Photo Shows

I've recently discovered a few great websites for creating photo shows. Some of these include Animoto, Slideroll, and Stupeflix. I tried one of these sites (Stupeflix) and made my own short photo show. This site would only allow me to make a free video if it was only a minute long. I would definitely invest in one of these tools though because this device could be used in so many different ways in the second language classroom. The students could document to the class where they come from, we could use it during content lessons, and we could also use it to showcase what we have completed over the course of the year. It's such a great technology because you can add music, graphics, and text to the photo shows. These are just some suggestions, but, there are so many fun ways that this could be used, and not to mention, it gets the students using some new technologies in their learning.

The video that I created displays some pictures that I took during my annual trips to Nashville, Tennessee each summer. I go down for the CMA (Country Music Association) Music Festival, where you can get a four day pass to see over 30 big named artists perform each day/night. I could have gone on forever with this video, but, since I had a time limit I had to cut it short. The song playing in the background is one of my favorites; it's called "Knee Deep" by Zac Brown Band ft. Jimmy Buffet. My Stupeflix Video.

Using Digital Storytelling in the L2 Classroom

Photo by: Anna Fuster

Since I've been learning about digital storytelling I figured it would be worth my while to actually create a short digital story using a web tool called Bubblr. I made a story that I enitiled Look Around Your Classroom by Ms. Schurr.
 
In this particular story the author is looking around their classroom and describing what they see. I would use this story to help students at the very beginner level with the type of vocabulary that is associated with what you would find in a classroom. This book was designed for an ESL classroom but could also be modified for use in any other language classroom. After the students have read this short story, they can create their own stories by showing what they see in their own classroom. I think it would be a fun idea to incorporate pictures of their actual classroom so that it is authentic and so that they can associate their story with what is around them on a daily basis.

The learning objectives of such a lesson would include vocabulary acquisition and comprehension. The students would be using their newly learned vocabulary and applying it to pictures and actual physical objects around the room so that they might begin associating those words with the objects in the room. They would also be building on their literacy skills as well as their English language skills with reading, writing, speaking, and listening. I really like the idea of using these digital story books in the classroom because you can partake in the creative process right along with your students and it can be applied to whatever topics you are currently teaching about throughout the curriculum.

Digital Sotrytelling: A Fun Tool for Classrooms!

Photo by: Gwyneth Anne Bronwynne Jones

I have just learned a lot about this idea called "Digital Storytelling." After reviewing what this tool actually is and what it does I have realized that there are so many ways in which I could incorporate this into an L2 classroom, or any classroom for that matter. It could even be used for personal use and doesn't need to be used in a classroom whatsoever.

What is digital storytelling you ask? I found out a lot of useful information about this tool from the EDUcause Learning Initiative PDF. In this source, titled "7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling" they describe digital stroytelling as "the practice of combining narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component." They also state that, "Some learning theorists believe that as a pedagogical technique, storytelling can be effectively applied to nearly any subject."

I really like the idea of using this tool in the classroom because you can not only use it individually but it can be used collaboratively as well. This type of tool allows the students to publish their work and gives them a sense of ownership. It is a very powerful thing when students are able to display their own work to their teachers, peers, parents/guardians, siblings, etc...This tool could be used inside and outside of the classroom, meaning that the students could use this tool in school and at home. The students are also developing literacy skills in a fun and innovative way rather than simply writing something down on paper. They are really able to delve into their imagination and creativity with this tool.