As we have recently worked with wikis and WebQuests in our graduate course on the fundamentals of technology for educators, I have been experiencing some rather steep learner curves. WebQuests are something with which I was familiar, but I had never created a wiki. On top of that, we were introduced to Prezi which is the “zooming” presentation software. It is an awesome little program and it makes PowerPoint look rather linear. I must say that I have really been impressed by the currency and thoroughness of our textbook for this course. Shelly, Gunter & Gunter presented us with a text that is filled with a tremendous selection of very valuable online technology resources. I have therefore enjoyed reading the different chapters (yes, completing the quizzes) during each week of this course. This past week we were given the opportunity to choose from two different activities to complete. The first choice was to create a storyboard for the proposed digital story we will be asking students to create. The other was to create an actual digital story like the one we would like our students to create. I chose the latter, and this post reflects that experience as well as our recent readings from our text and online module.
This week was basically a continuation of last week as we continued to develop our wikis, WebQuests, and digital stories. As many of my classmates have also commented, it seems like I keep finding something to tweak on my wiki or WebQuest. I’ll have to admit that I did a little more than just tweak in the past few days. I revised a lot of my WebQuest which then caused me to have to revise my wiki. It pretty much became a “domino effect.” My original digital storytelling project was going to be a culmination of the WebQuest with students using PhotoStory 3 to create electronic resumes. That all changed this week when I decided it would be much more fun to have the students create their e-resumes using Prezi. I say “more fun” tongue in cheek because Prezi is so radically different from the more common PowerPoint or PhotoStory programs. I really like the way I can upload and place images within my document without disturbing the text and the flow of the Prezi feels very “unique.” I should also say that I surprised myself by choosing to use Prezi because I had previously hit a learning roadblock and not just a curve when it was first introduced. No matter how I tried, I just couldn’t get the hang of it. Literally I had to sit down with my laptop and go through the online tutorials and then get my hands on the software to actually learn how to use it. Now I’m really glad I did. I learned that when I put my mind to it, I can do just about anything.
This digital story I’m working on for our class has been “a work in process.” In the beginning it was going to be called “All About Me,” and it was a digital story that virtual students in 9th through 12th grades were going to create to introduce themselves to their online teacher and classmates. Then last week, much of that started to change. The students are still 9th through 12th grade virtual Language Arts students, but they will be completing a WebQuest that will result in an e-resume that they have created in order to obtain a futuristic job in the year 2020. During the first part of their quest, the students will explore the meanings of their names. Next, they will continue with more self-evaluation by completing different online personality tests. After that, they will research today’s top jobs in 2011, and then they will compare these jobs to those that are predicted to be the “hottest” in 2020. The underlying goal of this entire process is for these students to find just the right job for themselves for the year 2020. Oh yeah, don’t let me forget that in addition to everything else, the students will be learning how to write a good resume and then they will learn how to transform it into a GREAT electronic resume using Prezi. Please note that I realize most resumes are only text, with no graphics, but because this is an e-resume for the year 2020, it has to have images!
My only concern right now about my digital story project idea is that I can’t stop wanting to tweak it and make it better. I’ve been told by some that I am sort of a “perfectionist.” That can get exhausting because I won’t let things alone. I’ll let you take a look at my e-resume that I created as an example for students to have as a reference point. I hope you like it, and I appreciate any constructive advice you can give me to make it better.
~Enjoy!
~Enjoy!
Hi Ruth,
ReplyDeleteI love your idea. I think your Prezi looks great, and I think it is a very good lesson for your students (grade level appropriate, etc). As I viewed your Prezi, though, I wondered if you are fulfilling the requirements of the digital storytelling assignment. I guess what I am wondering is if our digital stories have to be narratives. Writing a resume gives us (the reader, the teacher, a potential boss) a snapshot of the writer's professional and educational history. It shows the reader if the writer is appropriate for the job.
It is my impression (and I could be totally off-base) that digital stories need to have characters, time and place, conflict and resolution. Perhaps you could have the students write the story of their future (the next 9 years of their lives) and create a digital story on that, with the future resume as a final culmination of the project.
I apologize if I misunderstood the digital storytelling concept. Please know that I really love your idea and my thoughts are offered as my opinions, not criticisms.
Christi S
Thank you for your thoughts and ideas regarding digital storytelling! I absolutely love the idea of creating a digital resume! I have never thought of something like that, but I believe that this will one day be the norm - probably even before 2020! The thought of exposing our students still in school to resumes and thinking about the future is a great way to help them be more prepared for independence in the real world. Additionally, when I think of creating a resume, I believe it to be boring, but when I think and see your online resume using Prezi, I think WOW! That was fun! I too believe your students will feel the same way.
ReplyDeleteAs a suggestion, you could use this for all students, not just those who learn online. By having students create online profiles through Prezi, students could share them during the first weeks of school to introduce themselves to their classmates and teachers. The teachers can create theirs first and share the first day of class and then students can work to create theirs! What a cool way to introduce eachother instead of those same games you've played since second grade!
Thanks for you great ideas! I will keep this in mind for future years!