Visualizing with Technologies

Digital Storytelling is an activity, which allows students to create and participate in their own original movie. Students will have designated roles such as actor, editor, director and videographer. Each role is highly important and requires each individual to work and learn cooperatively. There are three stages the preproduction stage, production stage and postproduction stage. In the first stage they will create their story using a template and discuss narration and screen directions. Students will research and plan their movie during this stage. In the production stage students will record and log their video. The last stage requires the students to edit their video. I like the concept of making a video for an English or reading class. I made one my senior year in high school and enjoyed it. I would hesitate to use this activity with early childhood, just because it does require a lot of cooperative learning at such a high level of thinking that might be difficult for them. I would maybe consider using it with fourth grade and up, considering they can handle the equipment and truly appreciate each others finished projects.

Students should be encouraged to use graphing calculators, while problem solving. Reports show that students using graphing calculators are more engaged and persistent. Graphing calculators can help them understand visually how problems work and how the end result will look. It also allows them to manipulate the data to create new solutions. Another tool for math class would be the Geometric Supposer. This tool allows students to manipulate angles, bisectors, points, parallels and perpendiculars. The computer will calculate most of the lengths, but students are able to see how much the numbers change each time they move segments around. Students can prove theories without having to critically think about the segment relationships, instead they visually see the relationships.

TV instruction is not new to me. I am currently enrolled in a TV class. I do believe that some individuals can learn through TV instruction as long as there are microphones that allow interaction with their peers and instructors. Personally I am drowning in my TV class, but I see some students that truly enjoy the change in environment. I am not one of those students, I prefer to make eye contact with my instructor and ask questions privately rather than publically on the microphone. 

Jonassen, David H. Meaningful Learning with Technology. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:    
       Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.