Infographic - Are we Digital Dummies?

Evernote

Great tool for students. My question is who owns the copyright?

Digital Storytelling: Body, Mind, Machine

Digital storytelling is the application of technology to the age-old experience of sharing personal narratives. It is a process or a vehicle for studying themes, structures, concepts, and contents of any curriculum. The structures in digital storytelling establish character and place, rising action, climax and dénouement. Finally through digital storytelling students create the content in these structures which provide and imply an imposed discipline.

A digital story typically begins with a script. The storyteller then assembles rich media to support the ideas and emotions in that script, including music or other audio effects, personal or public-domain images, animations or video, and other electronic ele¬ments. The storyteller pieces together and edits the digital story, creating a short movie, usually about two to four minutes long, in one of various file formats. (7 things you should know about digital storytelling)

Digital storytelling weaves together body, mind and machine.
The following is a list of possible criteria:
• Serious purpose?
• Risk or experiment?
• Use of space?
• Use of people?
• Use of time?
• Improvement?
• Control of media and expression?
• Media translation?
• Communication?
• Self-confidence?
• Use of symbols?
• In role?
• Shape?
• Text interpretation?
• Adequate preparation?
• Effective speech and movement?

Benefits:
1) It allows the student to make contact with his environment and record her findings.
2) It creates a bridge between a student’s consciousness and emotional experience.
3) It represents to the student the externalized experience if her emotional life.
4) It serves the student as engagement, as amusement, and as authentic.

The teacher by being knowledgeable, flexible, inspiring, approachable, enthusiastic, organized; should be able to help students strike the balance between the use of the medium and the message.
Below, I have linked some student work as starting points-
Commercial -Girl shares her experience and riding
Newscast - the debate over the ethical dilemma of cloning.
Renee's Blog Girl shares work and thoughts of the process

What’s your story?

Photo credit Juliette Richie

Creating student portfolios

What should be included in a student portfolio? Ask the student and let her help decide.

Portfolio assessment provides a variety of means to document and assess student work. A student portfolio is similar to one of an artist. An artist carries a portfolio to show prospective clients examples of her best work.

In student portfolios students might choose to add
a) peer observation and evaluation;
b) evidence of self reflection, self knowledge, self evaluation;
c) items that tell a story of the journey of the year;
d) teacher observations;
e) things that show growth and change (eg extra-curricular, interests, attitudes);
f) items that demonstrate "my best work done to date";
g) information from parents;
h) items that indicate transfer of learning;
i) evidence of progress toward year's goal;
j) ...

Portfolios are performance based assessments that match assessments in the "real world". Students receive immediate feedback, gain confidence by acknowledgements of their strengths, and gain insight into how to improvement.

Why not ask students to be present for parent-teacher conferences and have them conference with their parents about their portfolios?

What's your story?

Photo credit Rick Harrison

The Business of Education

For a student, it could be a key to the future.

Key Role of Education-Business Partnerships by Kyra Kester
Role of Business in Education by Alan Baas

Below Apple and the classroom:

Question of Ethics

There is that famous word again "Ethics". What does it mean? Is it objective, subjective or both? Is there a moral system when it comes to the Internet and the use of the tools? Who establishes it? Do we reinvent what is right and wrong? The frontier of ethics is both utilitarian and absolutist. The questions raised are both practical and philosophical. I look forward to exploring this with you.

The Machine is us/ing us

International Day

Math, writing, reading and other subjects are interwoven in International Day. Grade 9 students, Renée and Megan, share their experiences of this creative course in their school.
What kind of real-world applications are going on in your school?
How are your students engaged?

***Watch for more on International Day***

Deo Gratias

We often focus on information technology, numeracy, literacy, but do we forget about social development and spiritual development in the process? Can we get lost in the abyss of the faceless world of the internet? The following You Tube Video explores the spiritual and social nature of teaching and learning, from a Catholic perspective.

Information Revolution

Cause for celebration...

This is my first post to a blog. I am redefining the boundaries of my vocation as teacher, administrator, author, musician, and computer hack. I want to promote the discussion around learning. I am hoping to connect with other "bloggers" who are prepared to challenge, ask questions of each other, review other blogs, and refer to each other as sources of information around education. I am seeking to discover innovation in classrooms around the world. All are welcome to participate ... students, parents, teachers, teacher aides, administrators, community volunteers, and people in business, to explore complex issues, to incorporate their projects and practices, to encourage and inspire, and to investigate rich topics for personal and professional growth.