Entry 5

     Over the past few weeks I have discussed the power that  “media literate” (Gunter, 2015, p. 19) educators have when affecting change. One super power that comes with this knowledge is the ability to use digital integration techniques for blended learning. No, you do not fall into a vat of nuclear waste to earn this supremacy, you simply need to be open minded about how you use digital media in your lessons.

During my time as a Florida Virtual schoolteacher, I often conducted lessons in distance learning whiteboard classrooms such as Skype™, Lync™, and Elluminate. Using these virtual technologies to convey lengthy Language Arts lessons could be quite difficult. Though it was a challenge, when presented this unique teaching opportunity I found it best to approach lessons from a digital story telling perspective. What is digital storytelling, you ask? According to Leslie Rule from Digital Storytelling Association, “Digital Storytelling is the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling” (Rule). In laymen terms, digital stories are presentations that merge images, music, and voice narratives together, in an effort to create a layered lesson for all learner types. When using my classroom’s whiteboard I was able to create lessons with movable pieces, embedded videos, and sound bites. Interactive course creation became a cornerstone in my pedagogy and gave me an edge when reaching my distance learners. 

In my new capacity as a State Trainer, I have introduced a new course this year called, Train-the-Trainer Distance Learning Facilitation. Originally this course only focused on using whiteboard classrooms to teach an interactive course. I included information about making presentations in which participants can draw and write responses, embedding videos into slideshows, and also methods to encourage audience response. However, upon deeper thought I would be remissed if I did not challenge my students to attempt to create presentations of their own. Showing them is not teaching them, and what better way to learn than application of new concepts into job related practices? Challenging these trainers to valiantly stretch their multimedia integration (Gunter, 2015, p. 6) capabilities will strengthen their craft, and maybe even create a digital citizen or two.

Resources

Gunter, G., & Gunter, R. (2015). Integrating Educational Technology into the Curriculum. In Teachers discovering computers: Integrating technology in a connected world. (Eighth ed.). Thompson Publishing.

Rule, L. (2011, June 3). Digital Storytelling. Retrieved October 29, 2015, from http://electronicportfolios.org/digistory/index.html

Click to view or download my about the benefits of Digital Story Telling for Adult Learners