Action Research Blog

What is your official problem statement?

If I used digital storytelling with the after-school students, then will the digital storytelling keep the students attending after-school regularly?


How did your research end up shaping this?

With the EBSOCOHOST search, I found quite a few articles about how digital storytelling has been used with students. The articles seem to be adaptive to what my project entails. I was surprised that so many articles were available. However, I had to make sure that these articles used the research for how digital storytelling affected student and not just a “how to do” article on DS.


What outcomes are you expecting?

To be truthful, I did not know what to expect. I had contacted Kathy Craven from Full Sail University and she said that she didn’t know of much research with digital storytelling. I was afraid that I would not find any articles about DS and research. But, the EBSOCOHOST search yielded a good number. Plus, I want to describe my after-school experience with the students.


How are your critical friends helping in this process?

My Critical Friends, except for one, are also involved with their projects. I haven’t been able to contact all of them. I think that Diigo group will certainly help in that regard. I feel that once I write the first draft of the Literature Review and start writing the description of the project, my friends will have more to review and offering constructive criticism.

How is this month’s course helped in shaping your ARP?

This month’s ETC course has been a challenge for me. I have never blogged before, to anyone, anywhere. I have learned from this experience of how to communicate with blogging. Also, this month’s course has helped in refining and posting the literature/articles to the AR site and blogsite. This has helped in completing the task of reviewing the articles and choosing the articles that relate to the Action Research.

Final Video - Persuasion Message: What is the greatest need for change in our school?

Computer Lab Use

Computer Lab Use

Practical Experience - Week 4 - Animoto Part 3

Please click on the above HyperLink to view the final product/video "Computer Lab Use"

Practical Experience Week 4 - Animoto Part 2

For this part for the Animoto, the pictures/video can be uploaded into the picture frame slots.

The next photo shows the music genre available for use.  The video in the basic program is only 30 sec.  Your videos are saved on the program and they can be shared with others, as they can share videos with you (social application).

Practical Experience Week 4 - Animoto Part 1

Practical Experience - ANIMOTO  Week 4 Web Tool  Part 1

For this week’s Web 2.0 tool, I have chosen Animoto.  The site has three (3) levels of the program, basic (free), all access ($30 a year), or Pro level ($250  a year).  The basic level gives you an idea of what the program is capable of producing with photos and videos.

The next photo shows the opening project page.  After you choose which plan you want (I chose Basic), this page opens with Photos/Video, Music, and Create Video.  I used photos taken with the iPhone/iPhoto.

W4 - Reading - Action Research articles

Hodge and Wright (2010)  This article shows hands on learning, using digital storytelling in the classroom.  Also, technology use and how teachers can "weave" technology in their plans are viewed.

Landgran & Allbrandi (2008)  Social studies subject matter is used with digital storytelling to integrate technology with middle school students.  Practical application of technology for teachers who want to use it with social studies lessons.

Kulla-Abbott and Polman (2008)  The authors explore how students can lend their voices to their own digital stories.  Curriculum goals are also explored in this article and how technology can help reach these goals.

Sadik (2008)  Engaging students with the digital storytelling and technology is viewed in this article.  The article provides important information that is valuable to my action research project about digital storytelling.

Click for a "Halloween Welcome"

W3 - Reading - Mind Map

Articles found and read this week for my Action Research project.

PE3

linoit is based from Japan, with the idea of using sticky notes on a cork board to get ideas, meetings, and important information organized.  I would like to explore the software more in the coming months to see if I will use it on a regular basis.  It looks very realistic, easy to access and create an account.  There is even an app for the iPad that looks very similar.  The monthly calendar provided helps to see when dates are upcoming and what day the event occurs.

PE2

Google Docs is a Web 2.0 that has helped me view my classmates' AR sites and blog pages this month.  I have enjoyed blogging to other sites, viewing what Web 2.0 tools they have found and commenting.  This page has everyone's sites listed, plus their home town information and what their project will be.  Great information that will help me as I work through the coming months.  I want to expand and learn more about Google Docs.

PE1

iGoogle has helped me stay organized this month, perhaps more than ever!  Having every important link in one single document means no more searching for bookmarks, fumbling for URLs, or addresses.  I feel more confident in using the Google tools provide by the site.  I wonder what I did before I got every link put in the box of links.  Every student who needs organization with Internet sites should be aware of this powerful Web 2.0 tool.  I plan to use it throughout my AR journey.

BP 12 Using iPhone with iMovie

BP 9 Using ZOHO

The Web 2.0 tool that I have chosen to review this week is ZOHO Creator.  This tool site has tools created by educators to be used by educators.  Here is the opening web page:

From here, click above on the Marketplace tab.  This will take you to this webpage:

This page shows the various programs (36 on three pages) used in education.  The programs range from discipline record keeping to student level games.  I chose the Citation and Bibliography program.  This could be used by to keep track of their book citations and journal articles.  The program is user-friendly and how a comment column to put your personal comment for the book or article.

The journal section also allows the user to post a comment and keep track of the articles.

Best of all, ZOHO Creator is FREE!  It is so easy to subscribe to and log into.  Just another tool to keep yourself or class organization on their educational journey.

Blog Post 10/11

Follow this link to my comments on Jamie Steele's bloghttp://jamiejsteele.blogspot.com/2010/10/bp8-omm-linoit.html?showComment=1287262294920_AIe9_BFApEYiVZm44UxsOgebpySAF6mAVSLby1EysU9tu8zmq8w_RvPLydfZUcBgqgH39XkT9lCxf-wRaX3y6ykEXDXU8cMP36fs83PQuYKRJYU6Mefk81VuoXgiOrNeGuA1nqnBv9HcKPnB-iizq55UafmbHXY4x2dygHW

M4 AR

What is your official problem statement?

If I used digital storytelling with the after-school students, then will the digital storytelling keep the students attending after-school regularly?

How did your research end up shaping this?

With the EBSOCOHOST search, I found quite a few articles about how digital storytelling has been used with students.  The articles seem to be adaptive to what my project entails.  I was surprised that so many articles were available.  However, I had to make sure that these articles used the research for how digital storytelling affected student and not just a “how to do” article on DS.

What outcomes are you expecting?

To be truthful, I did not know what to expect.  I had contacted Kathy Craven from Full Sail University and she said that she didn’t know of much research with digital storytelling.  I was afraid that I would not find any articles about DS and research.  But, the EBSOCOHOST search yielded a good number.  Plus, I want to describe my after-school experience with the students.

How are your critical friends helping in this process?

My Critical Friends, except for one, are also involved with their projects.  I haven’t been able to contact all of them.  I think that Diigo group will certainly help in that regard.  I feel that once I write the first draft of the Literature Review and start writing the description of the project, my friends will have more to review and offering constructive criticism.

How is this month’s course helped in shaping your ARP?

This month’s ETC course has been a challenge for me.  I have never blogged before, to anyone, anywhere.  I have learned from this experience of how to communicate with blogging.  Also, this month’s course has helped in refining and posting the literature/articles to the AR site and blogsite.  This has helped in completing the task of reviewing the articles and choosing the articles that relate to the Action Research.

W2 Reading - Mind Map

This week's reading is shown in a Mind Map.  My Action Research/Literature Review theme is digital storytelling.  The article that I found, among others, is Digital Storytelling: A Powerful Technology Tool for the 21st Century Classroom.  The article gives basic and advanced technology skills for digital storytelling.  Each article that I have found for my Literature Review has helped with my ideas of how to use the technology to affect middle school students.

BP 8 - Creaza Web 2.0 tool

Hey, sport fans, try Creaza for a winning combination!

BP6 Link/BP7 Site

Please follow this link to my comments on Pat's blog

BP5 Creaza

Creaza

Creaza ( looks similar to create, doesn't it?) is the Web 2.0 tool that I have found that will assist me in my journey through Education Media.  It is a powerful four-part suite that includes:  Mindomo, Cartoonist, Movie Editor and Audio Editor.  I want to focus your attention upon Movie Editor for this post.

"Creaza offers you an integrated, web-based tool-box for creative work. both at school and your free time."  The program has themes, such as historical, fairy-tales (primary grade use), fanasty worlds and current challenges, such as climate/environment.

The social characteristic is for "users on Creaza have the opportunity to share their work with other Internet users and can give each other comments and suggestions on the products they choose to share."

BP4 Songsterr

BP1a_iGoogle Reader

Here are my five favorite choices I made for Google Reader:

CNN news -  for up-to-date news headlines.  This helps me as an administrator, leader, etc. to be informed

Center for Digital Story Telling - this site is linked to my Action Research is why I chose it.

NPR - for the topics section, again relating to my Action Research

Edutopia - used to be free, but now a subscription is required for new users.  It links education with technology

Instructional Technology/digital story telling - linked with my Action Research project.

BP_Diigo Group

                                              
                                                      Diigo Group - Critical Friends

BP2_iGoogle ScreenShots

                                                           FSO - MLR - Month 1

                                                          AR/CLB - ETC

ETC tabs

                                                              FSO tabs/AR/CBL

Tom Moore's Action Research Group in Diigo