milk to the bluejack so it would more closely resemble milk for drinking. I can to this day do many things with regard to tending to a cow, but I will not drink milk!
The teen years are filled with many different events as well from feeding 220 calves before and after school from November to May to joining the Navy and going to "boot camp." I remember getting my driver's license so I could start driving legal, going to the World's Fair, and so much more some of which are really hard to share even today so many years later.
As an adult, the choices aren't any easier, but the one single event I'm most aware of led to some really great things happening in my life. The greatest of those great things was meeting and marrying my wife Jan. The event happened in September of 2005, I met Jan in October of 2008, and we were married in July of 2010. She has inspired me to pursue my dreams, to get a college degree and teach others what I have learned along the way. My life changed on a day that nearly took it. After being badgered by my uncle to take my grandmother some topsoil from a jobsite I was developing; I loaded the dump truck and headed out. It was suppose to be an early day as I was going to travel to Harrisonburg and meet my brothers for our annual golf outing. My uncle promised to come and put the dirt into grandma's flowerbeds if hauled it over to her. I loaded the dump truck (late 60's early 70's model Ford single axle with a 2-speed rear end. The D-66 Komatsu track loader has a 2 1/5 cubic yard bucket, so I put one extra full bucket and a second small bucket on the truck. I pulled out confident that the trip would only take about an hour, since it was hardly 3 miles away across the "knob." The knob road started with a steep grade followed by as steep of downhill, then back up another grade with some sharp turns and a flat area before descending a 9% grade for a 1/4 mile ending with a double 15 MPH switchback (you know the arrow squiggly sign). It was the turn at the top of the grade when I found out that I had no brakes (no brakes means none nada zilch). I thought about many things, but I'm about to die was Not one them. I made a plan (old school... plan your work then work your plan) put the truck in the ditch on the right side around the first turn and ride the ditch to the bottom of the grade and then out into the farmer's field until I got stopped. In the mean time, try to find a way to slow down the truck if possible. I reached behind the seat to pull the emergency brake, no help, release emergency brake tighten then reapply, still no real help, pump main brakes, tighten emergency brake reapply (worried I was going to ruin emergency brake). Long story short I didn't make the first turn and jumped the dump truck down through the woods over the guard rail until I stopped; parked straight up sitting on the tailgate between three trees. I walked away with a cut on my head and a few bruises, but with a completely changed outlook on life. There is more to this story....
The positive times are harder to narrow down, not because of scarcity, but rather the opposite. Many of these experiences are rooted in learning how to work and work ethic or learning how to be resourceful. I will try, over the next few weeks, to pick a few really good examples. The one that comes to mind had a not so positive long-term outcome, but was a great learning experience. Milking the milk cows we kept and tending to their calves. We milk twice a day, which is what the cow requires not the other way around, early morning before school and just after 5 or so in the evening. We only milked three teats on each cow and let the calf have one, which usually meant trying them all before finding the right one (it was never the same teat so the cow wouldn't get sore). The collected milk was then strained through cheese cloth filter, separated with a cream separator, and sold. We sold most all the cream milk, which left a watery substance affectionately refer to as "bluejack." The bluejack was so thin mom had to add Carnation Powdered Milk to the bluejack so it would more closely resemble milk for drinking. I can to this day do many things with regard to tending to a cow, but I will not drink milk!
The teen years are filled with many different events as well from feeding 220 calves before and after school from November to May to joining the Navy and going to "boot camp." I remember getting my driver's license so I could start driving legal, going to the World's Fair, and so much more some of which are really hard to share even today so many years later.
As an adult, the choices aren't any easier, but the one single event I'm most aware of led to some really great things happening in my life. The greatest of those great things was meeting and marrying my wife Jan. The event happened in September of 2005, I met Jan in October of 2008, and we were married in July of 2010. She has inspired me to pursue my dreams, to get a college degree and teach others what I have learned along the way. My life changed on a day that nearly took it. After being badgered by my uncle to take my grandmother some topsoil from a jobsite I was developing; I loaded the dump truck and headed out. It was suppose to be an early day as I was going to travel to Harrisonburg and meet my brothers for our annual golf outing. My uncle promised to come and put the dirt into grandma's flowerbeds if hauled it over to her. I loaded the dump truck (late 60's early 70's model Ford single axle with a 2-speed rear end. The D-66 Komatsu track loader has a 2 1/5 cubic yard bucket, so I put one extra full bucket and a second small bucket on the truck. I pulled out confident that the trip would only take about an hour, since it was hardly 3 miles away across the "knob." The knob road started with a steep grade followed by as steep of downhill, then back up another grade with some sharp turns and a flat area before descending a 9% grade for a 1/4 mile ending with a double 15 MPH switchback (you know the arrow squiggly sign). It was the turn at the top of the grade when I found out that I had no brakes (no brakes means none nada zilch). I thought about many things, but I'm about to die was Not one them. I made a plan (old school... plan your work then work your plan) put the truck in the ditch on the right side around the first turn and ride the ditch to the bottom of the grade and then out into the farmer's field until I got stopped. In the mean time, try to find a way to slow down the truck if possible. I reached behind the seat to pull the emergency brake, no help, release emergency brake tighten then reapply, still no real help, pump main brakes, tighten emergency brake reapply (worried I was going to ruin emergency brake). Long story short I didn't make the first turn and jumped the dump truck down through the woods over the guard rail until I stopped; parked straight up sitting on the tailgate between three trees. I walked away with a cut on my head and a few bruises, but with a completely changed outlook on life. There is more to this story....
Reflecting on our Love/Hate Relationship with Media
The Love Hate relationship with Media takes many turns through out lives. For instances as young 1st and 2nd grader I began learning reading words and found that I could identify the words and say them aloud. I'm not sure about then, but sure do like how some words roll off the tongue and learning those words is a great joy. The love relationship is words and their meanings, but the hate relationship runs a much deeper vein. It may not have been hard for me to learn to read words, but it was really difficult for me to understand what they meant when they formed thoughts or ideas that were not my thoughts or ideas. I remember well the meeting my beloved 2nd grade teacher had with my mother and me near the end of the school term. "Betty" she said, in a stern but caring tone, "this boy can't understand a thing he reads and the way I see it we have two choices. We can either hold him back in the 2nd grade or send him to the reading lab." Held back I thought... I knew what that meant... failing the second grade, I sure didn't think that was an option... How embarrassing I thought! My Mother said send him to the reading lab, what a relief fell over me as I knew I wouldn't be failing the second grade. All of this was really quite a surprise to me anyway because I had not received failing grades on my report cards. That's my hate relationship... print media and the comprehension curse! I'm not the only one that suffered this dreaded curse then and many still do today. I thankfully went to the reading lab and spent some time with some great ladies that taught me great reading strategies that didn't just catch me up with my peers, but allowed me excel. My hate relationship print media is better now, but in the course of that journey I developed a great dislike for "English" in general because it lacked rules. Sure there are rules about this and that, but they all exceptions to the rule. This in a very practical way soon meant to me that these "rules" were really just suggestions and you shouldn't be punished for getting a suggestion wrong. What would happen if math had suggestions instead of rules or rules with exceptions?
Sunday, September 7, 2014
6810 Wk 3 Reading Post
This could be a great activity for students of all ages in all subjects!
What I learned by RJay
This reading offered a great deal to contemplate especially when designing lesson plans and thematic units. In the ideas of problem based or inquiry based learning teachers and administrators need to communicate with each other and more importantly with parents and stakeholders. This is not about every little detail of the classroom, but more about when you ask deep thought provoking questions you may get inquiries into areas you didn't plan for, give students credit they may be thinking more than you thought (pun intended). When you are going to ask students to create a project have the discussion about what is appropriate for the venue in which they will be presenting their projects. This is not about stifling creativity, but about making them aware of the potential ways their projects may be viewed a offensive. When I asked students to create a "visual essay" of the Holocaust I reminded them that many of the photos would be very graphic and keep in mind this thought when choosing, "is this a picture I really need to tell my story." I conceded that it may very well be what you need, but you had better be well prepared to defend your selection.
The focus of my BUBBLR was the program discussed by Moore, Powerful Voices for Kids, the idea many students have about why it's okay to use their phones in the classroom, the idea of navigating the classroom folkways / norms, and most importantly learning how to ask the right questions will lead to greater understanding and even more desire for new discoveries. When students learn the skill of asking good questions they have already started the discovery of the answer. When I teach students the SQ3R strategy I always tell them good answers contain elements of the question, which helps them keep information organized. Essential questions really just lead us to the tip of the "Iceberg."
Moore, D. (2011). Asking Questions First: Navigating Popular Culture and Transgression in an Inquiry-Based Media Literacy Classroom. Action in Teacher Education, 33, 219-230. (2011, January 1). Retrieved September 2, 2014, from Mediaeducationlab.com.
6810 Wk 3 Post 3
Three great stories with much to teach and help one to reflect on their own journeys and families. I can identify with some aspect of each of these stories in my own childhood as well as in some of the things I have done as a parent and adult. The stories utilized the 7 elements very well all transitioned very well and author's voice seemed calm and soothing (just telling a story). In one of the stories the narration was to be read by the viewer and that seemed appropriate for the style and topic offered, while all the stories had great photograph choices. These are three well made digital stories!
6810 Wk 3 Post 2
Deep Water: A great and compelling story about Trust it seems like fear at first and fear is talked about quite a bit, but the story is about trust in the relationship between mother and daughter. When we are in a relationship with someone we realize that even in our fears (and theirs) we can count on them to be there for us (and us them). A powerful story!!! with a powerful lesson!!!
7th Word: A young bot learning the Lakota language made this very astute and profound statement, " the bus was the classroom... well actually the world is a classroom." I really like this because learning happens everywhere even when we do not ask to be taught.
First Impression
This Story really caught my attention, mainly because of the title. I constantly remind students that you only get one chance to make a first impression. I really thought that I was trying to help them, but after hours of reflection will have to reconsider my views about this topic. While you only ever get one chance to make that FIRST impression there is so much more to be discovered. The way this series of still shots were woven together and the voice of the author narrating you through the story of her imperfections lands squarely on your heart when she says, " and after he finished with the picture he said, I was beautiful, that night when I looked in the mirror I was perfect." Then the greatest wisdom of the story comes when she asks the viewer to share in the possibility of seeing things differently, Not differently bad or differently good, just differently. We should all be teaching others that different is just that and try to remove all the judgment that comes from assigning the moniker of good or bad.
BlackBear, T. (2012, April 2). 7th Word: A digital story. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://youtu.be/dB58Z85J70Q?list=PL40FE28CF7CC65EC0
Fisher, L. (2012, April 2). First Impression: A digital story. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://youtu.be/ER_jE51g6II?list=PL40FE28CF7CC65EC0
Lollar, C. (2012, April 2). Deep Water: A digital story. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://youtu.be/VeXhmIT2LhM?list=PL40FE28CF7CC65EC0
7th Word: A young bot learning the Lakota language made this very astute and profound statement, " the bus was the classroom... well actually the world is a classroom." I really like this because learning happens everywhere even when we do not ask to be taught.
First Impression
This Story really caught my attention, mainly because of the title. I constantly remind students that you only get one chance to make a first impression. I really thought that I was trying to help them, but after hours of reflection will have to reconsider my views about this topic. While you only ever get one chance to make that FIRST impression there is so much more to be discovered. The way this series of still shots were woven together and the voice of the author narrating you through the story of her imperfections lands squarely on your heart when she says, " and after he finished with the picture he said, I was beautiful, that night when I looked in the mirror I was perfect." Then the greatest wisdom of the story comes when she asks the viewer to share in the possibility of seeing things differently, Not differently bad or differently good, just differently. We should all be teaching others that different is just that and try to remove all the judgment that comes from assigning the moniker of good or bad.
BlackBear, T. (2012, April 2). 7th Word: A digital story. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://youtu.be/dB58Z85J70Q?list=PL40FE28CF7CC65EC0
Fisher, L. (2012, April 2). First Impression: A digital story. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://youtu.be/ER_jE51g6II?list=PL40FE28CF7CC65EC0
Lollar, C. (2012, April 2). Deep Water: A digital story. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://youtu.be/VeXhmIT2LhM?list=PL40FE28CF7CC65EC0
Saturday, September 6, 2014
The Seven Elements
The 7 elements of a digital story are not that different from old school oral tradition story telling. The Elements: 1 - Point of View (POV); 2 - Dramatic Question; 3 - Emotional Content; 4 - Your Voice; 5 - Sound Track; 6 - Economy; 7 - Pacing. These elements of a digital story really only substitute a carefully chosen image or video clip rather than relying on the viewer / listeners imagination. I do not make this comparison to minimize the digital story media, but rather to add that the previous experiences the viewer has with the images or similar images evokes a greater response by the viewer. That is not say that oral tradition stories lack impact or emotional response by the consumer, but rather these stories (oral tradition) lack the ability to control what consumer is seeing.
In element #1 regardless of the specific content the producer of the story is trying to educate or at least offer a glimpse into the life or culture of the producer. I do not mean to minimize the content, but rather offer that the content seems to me to play a secondary role; in that the content itself had some sort or impact on the producer of the story that compelled them to share that experience. In this way the need to share or educate is the driving force behind the story.
Element #2 presented me with the idea of... how similar a dramatic question and essential question are in what they mean to the viewer. The dramatic questions seem to solicit an emotional response or connection to the story and producer, while teachers use the essential questions a guide for learner goals. I think both have the same goal in mind a connection to learning beyond mere content, which Piaget termed "concrete to abstract." In many ways the goals seem to ask the viewer (consumer) to insert himself/herself into the story by self reflected questions like "how does this apply to me?" or "how does this make me feel?"
Element #3 identifies that we all make some sort of emotional connection to stories whether we recognize it or not. At first glance a story about how to make salt or a sustainable greenhouse seem to not evoke a great deal of emotion on the surface, but when we dig deeper we can make connections to things like poverty, organic farming, "farm to table"... and many more, which challenge our views and stance on those issues. Believe me this issues can elicit strong emotional responses (keep in mind the idea that critical media literacy seeks to educate on the underlying motive for what your are being presented with and the best ways to provoke change are by appealing to the emotions, fear is an emotion).
In element #4 we hear the voice of the story (not always the producer), which changes the picture. Imaging yourself walking through the Metropolitan Art Museum looking at the great works or art... now imagine that every time you paused to study a piece a bit longer the creator of the piece appeared by your side to offer insight that led to the creation of that work. In many ways this is what the voice of the digital story offers and in that you can detect many different things about the author and if being narrated you may even detect emotional response of the narrator.
In element #5 we yet another appeal to our senses to help connect us to the story. The soundtrack releases previous experiences connected with that music and can either distract or enrich the digital story. Because music has such a deep connection to the range of emotions experienced by an individual the soundtrack, while usually playing in the background can have a profound impact on the consumer.
In element #6 we discover the new theme of our fast paced culture that seems to be getting faster. Meaning that the producer needs to provide the consumer with the necessary details that leave little ambiguity, but not overwrought with details that the message gets lost.
The last element #7 speaks to the flow of the story and whether the producer allows sufficient time for the consumer to "see & read" or "see the details" necessary to convey the learning goals.
Many of the videos I watched in this section and the "Reel Works" met their targeted goal, but I found some of them offered too much background noise (soundtrack) or made transitional changes (economy) that effected the delivery of the story. Yet all that being said, I in some believe the creation of the digital story has more value to the creator than the consumer, which means the elements of the story align more closely to producer's experiential learning and what it truly means to them.
In element #1 regardless of the specific content the producer of the story is trying to educate or at least offer a glimpse into the life or culture of the producer. I do not mean to minimize the content, but rather offer that the content seems to me to play a secondary role; in that the content itself had some sort or impact on the producer of the story that compelled them to share that experience. In this way the need to share or educate is the driving force behind the story.
Element #2 presented me with the idea of... how similar a dramatic question and essential question are in what they mean to the viewer. The dramatic questions seem to solicit an emotional response or connection to the story and producer, while teachers use the essential questions a guide for learner goals. I think both have the same goal in mind a connection to learning beyond mere content, which Piaget termed "concrete to abstract." In many ways the goals seem to ask the viewer (consumer) to insert himself/herself into the story by self reflected questions like "how does this apply to me?" or "how does this make me feel?"
Element #3 identifies that we all make some sort of emotional connection to stories whether we recognize it or not. At first glance a story about how to make salt or a sustainable greenhouse seem to not evoke a great deal of emotion on the surface, but when we dig deeper we can make connections to things like poverty, organic farming, "farm to table"... and many more, which challenge our views and stance on those issues. Believe me this issues can elicit strong emotional responses (keep in mind the idea that critical media literacy seeks to educate on the underlying motive for what your are being presented with and the best ways to provoke change are by appealing to the emotions, fear is an emotion).
In element #4 we hear the voice of the story (not always the producer), which changes the picture. Imaging yourself walking through the Metropolitan Art Museum looking at the great works or art... now imagine that every time you paused to study a piece a bit longer the creator of the piece appeared by your side to offer insight that led to the creation of that work. In many ways this is what the voice of the digital story offers and in that you can detect many different things about the author and if being narrated you may even detect emotional response of the narrator.
In element #5 we yet another appeal to our senses to help connect us to the story. The soundtrack releases previous experiences connected with that music and can either distract or enrich the digital story. Because music has such a deep connection to the range of emotions experienced by an individual the soundtrack, while usually playing in the background can have a profound impact on the consumer.
In element #6 we discover the new theme of our fast paced culture that seems to be getting faster. Meaning that the producer needs to provide the consumer with the necessary details that leave little ambiguity, but not overwrought with details that the message gets lost.
The last element #7 speaks to the flow of the story and whether the producer allows sufficient time for the consumer to "see & read" or "see the details" necessary to convey the learning goals.
Many of the videos I watched in this section and the "Reel Works" met their targeted goal, but I found some of them offered too much background noise (soundtrack) or made transitional changes (economy) that effected the delivery of the story. Yet all that being said, I in some believe the creation of the digital story has more value to the creator than the consumer, which means the elements of the story align more closely to producer's experiential learning and what it truly means to them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)