1. Storytelling: It’s Digital! Erica Boswell, Leah Goodnoe, Jean Martin, Barry Thibault October 25, 2009 Introduction Under the direction of Dr. Danilo Baylen at the University of West Georgia, Techy Teachers, a collaborative learning group, have constructed a workshop to demonstrate the effective use of Windows Movie Maker and other digital storytelling technology in the secondary classroom. The workshop will include the opportunity to learn about and practice using Movie Maker. Our hopes are that, through the completion of this workshop, secondary educators will have a digital story to utilize in their own classrooms. Overview Title Storytelling: It’s Digital! Goals Through completion of this professional learning opportunity, participants will learn how to use Windows Movie Maker to create resources to use in their classrooms. Objectives In this workshop, participants will learn how to use a program that is already located on the desktops of their computers. Windows Movie Maker can be used in many ways to create digital stories. This workshop will give participants the opportunity to learn and develop their Movie Maker computer skills. It will also expose participants to digital stories that have already been created and show them how diverse digital stories can be. Participants will be given the opportunity to create their very own – classroom usable –digital story through the use of Movie Maker. Assistants will be on site to help aid participants throughout the entire process. By the end of the workshop, participants will have gained knowledge, inquired and made conclusions about Movie Maker, and will be able to apply this knowledge to new situations or to create new knowledge for others. Rationale The multimedia software, Windows Movie Maker, is readily available on most computers. It offers users the chance to create their own movies for personal, as well as professional, use. The program utilizes photographs, video clips, sound clips, and the user’s own entered text to create an interactive resource. The uses of Windows Movie Maker are endless. From personal pictorial slideshows to an entire classroom learning resource, Movie Maker offers the user ample opportunities for use. Through the use of video clips, still images, and sound, teachers can offer their students an awesome resource for learning. Teachers can also use this program as an assessment resource for allowing students to show what they have learned. This Digital Storytelling workshop is intended as a resource for helping teachers learn how to use Movie Maker in the classroom. Through completion of this workshop, the participants will be able to create multimedia presentations to use in their classrooms. Participants will develop a level of comfort with the program and learn to fulfill the state and national technology standards. Prerequisites The participant does not need a previous knowledge of Movie Maker; participants only need a basic knowledge of computers and digital formats and a desire to increase their level of technology usage in the classroom. During the workshop, participants will develop their own digital storytelling example to use in the classroom. Those comfortable with Movie Maker can assist those who are not. All participants will be learning and producing a digital storytelling example together. Participants may wish to come prepared with images, videos, or links. If a participant needs access to copyright free sound or image clips, they can be viewed here: http://integratingtechnology1.blogspot.com/2009/10/movie-maker-resources.html. Resources In order for the participants to gain the most from the digital storytelling workshop, each participant will need to be able to comfortably see a presentation board with internet capabilities (ie: ActiveBoard, Smartboard, LCD computer projector, etc.) in a whole group setting. For small group work, one computer for every three participants is recommended in order to offer an opportunity for each participant to have access to the technology. Each computer will need Movie Maker installed, and it would be beneficial if each computer had internet access. If the computer needs an updated version of Movie Maker, it can be downloaded at: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/Movie Maker2.mspx. The four workshop providers will be available to assist teachers in the development of their digital storytelling example. This hands-on structure will accelerate the learning of the technology and the creation of a project example that will be usable in the classroom. Examples created by Techy Teachers: Leah Doughman: http://integratingtechnology1.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-digital-story.html “I Am Poems” explains and demonstrates the use of an I Am poem. This type of poem offers the writer a skeleton or format of a poem. The meat of the poem is to be filled in by the writer. The poem can be formatted to fit any subject. It can be used to describe a math concept (some modifications may have to be made) or to describe a character from a book. The instructor can add to the format or take certain aspects out of the outline; it depends on your students (age, grade, etc.) Use your imagination with the format and the possibilities are endless. Jean Martin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsF2SJhav9s “The State of Georgia: Location, Regions, and Selected Symbols” is an overview of the five regions of Georgia, showing the varied landforms from the Mountain Regions to the Coastal Plains. It also includes a number of symbols of the state of Georgia. It contains both science and social studies vocabulary and content and was developed as an opening presentation to studying either science or social studies standards on Georgia. Barry Thibault: http://stu.westga.edu/~bthibau1/MEDT7476_MovieProject_BDT.wmv “Technology in Today’s Classroom” deals with the technology found in many classrooms, including those used by teachers and students. Creating videos with Windows’ Movie Maker can help keep instruction fun and educational in my theater class. The movies created with this software can also be used to display student work at a kiosk or presented at a PTSA event. Eventually, classes could present a movie before a performance of a play showing the behind-the-scenes work that was put into the final production. The desired outcome for using video projects in the classroom could include a communication tool for expressing information and ideas to multiple audiences. This would be a fun activity for all school aged children with a desire to learn through creativity. Processes The workshop will be conducted in four phases: Phase 1: Introduction of Movie Maker to the participants; overview of the “how-to’s” of the program Phase 2: Group presentation of Movie Maker examples Phase 3: Individual Movie Maker work time Phase 4: Save and share Movie Maker creations; participants will be given the chance to save digital storytelling examples to take with them to their own classrooms Storytelling: It’s Digital! Workshop Schedule 5:30 PM: Large central presentation room setup is complete and available for participants to take a seat, boot up the computers, and ensure that Movie Maker is working properly on each computer. Computers should also have access to the internet. If participants have brought their own images, videos, or sound clips, they should use this time to ensure that all will work properly. 5:40 PM: Whole group session begins. During Phase 1, the presenters will discuss how to create a presentation in Movie Maker. Participants will learn how to import images, video clips, and sound clips. They will also be instructed in the various effects and transitions available in the program. They will also be instructed in how to publish the movies. 6:10 PM: During Phase 2, the presenters will demonstrate examples in various subject areas. 6:30 PM: During Phase 3, the participants will be given an opportunity to work with groups of three to prepare Movie Maker presentations. They should use this opportunity to ensure that they have knowledge of how to insert images, videos, and sound clips into the digital storytelling example. 7:30 PM: During Phase 4, the participants will save and share their digital storytelling examples. Participants will be given the chance to share resources with each other. 7:55 PM: Once participants have had a chance to view and save any examples they wish, they will complete the online survey. If the internet is unavailable or the survey will not load properly, a paper version will be available. Participants will ensure that all images, videos, and sounds have been removed from their workstation and will shut down the workstations. 8:00 PM: Participants will depart. Feedback Participants will evaluate the quality of this workshop and its relevance to their instruction through an on-line workshop evaluation. This tool is available to preview at: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEFvTHBGR25oT2h4ZXoxZy1Vc05YU3c6MA. Before participants leave the workshop, each will complete the on-line evaluation. The results will be compiled through an automated process and be available to the workshop sponsor that same day. Expertise 19050-3810Erica Boswell is the fourth project leader for the MEDT 7464 group Techy Teachers. Mrs. Boswell is a first-year student at the University of West Georgia, working towards her Specialist Degree in Instructional Technology. She completed her Bachelors (2003) and Masters (2004) Degrees in Middle Grades Education at the University of Georgia. Mrs. Boswell is currently in her sixth year of teaching math at Winder-Barrow Middle School in Barrow County, Georgia. In addition to teaching eighth grade math and language arts, she serves as the grade level and school wide math chairperson, sits on the leadership team, and coaches track. Conclusion The Techy Teachers collaborative group believes that the workshop outlined in this document will be an effective professional development experience for all educators in the secondary levels. Movie Maker provides a learning experience and an opportunity for educators to collaborate with their colleagues while integrating new technology with differentiated instruction. The presenters hope that after the participants have a positive experience in this digital storytelling workshop, they will leave with the knowledge of a resource that can be used with any classroom discipline or curricular standard. As a result of this workshop, the participants will be able to return to their classroom and provide a resource for their students to view learning in an engaging and interesting way. Additional Resources Workshop Flyer Participant Handout with Movie Maker Instructions The PowerPoint presentation being used, including step-by-step directions for Movie Maker, can be viewed ahead of time. These directions can also be accessed as a word document, prepared for easy printing. Electronic Survey Form The participants will fill out an online survey upon conclusion of the workshop. This will allow the presenters the opportunity to receive immediate feedback regarding the successes and weaknesses of the workshop. An electronic version of the survey can be found here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEFvTHBGR25oT2h4ZXoxZy1Vc05YU3c6MA. This survey can also be accessed as a word document. Techy Teacher Blog As a resource for their continued professional development, the Techy Teachers have created a blog to document their technological growth. Information on their other workshop plans can be found on their blog. This blog can be accessed at: http://integratingtechnology1.blogspot.com/ Rubric for Assessment of Student Work A sample rubric for the assessment of student work, created using RubiStar, is provided for all participants.