1. Digital Storytelling with Movie Maker!
Workshop for Using and Integrating Movie Maker in Middle
and Secondary Classrooms.
Overview
The title, “Digital Storytelling with Movie Maker” represents the theme of
storytelling that unifies all of the examples our group members created, and
reflects the exciting opportunities Movie Maker offers to teachers and their
students. This workshop is designed to introduce teachers to Movie Maker’s
features and provide strong examples of digital storytelling that will help
participants to see some of the possibilities this program has to offer for their
own classrooms. When teachers finish this workshop, they will walk away
with an understanding of how to create digital storytelling presentations with
this program. Additionally, they should leave with ideas of how Movie Maker
can be used to present information and how students can use it to
demonstrate their understanding of a topic of study.

2. Rationale
Our students today have grown up surrounded by technology and in
this current digital age teachers should seek out resources that match
students’ interests and engage them in their learning. Movie Maker is an
excellent tool to meet these goals, and yet, very few educators have
experience with it. Once teachers are introduced to Movie Maker, they will
find that it is an excellent addition to their collection of varied teaching
methods. Teachers will also discover that this format appeals to many of their
most challenging students. The emphasis on digital images whether video or
still, accompanies with audio enhancements and the incorporation of text and
audio narration will provide students with a creative voice. This medium will
even be a hit with all levels of learners from the struggling student to the
gifted. For these reasons, this workshop will appeal to teachers in every
content area interested in differentiation. The samples shared by the
presenters are designed to match the Georgia Performance Standards in
various grade levels. Teachers in all grade levels will find the workshop most
beneficial.
In CLASS Keys, the new teacher evaluation system in Georgia, there are 26
elements that teachers must exhibit or show evidence of in the classroom. All
teachers in the state have already begun or are beginning evaluation under
the new system, and it is very different from the old one. Under the Standard
for Standards Based Instruction, Element 1.5 states, “The teacher uses
accessible technology effectively to enhance student learning.”
Our workshop provides middle and high school teachers with an example
of accessible technology and will instruct teachers how to effectively enhance
student learning with this technology. Under the Professionalism Standard,
Element 3.1 states, "the teacher grows professionally through job-embedded
learning." This workshop on using and integrating Movie Maker in middle and
secondary classrooms will help teachers to meet this element as well.

3. Prerequisites
Participants in this class need at least some familiarity with digital
photography, video, and audio as well as drag-and-drop programs. Most
aspects of Movie Maker involve dragging and dropping images, text, video,
music, transition effects, audio narration, etc. Participants also need basic
typing skills in order to enter text if desired. Only the most basic computer
skills are needed to experience success with Movie Maker. Most teachers will
find that it is very easy to work with this program.
Participants will be asked to prepare for this workshop by choosing a
topic they will soon teach and saving images related to this topic to a flash
drive that they will bring to the presentation. These images will be used by
participants to create a sample digital story during the workshop.
Resources
The ideal setting for this workshop would be a computer lab with
enough computers to match the group size. In this setting, participants could
follow the steps discussed during the presentation to gain hands-on
experience with Movie Maker. Because of the ease of using this program, it is
not absolutely necessary for participants to have access to their own
computers, but could work in pairs. The presenter must have access to a
computer with Movie Maker software, an LCD projector or Smart Board, and
handouts for participants. The packet of handouts would include a quick-use
guide for Movie Maker, and a handout from the Powerpoint used in the
workshop.

4. Processes
The workshop presentation will be guided by a PowerPoint that will begin with
the workshop objectives and slides of quotes from teachers and students about
the positive aspects of Movie Maker. Sample digital stories will follow and the
presenter will point out some of the features including the imported media,
effects, transitions, and titles and credits, narration and saving movies.
The presenter will then open Movie Maker along with all participants who have
access to a computer. The presentation will then follow the steps outlined in the
“Quick-Use Guide to Movie Maker” handout. Participants will be introduced to
the different imported media, editing effects, and narration. The presenter will
also show participants how to save, the digital stories they create. As participants
learn about each Movie Maker element, they will practice it by using their own
topic and images that they selected prior to the workshop in order to start
building a digital.
The presenter will ask the participants to brainstorm on how teachers and
students can use Movie Maker and digital stories for educational purposes. Small
content teams of participants will work together to list these ideas and will add
these to a Google document that all participants will be able to access during and
after the workshop. Groups will present their ideas to the larger group to close
out the workshop.
Feedback
An online survey will be available for participants to complete before
they leave. The survey will evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop through
the level of confidence achieved by the participants in their ability to utilize
Movie Maker in their classrooms. The feedback from this survey will be used
to determine what changes need to be made for future workshop
presentations. Participants will also add to the Google document started in
class to share the ways they use Movie Maker and digital stories in their
classes following the workshop.
Online Survey at:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEF1VGFuR2FHaThZb21VX1pZQkFaZnc6MA

5. Expertise
Michael Lofton has been teaching 6th
through 9th
grade math classes in
the Barrow County School District for the last 11 years. He attended
University of Georgia to earn a Bachelor of Science in Middle School
Education, Troy University to earn a Masters of Education in Post Secondary
Education, and is currently pursuing an Education Specialist degree in
Instructional Technology at the University of West Georgia. Mr. Lofton has
presented on a variety of topics at his local school; for the school district, and
for the Northeast Georgia RESA. Mr. Lofton is the recipient of several awards
including Teacher of the Year for his school and the Barrow County Retired
Teachers “Innovative Teacher” scholarship award. Additionally, Mr. Lofton co-
designed the single gender classroom guidelines for his county and serves as
the county high school trainer for single gender education.

6. Expertise
Michael Lofton has been teaching 6th
through 9th
grade math classes in
the Barrow County School District for the last 11 years. He attended
University of Georgia to earn a Bachelor of Science in Middle School
Education, Troy University to earn a Masters of Education in Post Secondary
Education, and is currently pursuing an Education Specialist degree in
Instructional Technology at the University of West Georgia. Mr. Lofton has
presented on a variety of topics at his local school; for the school district, and
for the Northeast Georgia RESA. Mr. Lofton is the recipient of several awards
including Teacher of the Year for his school and the Barrow County Retired
Teachers “Innovative Teacher” scholarship award. Additionally, Mr. Lofton co-
designed the single gender classroom guidelines for his county and serves as
the county high school trainer for single gender education.