Ch. 4: Assessing Digital Stories

In my experience, grading written work is extremely difficult because there are so many elements to consider. I'm constantly updating my writing project rubrics when certain aspects are not clearly stated. Ohler suggested using rubrics with specific writing traits such as originality/creativity, sense of audience, and presentation/performance to grade digital stories. Those listed traits are often subjective, and it would be hard to give a sound grade or score. DST is such an innovative way to encourage writing and technology in different subject areas, but without a clear method of assessment, student learning cannot be proven.

Mike also made a great point in his blog entry regarding lack of research regarding DST. It would be difficult to prove its effectiveness to administrators and parents. Perhaps if an effective rubric that spelled out the the necessary components of a digital story can be created, teachers can provide a clear response to those who question the validity of using DST to learn.

Ch. 3: Digital Storytelling as an Educational Tool

Image: The News About News Blog

It drives me crazy when my students use "i" instead of "I" in their writing! With my sixth graders, I often explain to them about when it's appropriate to use "text lingo" and when it's necessary to use correct grammar. I attended an Area 3 Writing Project workshop a few years ago regarding blogs in the classroom where the instructor explained that students needed authentic writing opportunities. Students know that they should use a capital "I" in their writing, but if it's only the teacher who reads their work, what's the point? Therefore, I think using blogs or other media outlets allows students to take ownership of their writing. Since others have the ability to see their work, my students want to make sure that their writing makes sense.

Ohler also claimed that use of media production is an extremely effective way for students to participate in writing activities. The author explains that digital storytelling combines digital, art, oral and writing (DAOW) for literacy development. I think his thoughts about the value of W (the W of DAOW) are extremely significant because despite new technology development, students must be able to think and write critically. Using DST is an effective tool to get students to write (with a definite purpose and audience in mind) first, before utilizing technology.

Ch. 2: Defining and Discussing Digital Storytelling

Ohler's discussion topics about how to create a digital story were extremely useful. For example, in the discussion regarding story type, purpose, or impact, Ohler suggested teachers to define what genre or metaphor will be used for a digital story. By doing so, students will have a clear focus for their creation of a digital story. This suggestion is a great way to start incorporating digital storytelling (DST) in my classroom. Since persuasive writing is an important genre that my students must employ, I can integrate Ohler's recommendation almost immediately. Although I am still apprehensive to jump into DST because of the lack of equipment, I can at least have my students begin their storytelling with the defined purpose in mind.

Ch. 1: Confessions of a Digital Storytelling Teacher

I found that Jason Ohler's revelation, "digital storytelling allows today's students to pursue academic content in their own language," (pg. 10) juxtaposes traditional storytelling with today's generation of media multitaskers. As chapter 1 pointed out, storytelling is evident in all aspects of life. Thus, students must be able to tell their story in a way that is most comfortable for them. Many of my 6th graders groan when asked to write about their break in their writing journals. However, if I assign the same activity as a post via our class blog, many students complete meaningful reflections of their time off. As a teacher, I believe that it's my job to facilitate this process of storytelling using technology.

Image: Digital Trends