EDUC 5333 DST Week 3 Blog

Week 3 Blog 

    As I started to think about the different stories I could explore, I thought about important places, people, and moments throughout my life. They all came back to growing up in Lincoln, Nebraska. My family, friends, school experiences, and teaching career all come back to Lincoln, Nebraska. I would like my story to capture "Nebraska : The Good Life", specifically, Lincoln. I think some of the different elements I could include are my own memories of growing up, important areas of Lincoln, such as the downtown Haymarket, the determination and loyalty of Husker fans, teaching at the elementary school I attended, and so on. All of these things that make Lincoln, Nebraska my home. 

    The type of story I would like to tell is a personal narrative memoir. The main purpose of my digital story would be to highlight how Nebraska has shaped my identity throughout my life. I would hope that the impact of my story would be that the audience feels an appreciation for where they are from, who they surround themselves with, and small everyday moments. I hope that my digital story creates a sense of calm, nostalgia, and connection for those that view it. 

    While considering Jason Ohler's story elements, I want my story to include a strong beginning, middle, and end. The beginning would introduce growing up in Lincoln through my childhood experiences. The middle will consist of some key life moments, such as high school, friendships, college, and so on. The climax of the story would highlight my decision in studying elementary education and becoming a teacher at my own past elementary school.The resolution of the story will showcase how Lincoln will continue to shape me and be meaningful to me, even though I have to move away this summer. 

    When organizing my story, I would like to use Ohler's two-column story table approach. I think that this method is simple and easy to understand, while still allowing me to ensure my story has a clear message and purpose. One side of the chart will be dedicated to my narration throughout the story, the other side will showcase videos and photos. 

    For creating my digital story, I'm considering iMovie, Adobe Express, or creating an interactive website similar to Pinepoint. I would like to combine images, video clips, voice over narration, and music to make my story meaningful. To assess my digital story and other digital storytelling projects, I would want to use a rubric that highlights a variety of areas. I think the most important areas would be organization, creativity, clarity, and overall quality. I believe that Ohler's framework has been most helpful in me understanding how to best structure my story and how to create a strong base for my story. 

    If I were to include an assignment like this in an elementary educational environment, I would allow students to create a digital story that explores their own identity. Letting them create a personal narrative or memoir through images, video, audio, and sharing their story with their peers. This would align strongly with ISTE standards. Specifically, creative communicator, knowledge constructor, digital citizen, and empowered learner. The creative communicator standard addresses students using digital tools to create and share a personal narrative. It also connects to Knowledge Constructor standards, as students gather and organize digital resources to support their own digital story. Lastly, the assignment supports Empowered Learner and Digital Citizen standards as students learn to act responsibly while creating their content, and could reflect on their effort and work after sharing with peers. 

References : 

Ohler, J. (2023). How to make a story - Process notes. Retrieved from: http://storyconcepts.blogspot.com

International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE standards for students. ISTE. https://www.iste.org/standards/students