Now that we've considered some strategies and methods for teaching memoir writing, how do you see digital storytelling fitting into possible practices in that work? What do you see writers doing here that matters? Or, is this "extra" where we don't need it?
This medium allows for the author to talk about a brief story or moment in time that they found important. They can have pictures, movies, as well as audio to help tell the story. I think that this would be helpful for some students to make a digital story because it allows for more thought, more processing, and more discernment about what goes into the story, what does not, and what should be implied by the visuals. The writers of the example digital stories chose what to show and how to show it, but with the main idea of their story in mind. The example of the woman talking about her father started out telling a different story than where we ended up, but it worked to show an important moment in their relationship. I think that this is a great medium to help students narrow down a broad topic/idea.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the video you mention as well and how you describe it here. It begins with a specific journey and ends with another. This kind of 'writing-mastery' definitely requires skill and I think we can use visual storytelling as a way to help students "narrow down a broad topic," as you say. A digital story gives students a narrow amount of space and time to work with. As teachers, we can ask students "what holds their attention" and "how long will they view a video before getting bored." This will hopefully spark their own contemplation of the digital story elements they wish to use. Since they only have a small space to work with, students will have to choose key elements that are purposeful to their message. They will have to narrow their own thoughts in order to make a more powerful statement, and maybe this mode of writing can help express the importance of simplicity in writing.
DeleteI see the benefit of using this medium as a means of inciting some interest in a particular topic. However, I as a teacher would be at a loss as to how to use this to teach Milton, Shakespeare, Dante, etc. I understand that the purpose of this approach is to enhance student writing. Well, have them write. I didn't learn to ride a bicycle by making a movie about it first.
DeleteI agree with Joseph. I wrote in my post that I think while I think that this would be a great way to present their writing and create an extension and visual, I think that we should use it as as additional activity, not a replacement. I love the idea of implementing technology and using this as an extension of their narrative writing, but I also struggle with how this could be implemented in the classroom. Would you just use it for this particular writing? I'm also not sure how you would apply it to literature unless they were just doing a summary....?
DeleteI think what would need to happen if digital stories were going to be anything commonplace in your classroom you might be able to make a compromise this way:
DeleteHave students write a memoir, narrative story, or even informational article and THEN, after working the piece through to a final draft, THEN have them attempt to translate their work into some sort of digital format that included pictures, audio, and or videos.
I loved the digital stories that were listed as examples. They were so powerful. I think that visual images can really add to meaning. I use visual media in my classroom weekly because it really does grab the attention of my students. I also think the pictures can give the reader more clarity with the ways someone looks, move and responds to the world around them. The one about the dog had me in tears. It was so beautiful and sad at the same time. I think that is what the visual images add to the storytelling process. Photos bring work to life. It is also powerful to hear the voices of the writers. It is like finding an audio version of a poem. It increases interest and sometimes understanding. I am excited about this process.
ReplyDeleteLadonna, I agree that visual images are an important part of students' learning connections. During my student teaching, I taught a few lessons on the short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. My peers doubted my students' ability to understand the complex text. I was determined to teach this short story though. On YouTube, I was able to find an auditory version of the short story that was accompanied with visuals. As the story progressed, the wallpaper visual changed. At times claw marks or the ripping of the wallpaper would appear on the projected screen. Just like you said, "It increases interest and sometimes understanding." These additional visuals allowed my students to further engage in the text and have a desire to learn more of what would happen next. My students also enjoyed having the creepy elements of "The Yellow Wallpaper" visually portrayed.
DeleteI like the idea of digital storytelling, especially when doing the memoir piece. Pictures can add meaning, but also hearing someone's voice behind the story, can add an element that may not be replicable on paper. Digital storytelling adds a depth that allows the author to convey emotions and monumental moments. I really like the idea of using voice notes, or quick videos as a prewriting tool. For struggling writers, this could allow them to get the whole story, or paper out before they forget. As Hicks touched on, the digital story gives the struggling writer a chance for success, which seems especially important on such a personal project.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of using voice notes as well! I've, often, contemplated how to help students 'hear' their writing When I couldn't understand a student's writing, I would have them read their papers to me (mainly, so I didn't have to say, "What in the world are you trying to saaay?!"). More often than not, they would see their mistakes and say something along the lines of, "That doesn't make any sense, but this is what I meant." This was great! But, I wondered how I could help them see it earlier in the writing process and I think using voice notes for pre-writing would be a great idea. I think students can better organize their thoughts through auditory means, so this would be a great tool to do so. I think digital story telling can, also, be an outlet to practice and publish ideas through auditory means.
DeleteI'm sorry to take away from the academia of all of this, but I can't help myself. I am still in tears over my keyboard from one of the stories. My dog passed earlier this year so the story of Dukey was incredibly relevant. With no sound or video, I found myself weeping. This not just in the context of personal experience, but in the presentation, the dialogue and the images that were captured. I felt a pang in my heart in reading title and image #19 sent me into this state. So what the writer is doing here that matters? Evoking emotion. The cornerstone of great writing. Everyone has a story that truly made them feel something. This method is a visceral way to capture it.
ReplyDeleteWhen conducting narrative writing, teachers instruct their students to use word choices that tell the reader as much details as possible. Since the reader was not actually there during the event that the writer is transcribing, the reader should be able to visual the events as they unfold. By having one’s memoir evolving into a digital story, both the writer and the story have so much potential to grow in detail and creativity. Taking a written text and formatting it into a digital piece matters because it allows the author to dive deeper into the details and narration of their story. It allows the creator to tinker and develop more of their ideas. Creating digital stories may seem “extra” as they do take up a lot of time, to collect material and create the final product, but it is worth it. Teachers should never have students write just to write. Writing should be meaningful. Writing should allow students the opportunity to express themselves and grow as individuals and as authors with voices. I believe that digital stories permit students to create a space of growth that cannot exist just within the world of word processor and therefore this “extra” is not only necessary, but should be required in the secondary classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think that digital storytelling is a great way for students to practice and even enhance student's writing skills. All writing requires a sense of organization and this type of project requires ample organization within different elements concerning 'stories.' I, also, think this organization can be seen more easily through the visual and auditory elements digital storytelling exposes. Sometimes, I find it difficult to explain 'how to organize a paper' to students. A digital story can help make this process easier. This statement may seem surprising since a digital story requires multiple aspects to be organized, but students can often visualize the beginning, middle, and end better than they can see it on paper. They can sometimes hear the rise of the story, climax, and resolution better than they can express it through words. Understanding these elements in a digital story can help students express themselves in whatever medium they choose. And, it can be used in multiple projects: PSAs, Book Talks, Poetry, Narratives, etc!
ReplyDeleteMegan, I could not agree more with your statement. I can not express how many times I have explained the "hamburger method" to students. I wish I had known more about digital storytelling during my student teaching to help make my instruction of writing easier for both myself and my students. I like your idea of presenting writing format, whether it be an essay or a narrative, in a story telling format. I cannot wait to incorporate digital storytelling into my future classroom!
DeleteWell, certainly pictures can enhance a story. Inexperienced writers often assume the reader understands what the story depicts since they (the writers themselves) are intimate with the experiences of which they are writing. That being said, I think this medium--for all the good it may accomplish for those who are in love with so-called "technology"--encourages mediocrity in the realm of rigorous examination of the most enlightening and complex texts of our Western civilization. Wouldn't our time as citizens be better spent in reading more, and writing coherently and thoughtfully about what we read? Hey, we had videos, tv's, etc. when I was a young student, but never had to rely on move-making in order to read and write better. I am a simple man. Hence, I must be too unenlightened to see the utility of this method of teaching.
ReplyDeleteWell, certainly pictures can enhance a story. Inexperienced writers often assume the reader understands what the story depicts since they (the writers themselves) are intimate with the experiences of which they are writing. That being said, I think this medium--for all the good it may accomplish for those who are in love with so-called "technology"--encourages mediocrity in the realm of rigorous examination of the most enlightening and complex texts of our Western civilization. Wouldn't our time as citizens be better spent in reading more and writing coherently, thoughtfully about what we read? Hey, we had videos, tv's, etc. when I was a young student, but never had to rely on move-making in order to read and write better. I am a simple man. Hence, I must be too unenlightened to see the utility of this method of teaching.
ReplyDeleteWell, certainly pictures can enhance a story. Inexperienced writers often assume the reader understands what the story depicts since they (the writers themselves) are intimate with the experiences of which they are writing. That being said, I think this medium--for all the good it may accomplish for those who are in love with so-called "technology"--encourages mediocrity in the realm of rigorous examination of the most enlightening and complex texts of our Western civilization. Wouldn't our time as citizens be better spent in reading more and writing coherently, thoughtfully about what we read? Hey, we had videos, tv's, etc. when I was a young student, but never had to rely on move-making in order to read and write better. I am a simple man. Hence, I must be too unenlightened to see the utility of this method of teaching.
ReplyDeleteBesides the obvious affordances digital storytelling allows to memoir writers, sharing pictures of one's brothers, sisters, parents, favorite pets, first baseball glove, digital storytelling offers ways to further our writing. As we learned in Monday's class (10-20) a map of a place helps place a ready directly into the setting in a story. While it could be argued that maps are unnecessary because a writer can simply describe a place, I argue that maps in digital stories, or simply digital stories for this matter, provide helpful images and different ways to think about a story for struggling readers. While some might see digital stories as adding to much fluff to writing or just lazily replacing writing, digital storytelling offers new and exciting ways to tell our stories and to engage with a different audience.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking this too! I never paid attention to the maps in books because I've never been much of a map reader but in the case of books like the Devil's Highway, it is so useful since all off the scenery looks the same and could be difficult for someone who is not familiar with the landscape. Also, if the author is introducing a new land (like Narnia) a map would be very helpful.
DeleteI really like the idea of digital storytelling (although it is definitely foreign to me). I think that by providing pictures, audio, and even video it is a great way to increase interest for the reader as well as understanding. I also like that it helps bring awareness of "what is important" to readers. Since they have a limited space, students must decide what the key points are and eliminate some of the "extra". This is definitely one of my struggles as a writer. I am very wordy, so I think this would be a difficult, yet fun way to practice just showing what is important. With that being said, I would want to pair this with "standard" writing (for lack of a better word). While I think that this would be a great way to present their writing and create an extension and visual, I think that we should use it as as additional activity, not a replacement.
ReplyDeleteMemoir writing and digital storytelling seem very similar in that both capture a snapshot of someone’s life. Where they differ is in the presentation; digital storytelling uses images, videos, and sounds to enhance the writing. When the author provides the reader/viewer with images to associate with the author’s words (e.g. a photo of the author’s autistic brother), it can be a powerful tool used not only to capture attention, but to elicit some sort of emotional response or connection. Though there may not be as much physical writing involved in digital storytelling as there is in memoir writing, I think digital storytelling has a definite place in the classroom. Because students are working with a time limit, they have to choose their words carefully and practice self-control. They have to learn how to be concise in their writing and discern what words or phrases are unnecessary to the story.
ReplyDeleteIn my senior year of high school, my English teacher had us read out loud every single story in the curriculum. She said it is because story were (and are) always meant to be told orally. I agree with her. Telling a story oral gives the story a kind of character reading it silently may not have. With that said, I think using a digital medium helps the story move along. It give the narrator explain certain ideas and concepts he/she might have a hard time getting across, such as if the story has fantastical characters. Because listeners can only retain about 35% of the words spoken, the digital aid helps them retain some of the information they may have missed. Not everyone has the same imagination or creativity. A digital medium could help that.
ReplyDeleteDigital storytelling seems to be an excellent multimodal strategy to capture a moment or feeling. I think digital storytelling isn't some gimmick, but a necessary feature to a classroom. First of all, the creation itself allows for vast creativity. Second, the wide variety made possible by assignment guidelines gives all students opportunities for success. The layers of audio, video, still image, and text make sure that a digital story requires effort and draws interest. A digital story is not something you can just toss together, despite what some might think. I believe digital storytelling has a place in the classroom through creating a tangible product that can be shared and reflected upon. In creating a new artifact from old artifacts, students will enjoy sharing personal stories in a new mode.
ReplyDeleteI think that digital storytelling has the potential to take memoir writing to the next level. When writing a memoir, you have all of these memories and objects that are so tangible. They're right there in your mind and you have to find a way to make it as real to the reader as it is to you, the writer. With digital storytelling, writers have the ability to directly share those memories, snapshots, and objects. I like what Callie said in her response. She said that digital storytelling requires a certain level of discernment. I agree, and I think it challenges students to think in different ways than they might when writing a memoir. Hicks talks about being intentional and I think digital storytelling is a great way to have students practice being deliberate in their writing and thinking.
ReplyDeleteDigital storytelling takes memoir one step further. It gives a student almost any avenue available to tell a story, and in doing so it can show them positive possibilities as well as what doesn't work when writing/creating in a digital space. I think, like memoir writing, it IS an empowering tool in that it shows students that they all have something important or unique in their life and they are given an array of ways in which to say it with their own voice, personality and tastes.
ReplyDeleteThe most important elements in digital stories from my conception of them revolve around the craft of the work and the editing decisions made in the pieces. Students face important decisions regarding audience, tone, language, imagery, etc. to create these pieces of work. The effectiveness of those decisions displays the skills they've learned throughout their English Language Arts courses, and the reflection upon those decision can help students develop the skills further and hone their composition skills as well as their critical analysis. Having said that, the visual components can double as a crutch for students who recognize yet cannot create a developed tone using their own capacities for language. Like many digital literacy skills, these stories may have a place within a language arts classroom, but not in isolation from or replacement of purely writing activities.
ReplyDeleteI know it might be trite to say this, but I picture really is worth a thousand words. In particular, I am referring to the digital story about the dog's last day. I think if the captions for those images had simply been written in paragraph form, even with more descriptors for the people's emotions, the story would not have been nearly as moving. The brief, purposeful captions not only captured the unique voice of the dog, but caused you to want to look at the pictures, also, to get a clearer idea of what they meant. I think this might be used in the classroom, as Liz mentioned, to be a challenge of brevity for students. How can you use very few typed words to explain the relationship of these pictures to one another and how do they make a story?
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