Digital Story Reflection - Work Day

What: Today we were given a work day to put together information for our digital stories. Trevor and I worked on compiling some facts and pictures. Since we are doing our field experience in fourth grade, we have decided to use mountain men as the subject for our digital story.
So What: I spent a lot of time looking for pictures of mountain men in action as well as portraits of famous mountain men such as Jim Bridger and Jedidiah Smith. While doing this, I was reminded of when we learned about mountain men in fourth grade. I am really excited that we will get to participate in a mountain man rendezvous at our school.
Now What: I really like that we have been able to learn about using digital stories in the classroom. It's such a great way to introduce a new subject or topic. I think it's something that can really help get kids excited about learning. I am really interested to see how the kids in our fourth grade field experience classroom will react to the digital story.

Digital Story Reflection - Copyright

What: This week in class, we focused on the many copyright laws that are in place for media sharing and what led to them be created and enforced. We used the jigsaw method as a means of researching and teaching each other about each section of the copyright assignment.
So What: I was absolutely amazed at all of the events that have occurred in the past that have involved copyright infringement. It's easy to see why there are so many laws centered around copyright. I was especially interested in learning about Creative Commons. It sounds like a great website for licensing and sharing media with others without having to be so concerned about the laws. I know that when I begin teaching, I will want to be able to share information and use other teachers' material without being worried about breaking copyright laws. By learning about websites like this, I know that there is collaborative information still out there that isn't surrounded by copyright issues.
Now What: After learning about the many laws involving copyright, I know that I will be much more careful about obtaining information or media off the internet. I will also be sure to educate my own students about the importance of these laws. It is so crucial to understand copyright because it is part of internet etiquette. I am interested in learning more about specific situations that led up to each of the copyright laws.

Digital Story Reflection - Part One

What: This week, we learned about how to use digital stories as an effective tool for introducing a new topic in your classroom. We watched some great examples of digital stories. We also discussed what criteria is necessary for a good digital story.
So What: I was really interested in learning about digital stories. I think it is such an effective use of technology in a classroom as long as it is age appropriate. These stories can serve as a great introductory tool for many subjects. It is a great way to catch students' attention and make them wonder what comes next. I really enjoyed watching the examples in class, especially the Holocaust one. It really caught my attention and kept me watching the entire time. I think using digital stories is a great way to get students interested in learning.
Now What: I am really excited to start creating my own digital story and possibly using it during my field experience. Since we will be in sixth grade classrooms, I know that technology will be involved and definitely something that kids will be interested in. I can definitely see digital stories being effective in younger and older classes. By using digital stories, we can implement technology into our curriculum and get students excited about learning a new skill or about a new topic.

Vidcast Reflection

The name of our podcast/vidcast series is Utah’s National Parks. We selected this topic as part of the fourth grade core curriculum. It is covered throughout Standard 1, which focuses on Utah’s geography. Though this series was created mostly for use in fourth grade, it is definitely something that students grades 4-6 would likely enjoy and be interested in.

Part of the reason we chose to use this topic was because it is something that many grade levels could be interested in. It is something that is part of Utah’s culture and something that many students will probably get to see at some point. I think that’s part of what make learning about the national parks so exciting for elementary age students. By learning about the national parks of Utah, students will be able to understand the impact Utah’s geography has on the local economy as well as tourism.

This particular subject is definitely supported by the INTASC standards. Section one of the teacher standards discusses teaching culture to help create an engaging classroom environment. This lesson could be great for students from diverse backgrounds, especially those who aren’t from Utah. It provides a great opportunity for those students to understand more about Utah’s geological wonders. Section two of the ISTE standards talks about using digital age learning tools and assessments. Using a powerpoint to display this information for students provides them with the chance to see pictures and hear information about the parks all at the same time. It provides a much more interactive experience than reading the information in a textbook would.

I don’t see many drawbacks to using this as part of a Utah geography lesson. I think it would be a great introductory tool. The only issue I could see potentially would be not having enough time to cover each of the national parks. There is a lot of history as well as geography to cover when it comes to one national park so five parks could definitely makes things a little more challenging.

In the future, I would use this lesson in any upper elementary class for social studies. I feel that it is very important for students to be aware of the geography in their own state as well as being knowledgeable about their surroundings. This lesson provides a captivating experience and also give students a great variety of knowledge about Utah.