Diigo Screencast

I decided to practice using the Diigo app for my screencast test.  I put off this assignment as long as possible, as I was quite frightened by the idea of doing a screencast.  I'm not sure what exactly was so terrifying - the voice recording.... new technology.... viewers watching me actually USE new technology...?  

However, when I finally got the courage to sit down and give it a try.... it was so easy!  I was pleasantly surprised to find that I (with only about four mess-ups) could successfully create a screencast.  Not only that, but I even linked it to my blog.  Check me out!  

I was intrigued by the idea of using Diigo for our school faculty, as sharing links on Google docs is our current practice for sharing resources.  Teachers in my building seem reluctant to tackle even one more task on Google, so using a new tool may be an attractive alternative.   

Check out my riveting (not so much) screencast here:

Diigo Screencast

All jokes aside, I really enjoyed working on this screencast, and I can definitely see how it would be a good alternative for certain lessons or activities in the classroom.  

Using Digital Think-Alouds to Reflect on Writerly Choices

Amber White, literacy coach and reading specialist, shares ideas on how to implement digital think-alouds in the classroom.  This conference is all about meta-cognition (http://zapt.io/txkfpm2v), and how students can use think-alouds to create an understanding of their choices in writing pieces.  

“Students who can verbalize their thinking have deeper understanding.”  This emphasis on meta-cognition shows the relevance for using these think-alouds to allow students to articulate choices they make and how it impacts their writing.  White shares that it is important for students to not only share what worked, but also to explain when their choices didn’t work and why.  These think-alouds strengthen students’ meta-cognitive skills, and also may influence their choices in consequent writing assignments.  

          Wonderopolis (http://wonderopolis.org/) is a website that offers daily “wonderings” about the world we live in.  As White explains, these wonderings are written by adults.  She thought “Why not students?”  and had some students explore their own wonderings.  Here is an example of both a wonder project and a digital think-aloud:

 

Student wonders (5th grade): http://rfsummerinstitute14.weebly.com/digital-wonders.html

Student wonder project with think-aloud:  http://screencast.com/t/qUsm1sOG 

White experimented with two contrasting wonder assignments, one with more traditional parameters and one with a more reflective stance.  Here are the parameters for the two assignments:

http://tinyurl.com/design-pros-cons

          Which do you think would be more effective?  Why?

        This conference showed how important it is for students to explore their choices using think-alouds.  I am excited to embrace this idea and allow for more time for my students to reflect and articulate their choices in writing.  I am hoping to use a screencasting tool on the student Chromebooks, however, White offers some alternatives (podcasts, pictures, Garageband) if screencasting tools are not available.

 

Video: An Important but Forgotten Medium

            Video: An Important but Forgotten Medium is presented by Eric Hammerstrom.  Eric offers educators the benefits of incorporating video into our writing lessons.  By showing examples of commercials, he illustrates how commercials often include all three types of writing: narrative, persuasive, and informative.  I am wondering if I showed examples of commercials if my students could identify various types of writing and see how they affect the effectiveness of the “text”, or commercial.  Hammerstrom shares that children view, on average, about four hours of television each day with an additional two hours being spent on the computer or video games.  With the significant amount of time children are behind a screen, as Hammerstrom, says…

“If you can’t beat them, join them!”

We can use commercials to show the importance of the three modes of writing, as well as to give students an opportunity to use this format of text as an engaging writing project. 

            Commercials could be a highly effective way of teaching the importance of prewriting.  Hammerstrom offers several ways to prewrite for commercials, including the Rhetorical Triangle, Two-Column Script, and the Storyboard.  Many of my students get frustrated when we begin writing projects because they do not know where to start or what to write about.  Once I walk them through some prewriting strategies, they are often much more prepared and comfortable with their piece.  This would be another powerful example of how important prewriting is, as well as to give them new prewriting strategies they can use. 

            The Rhetorical Triangle helps make students aware that the text (in this case, commercial) is dependent on audience and context. 

            The Two-Column Script helps the student link audio and visual ideas for their commercial. 

Example Script: Mean Joe Greene Coke Commercial

Shooting Location:  Football Field Tunnel

Director(s):  Ron Winderman

Actor(s); Joe Greene, Kid, Background fans

Editor(s):  Sally Theis

Video

Audio

Camera up on grim Greene, limping slowly down tunnel from field toward locker room; words "Mean Joe Greene" superimposed on picture. Because he is alone, game must still be going on with Greene out of it, due to injury. Cut to kid (white, about age nine) standing in tunnel, bottle of Coke in hand. Cut to Greene, scowling. Cut to kid. Cut to Greene. Cut to kid. Cut to Greene, grimacing. Cut to kid, offering bottle. Cut to Greene, sighing, He takes it, drinks, greedily. Cut to kid, who hesitates, waiting for autograph or sign of recognition from his hero. Finally kid turns to leave, reluctantly. Cut to Greene, suddenly animated and smiling. Greene grabs his game jersey and tosses it. Cut to kid, beaming, catching shirt. Supers fill screen: "Have a Coke and a Smile" (centered) "Coke Adds Life" (in right corner)

Kid [sound on film (SOF)]: Mr. Greene! Mr.Greene! Greene [SOF]:  Yeah? Kid [SOF]: You need some help? Greene [SOF]: Uh-uh. Kid [SOF]: I just want you to know: I think--you're the greatest. Greene [SOF]: Yeah, sure. Kid [SOF]: Want my Coke? It's Okay. You can have it. Greene [SOF]: Okay. Thanks. As music swells under dialogue, lyric is heard: A Coke and a smile/makes me feel good/makes me feel nice Kid [SOF]: See ya, Joe. Greene [SOF]: Hey kid! Greene [SOF]: Catch Kid [SOF]: Wow! Thanks, Mean Joe! Music Swells.

  
             The Storyboard is the last step before students will begin filming.  Here they will sketch their ideas for each frame of the commercial in chronological order. 

                                       Free Storyboard Template

            Another important idea when studying commercials is the short amount of time in which the audience must be “hooked”.  Hammerstrom shares that the first 2 seconds of a commercial should gain audience attention.   The next 8 seconds should keep audience attention.  The last 20 seconds of a commercial are used to deliver the message.  My students are struggling with writing effective hooks, and I believe this would be a way to show in a concrete manner how crucial grabbing audience attention is. 

            The idea of using commercials and PSAs in the classroom can be used in all grade levels.  Hammerstrom’s example of a former student PSA is both powerful and effective.  I do think this idea could be modified to be used in any grade level, however, I am guessing that available technology could present an obstacle in some classrooms.
 
              Here is the link to access the Google document referenced in the conference session:  https://goo.gl/Mo5Oq6  

#4DTW Student Engagement and Voice

Increasing Student Engagement and Voice with Digital Writing

A panel of four teachers share their successes and the benefits of using Youth Voices in their classrooms.  The panel share examples of student engagement and teacher collaboration through the blog.  The website offers an open arena for student-centered, inquiry-based writing and discussions.  There are opportunities for students’ voices to be heard, as well as get feedback, tips, and resources from other students.  The panel shares that their students have told them they feel more like themselves on Youth Voices compared to other social media outlets.  Overall, it appears as if Youth Voices offers students unique and collaborative writing and discussion opportunities.

I found the presentation interesting (though I could not understand one of the presenters very well due to audio quality), and I was looking forward to finding ways to use the ideas the panel was sharing in my classroom.  After viewing the talk, I soon realized that this website seems more in tune with older students.  While I thought about getting my higher level students involved with this site, it would make me nervous to let students on unsupervised.   Though the site is moderated, I wonder if some of the topics broached by older students might be too sophisticated or inappropriate for my fourth graders.  However, I thought the point the panel made about teaching students how to create a strong digital presence and give relevant feedback was important to consider even in the elementary grades. 

One of the speakers mentioned how many students will respond to others using perfunctory comments such as “I like that” or “yes”, and they need to be taught how to give meaningful feedback.  I have noticed it can be difficult for my students to appropriately and effectively communicate digitally.  We have a class Twitter account in which a different student Tweets each day.  It is apparent that some students are much more inclined to understand the nuances of digital communication than others.  This should be a modeled writing process, just as traditional writing is, so that students can learn how to be effective digital communicators.  I am interested in learning more about how to implement these ideas in a relevant and engaging manner for my younger students.