Well, now that I am rested up and my head has stopped spinning with all of the info. I took in yesterday at TIE, I am ready to share some goodies! Jason Ohler was the keynote speaker…I have to say, definitely the highlight for me. His presentation was on digital storytelling. While I have dabbled in digital storytelling with my students, Jason has jumped in with both feet! Jason is quite the storyteller himself and had us captivated as he reminded us of the importance of developing creativity in our students. As Jason presented, I was madly jotting down notes and have some great quotes to share.
“Literacy today is consuming and producing the media forms of today. Students need to be able to write whatever they read (or consume).” I love this, our students are not content with simply taking in literacy, they want to be creators and inventors of their own literacy. This has expanded beyond simply writing… think about your students obsession with You Tube.
This one is my favorite “Intelligence is measured by your desire to learn.” I think this is my new life motto. I need to plaster this all over my classroom. No Child Left Behind does nothing for intelligence!
“You don’t have to be a technician magician…know free labor when you see it and let the kids do it.” In other words, you don’t have to know everything or anything about technology. Your students know how to use technology, let them be the experts and teach each other (and you!)
Jason has an amazing website dedicated to digital storytelling. You may need to dedicate a chunk of time to this site, trust me you will end up spending time here (hooray summer break, you do have time after all!) You can even check out some clips of Jason’s keynote speeches on You Tube, these are linked from his presentation page. Also, be sure to spend some time on the Resources and Projects pages. You will find lots of treats for the taking!
Are you already digital storytelling? What advice do you have for those who are thinking about taking the plunge?
More tomorrow, I bought Jason’s book “Digital Storytelling in the Classroom” and it is calling my name! Happy learning you intelligent readers you! 🙂
