DIGITAL STORIES IN THE SCIENCE CLASSROOMJessica Hammond

Middle Grades Institute-Literacy Strand 2009

GOAL

Explore the use of digital stories in a science classroom.

SCHOOL CONTEXT

SCHOOL INFO: The setting for the Middle Level Vision Project is at Twin Valley Middle School located in Whitingham, VT. Twin Valley is 6-8 middle school with approximately 120 students. I am currently the science teacher on the 7th/8th grade team and the Vision Project is being completed with 7th grade science classes. All of our classes are heterogeneously grouped. Class size is 18-24.

TECHNOLOGY: Students have access to a wide range of technology and there has definitely been an emphasis to incorporate more into the classrooms. We have both PC’s and Mac’s.

PROPOSAL Create digital stories in a middle school

science classroom Give students a new type of technology and

presentation tool using content skills Improve students literacy skills by creating a

content-based creative story This proposal was attempted with a 7th grade

science class that was studying the layers of the Earth. Students created a 3-D model of the Earth and as a new option they created the digital stories.

RATIONALE FROM RESEARCH LITERATURE

Incorporating stories and technology is a newer tool for students that gives a greater depth to assignments (Ohler, 2005-06)

Digital stories… “enhance students’ skills in critical thinking, expository writing and media literacy.” (Ohler, 2005-06)

ACTION PLAN

After creating my own digital story this summer, I decided that I wanted to try this with science concepts.

The first appropriate unit seemed to be studying the layers of the Earth. Students have always created 3-D models, so I added digital stories as a second part of the project.

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Project Requirements

Project Rubric

Vocabulary to be included

Explained what a digital story was to students and showed them my digital story, which was a personal story but they had an example.

Showed students a tutorial of garageband and iMovie using the Starboard in my class.

Placed students in groups of four. While students were building 3-D model, part of the group was writing story and finding images using creative commons. Gave each group a vocabulary list of what should be included and encouraged them to come up with a creative scenario.

EXAMPLES

STRENGTHS OF PROJECT

Strong engagement and focus from students, especially those who enjoy more creative projects

Showed how students were understanding concepts we covered- density and properties of layers

Project taught students more about media literacy and copyright

New technology tool that students can bring to other presentations.

Basic computer skills

CHALLENGES

Technology Issues Time required- I would not do digital stories

and 3-D project together again School only has 8 of the Macbooks and most

students could only work on this at school Finding appropriate images Providing the tech support and content

support to all groups and I only had 5 per class

Absences within the group, missing flashdrives

WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT DIGITAL STORIES

“It was fun to add a storyline to the facts.”

“I liked it. It helped to learn about the Earth and also the computer.”

“I couldn’t wait to start.” “It sounded dumb but it

was pretty good.” “ I think it was fun and

unique.” “ The idea was fun, but

the organization was very hard and there was many tech. difficulties.”

MORE EXAMPLES

NEXT STEPS

Continue to find appropriate places to use digital stories.

I need more practice myself to work with the “bugs” in iMovie.

Get students to include more concepts and less facts- different topic would make this better.

Students like the opportunity to be creative and use the technology.

EXAMPLE

WORKS CITED

Ohler, Jason. “The World of Digital Storytelling.” Educational Leadership December 2005/January 2006: 44-47