Field Experience - week #3

I already miss my cute class! I had so much teaching! We had an amazing class and cooperating teacher. And I love working with Lora! We've had way too much! We were able to teach every day this week. I think our class' favorite day was when we had the Olympics on Thursday. We also had them present their myth plays that day (they wrote scripts and rehearsed as part of another lesson on Tuesday/Wednesday.) It was so cool seeing all of the students get so into their plays and Olympic games. But my favorite lesson this week was (surprisingly) our technology/computer lesson on Monday. I thought it would be a headache but it went so smoothly! The students loved it and it was so cool because EVERY student seemed to enjoy it. We have a couple of students that don't really get into their assignments and they loved it. One boy in particular kept saying how cool it was. They had to do some research and this particular site and then they got to surf the site and play the site's games. It worked out really great! The site is: http://greece.mrdonn.org/city-states.html So if your ever teaching 6th grade Greek, it's a great site!

Field Experience - week #2

This has been quite the field week! We were able to teach 3 lessons this week. Our supervisor came to observe us for the first one. We taught a mini lesson about Greek food as well as a lesson on Greek mythology and another on Greek government. We have quite the class! All of our kids are just so great! We have a couple that are real characters, most that are just total sweethearts, a few that could probably teach the class for us, and a few of every personality between. All in all, I am loving this experience! I've already decided that as much as I like my UVU classes, I'd rather stay where I am, teaching my sixth grade class!

Field Experience - week #1

This has been such a great week! Lora and I taught our first lesson and the it went really well... except the part where I got so sick that I couldn't even stay the entire day! Yuck! But the students got really into the lesson and since then, have been asking when we'll be teaching more about Greece? It's exactly what a new and nervous teacher wants to hear... interest and excitement! Our first supervisor visit will be Monday so we'll see how it goes... we'll be teaching about Greek food. We have 2 lessons and one mini lesson (food) this week! 

Digital Storytelling lesson plan

Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. Just like traditional storytelling, most digital stories focus on a specific topic and have a particular point of view. However, digital stories can have a mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips and/or music. Digital stories can be any length. Most of the stories used in education last between two and ten minutes. And the topics that are used in Digital Storytelling range from personal tales to the recounting of historical events, from exploring life in one's own community to the search for life in other corners of the universe, and literally, everything in between. To learn more about digital storytelling, please visit the following websites and watch the video. 

www.storycenter.org/

www.digitalstory.org/

www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/learnshops/digital/examples.php

After viewing the video, begin your own digital story using the instructions below.

You will be doing your video on your Greek City-State.  Your video will need to include at least 6 interesting facts about your City-State including what type of government they used, what foods they ate, what type of education did they received, what roles the men and women played, what type of armies they had, what some of their beliefs and values were. 

1.  First, you must have a point of view.   Ask, is there a problem? Is there a point to make? Is there a lesson to learn?  Then ask, so what?  Maybe you should ask, how does this affect us today?

Know who your audience is going to be and make a connection.

Each story includes a dramatic question.  It can be obvious, or hidden.  You may choose to set up tension from the beginning and hold the viewers attention until the end.

Here are some suggestions you could use, however not a must, for your story:

      What was it like to live in Ancient Greece?

      Why did they eat the foods they ate?

      Why did they settle where they did?

      How did they worship their Gods?

      What effect does Ancient Greece have on us today? 

2. Try to make an emotional connection with your story and the audience.  This can be a tearful or joyous ride. But somehow, you want to evoke some emotion from the audience. 

Once you are this far, you get to create a story board.  You decide your script and what pictures you want to include in your story.  You can do this by text, or create a powerpoint.  The powerpoint can later be turned into your digital story. 

3.  Surf the internet using sites like Eduhound to find pictures to use. Put the pictures on your powerpoint or begin using Photostory 3.

You will want to use images in a way that without them, there would be less.  You want your pictures to influence, impact, and help understanding for the audience.  You will want to use pictures that are at least 640 X 480 in size.  Make sure that the image helps tell the story.  If using powerpoint, add any necessary text and convert powerpoint over to digital story. 

4. You will want to add music to your story.  Music is 50% of the experience. Music establishes tone, mood, and emotional context.  You can add whatever fits with your story.  You can use instrumental music or sounds. 

5.  You will want to add Narration.  This is a way to personalize the story.  Keep narration short and have the narrator speak slow and recite the script rather than read the script. 

6. Use enough content but do not overload the viewer. Economy, making the pictures and music work. 

7.  Make sure that your video has good pacing.  This is how much time is spent on each picture.  Keep a good rhythm to your story.

Create a credit page at the end of your digital story thanking all those who participated in your movie and reference appropriate material. 
 

Finish your digital story by November 30, and be prepared to present them to the class.  Please get with me if you have any questions. 

After Presentations, we will post your movie on Creative Commons.  This is a free website  where anyone can put their work and choose the copyright terms that they choose from “All Rights Reserved” to “Some Rights Reserved.” 

Ancient Greek digital story