4 Reading Takeaways

 

1. The power of digital storytelling |

This TED Talk explores the power of digital storytelling in the classroom. The speaker discusses a project called “Where Are You From?” and emphasizes how complex and personal this simple question can be. She incorporates visual elements alongside poetry, allowing students to express their identities in layered and meaningful ways. She highlights how the creative process brings students together and gives them agency to speak about their lived experiences. Through digital storytelling, students are not only sharing their voices but also shaping their own agency. In this way, teachers can connect more deeply with students, fostering empathy, respect, and understanding in the classroom. In the end, the video accompanying the poem moved me! The combination of imagery and poetry activated my own memories and experiences. I could imagine myself in their shoes and reflect on where I come from. From this talk, I learned the importance of incorporating more digital storytelling into my classroom practice and embracing the process of learning alongside my students.

2. Digital Storytelling in the Elementary Classroom

This video shows the children playing around with digital storytelling, such as writing stories, highlighting sentences, color-coding, and writing scripts. recording voices, and adding music and effects. The children loved parts of the process. For example, children can make a movie, edit sound effects, and put pictures in order. It shows how young children have the capacity to use technology to tell stories at an early age, and most of them love this way of making. I learned that I want to incorporate digital technology in my classroom in the future

3. Twenty things to do with a computer

This article talks about the different ways computers can be made. It emphasizes that machines are changing our lives. And it entails twenty things we can do with the computer.  I really like how diverse and simple every section looks because it makes learners less intimidated by the technology and more open to making something new. The twenty ways include: write a program, make a turtle draw, display turtle, play spaceward, differential geometry, draw spiral, have a heart, grow flowers,  make a movie, make a music box and program a tune,  play with semi-random musical effects and the try serious composing, build a tower of blocks, make a super light show, write concrete poetry, try c.a.i and psychology, physics in the finger tips, explain yourself, puppets, and recursion line. I am very surprised by how the reading emphasized the economic cost of installing computers in schools. It is indeed true that most of the schools have computers. It is also very true that computers/technology are becoming cheaper for every child to access. 

4. Katie Gately: How much can you feel?

From Katie's interview, I learned that the environment around me is so full of sound, and they can be used in music making and sound effects. I am very inspired to observe and record sound from my environment, especially New York City. I could turn them into musical instruments. Before watching this video, I always had a conception that I had to make up a sound, but now I realized there are resources out there in the world for me to explore! Through playing and exploring, I can create and make up new sounds. These sounds can convey certain emotions or feelings too, such as cold, warm, quiet, dramatic, and more.