Lesson 3 - Digital Storytelling in the Content Areas Kathryn Clark October 24th Education has taken a turn towards standardized testing. More often than not, our students feel that what they are learning at school will help them pass the test at the end of the year. The value in education is lost because children can’t apply it to their lives. Digital story telling is a strategy that can be implemented to bring excitement back into learning. It allows students to be creative and to apply the skills and knowledge they are learning on a personal note. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) explained that digital stories help students reflect and communicate what they know. Students should have opportunities to share their knowledge in different ways than bubbling in. Lesson Description and Standards In the following lesson, my sixth grade students will continue working towards achievement of standard M6N1g – solve problems involving fractions, decimals, and percents. In previous lessons, students have used math skills to plan a meal for their parents and plan refreshments and decorations for a middle school dance. In this final activity, students will continue adding and subtracting amounts of money as they create a digital story. Each student will write a short script about how they would spend a birthday gift of ten dollars. Students will be instructed to choose three places to spend their money, and they must spend at least nine of the ten dollars. Teachers will assist students through the script writing process, but students will be responsible for finding the prices of items and working the addition and subtraction problems. Students will receive assistance from a peer buddy in a technology class as they begin searching for images and putting together their digital story. Step-by-Step Process Step 1 – The teacher will read Alexander who Use to be Rich Last Sunday to the class. This book tells the story of a boy who receives money for his birthday. He trades coins with friends, spends money at the candy store, and goes to a yard sale. In the end, he realizes he is broke. Step 2 – The teacher and students will discuss Alexander’s decisions and decide if they would have spent money in the same or different ways. Step 3 – The teacher will give the students an envelope with a ten dollar bill and a registry form in it. The teacher will explain the directions for spending the money. Step 4 – Students will use the internet and sales flyer to decide what items they will spend their money on. Next the students will complete the math problems necessary to show their expenses. Step 5 – Students will work with a teacher to create a short script for their digital story. Their script will detail how and where they spent their money. Step 6 – Students will be paired with a peer buddy from a technology class. Together the students will search for image and record the script onto the computer. Step 7 – Students and their peer buddies will present their final product – a digital story. Diverse Learners This lesson allows a lot of room for differentiation. Although ten dollars is a challenging amount of money to spend for most of my students, I have a couple that could handle a little bit more. To keep the project challenging, I will up their amount of money to thirty dollars. This will also increase the number of math problems they complete. Students that struggle to complete math problems with decimals will be allowed to use a money calculator. Students have the option to press the bills and coins to implement money or the numbers. Peer buddies will be a great asset to my students. Although many of them are capable of using a computer, creating a digital story is more advanced. Peer buddies allow the students to form relationships as well as learn communication skills that will be needed through-out their lives. Assessment Students will be with a rubric that closely resembles the rubric from their last assignment. It is shown below.
Exceeded
Met Expectations
Did Not Meet Expectations
Correct examples of addition and subtraction were present.
Examples of addition and subtraction were presented with few errors.
Students did not show evidence of addition and subtraction problems.
Students worked independently as well as with teachers and peer buddies to complete assignment.
Students worked with teachers and peer buddy to complete the assignment.
Students worked with teachers only to complete the assignment
Students used text, pictures and audio clips to create their digital story.
Students used text and pictures to create their digital story.
Students used pictures only to create their digital story.
As students have the opportunity to participate in projects such as digital storytelling, their enthusiasm for learning will come alive! Students will be able to relate to the skills and knowledge they are mastering and understand why it is useful to know. Authentic applications like the lesson above is the future of education. To continue reaching our learners today, we must teach them in the way they will learn best. References Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Kathryn Clark
October 24th
Education has taken a turn towards standardized testing. More often than not, our students feel that what they are learning at school will help them pass the test at the end of the year. The value in education is lost because children can’t apply it to their lives. Digital story telling is a strategy that can be implemented to bring excitement back into learning. It allows students to be creative and to apply the skills and knowledge they are learning on a personal note. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) explained that digital stories help students reflect and communicate what they know. Students should have opportunities to share their knowledge in different ways than bubbling in.
Lesson Description and Standards
In the following lesson, my sixth grade students will continue working towards achievement of standard M6N1g – solve problems involving fractions, decimals, and percents. In previous lessons, students have used math skills to plan a meal for their parents and plan refreshments and decorations for a middle school dance. In this final activity, students will continue adding and subtracting amounts of money as they create a digital story. Each student will write a short script about how they would spend a birthday gift of ten dollars. Students will be instructed to choose three places to spend their money, and they must spend at least nine of the ten dollars. Teachers will assist students through the script writing process, but students will be responsible for finding the prices of items and working the addition and subtraction problems. Students will receive assistance from a peer buddy in a technology class as they begin searching for images and putting together their digital story.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1 – The teacher will read Alexander who Use to be Rich Last Sunday to the class. This book tells the story of a boy who receives money for his birthday. He trades coins with friends, spends money at the candy store, and goes to a yard sale. In the end, he realizes he is broke.
Step 2 – The teacher and students will discuss Alexander’s decisions and decide if they would have spent money in the same or different ways.
Step 3 – The teacher will give the students an envelope with a ten dollar bill and a registry form in it. The teacher will explain the directions for spending the money.
Step 4 – Students will use the internet and sales flyer to decide what items they will spend their money on. Next the students will complete the math problems necessary to show their expenses.
Step 5 – Students will work with a teacher to create a short script for their digital story. Their script will detail how and where they spent their money.
Step 6 – Students will be paired with a peer buddy from a technology class. Together the students will search for image and record the script onto the computer.
Step 7 – Students and their peer buddies will present their final product – a digital story.
Diverse Learners
This lesson allows a lot of room for differentiation. Although ten dollars is a challenging amount of money to spend for most of my students, I have a couple that could handle a little bit more. To keep the project challenging, I will up their amount of money to thirty dollars. This will also increase the number of math problems they complete. Students that struggle to complete math problems with decimals will be allowed to use a money calculator. Students have the option to press the bills and coins to implement money or the numbers. Peer buddies will be a great asset to my students. Although many of them are capable of using a computer, creating a digital story is more advanced. Peer buddies allow the students to form relationships as well as learn communication skills that will be needed through-out their lives.
Assessment
Students will be with a rubric that closely resembles the rubric from their last assignment. It is shown below.
and peer buddy to complete the
assignment.
As students have the opportunity to participate in projects such as digital storytelling, their enthusiasm for learning will come alive! Students will be able to relate to the skills and knowledge they are mastering and understand why it is useful to know. Authentic applications like the lesson above is the future of education. To continue reaching our learners today, we must teach them in the way they will learn best.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.