The Potential of Digital Storytelling

Some of my recent conversations with teachers regarding publishing have raised the possibility of incorporating digital storytelling into the publishing frame...

Somewhat fortuitously, Stenhouse Publishers announce the imminent release of Lisa Miller's book 'Make Me a Story- Teaching Writing Through Digital Storytelling'!

So I present the following as something to consider.

The writing process and digital storytelling go together naturally. Just as writing can be a process of discovery, so can digital storytelling, where images, words, and music all work together to create meaning.

In her new book, Make Me a Story, Lisa Miller describes the power of digital storytelling as a tool for teaching writing and engaging elementary students. She walks teachers step-by-step through the elements of a digital story project, from prewriting and research through putting the story together in the computer using photos, drawings, paintings, video, narration, and music. Readers will also find answers to nuts-and-bolts questions such as how much computer work students should do and how to record voice-overs. The accompanying CD offers over two dozen examples of student stories discussed in the book.

Make Me a Story emphasizes that the writing process should not get lost in the bells and whistles of technology. If writers of digital stories don't take the time to draft and revise their scripts, they won't get to the deep thinking that's essential to telling the best stories.

Make Me a Story will be available in late July. Stenhouse have posted the entire text and two of the student samples from the CD for you to preview online:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0789.asp?r=n192

Understanding Writers With Output Issues

Kid blamers exist in most schools. They rationalize the events in their classrooms by informing everyone that certain students are lazy, unmotivated, disengaged. While that may be the individual's perception, the critical question that begs answering is ‘why?’

If a student appears reluctant to write, to read, to participate in general classroom activities- that needs to be explored. It may be an issue external to the classroom, It may also be an issue related to the classroom or teaching style. Either way, to simply blame the student falls well short of professional responsibility.

This issue of output failure is explored in “The Myth of Laziness by Mel Levine. Levine argues the desire to be productive is universal but that drive can be frustrated by dysfunction that inhibits optimal output or productivity.

Levine explains that difficulties associated with writing are far and away the most telling sign of output failure during childhood and teenage years. Output failure results in serious difficulties in getting thoughts down on paper, trouble doing projects, completing homework tasks or making oral presentations and writing in general.

Writing, says Levine requires the co-ordination and integration of so many different neurological and academic functions.

It requires the writer to generate good ideas, organize thoughts, encode ideas into clear language, remember many things at (spelling, punctuation, facts and instructions), co-ordinate your fingers to keyboard or form letters, plan and monitor the quality of your work, marshal your materials (pencils, references, or computer) and your time. That alone makes writing a most complex task.

Writing also requires a deal of concentration and mental effort. Writing requires energy, focus and a level of tenacity. All these demands must then be synchronised to achieve writing success.
Levine argues that writing is the largest orchestra a child’s mind has to conduct. The fact that writing is so complex a task justifies its leading role in a curriculum.
By writing, students learn how to mesh multiple brain functions and ultimately that’s something you need to do efficiently. Writing helps to build and maintain brain pathways that connect functions such as language, memory and motor control. So writing assists the students to practice being organized and effective.
Writing also serves as a platform for systematic thinking and problem solving. Students who work with teachers who demand minimal writing are educationally deprived. They may be less prepared to produce when they attain adult hood.
Levine also writes in defence of the reading- writing connection. ‘Reading and writing are like siblings. But there’s no sibling rivalry. They are intimate collaborators. Active reading supplies language, ideas and structure you can use when you write. Reading fosters literacy and literacy enriches writing. Students who don’t, won’t or can’t read are more apt to resist writing.’
When a child writes many of the brains assembly lines spring into action. Written output actually strengthens memory, language, attention to detail, problem solving and other powerful brain functions- are forced to work together. Therefore, as teachers of writing we can justify a vigorous campaign aimed at enabling students to write easily, and confidently.

Experience Stillpoints

Today I learnt the term ‘stillpoints’ I read about stillpoints in a book titled ‘Write Starts – Prompts, Quotes and Exercise to Jumpstart Your Creativity’ by Hal Zina Bennett. It’s Bennett’s word for those moments in our lives when we are totally at one with the now; we are so with what ever we are doing or feeling or thinking that everything else seems to stop.

In writing, Bennett sees stillpoints as aha! Moments created when our words strike a special chord, It occurs when we express something clearly, authentically and beautifully. It resonates as clearly as the ringing of a fine crystal bell

The closer a writer comes to describing anything as it really is, be it gruesome, embarrassing, uplifting, unconscionable, puzzling or loving that becomes a stillpoint that reminds us of our own humanity. They are those moments in writing that tell the truth as it is. When you read try to notice the stillpoints. Share those moments with your students.

PUBLISHING – A plethora of possibilities

  I have to state from the beginning that I am greatly concerned by what has happened to the publishing of student writing in many schools. Like fast food it has become standardized. A one size fits all mentality often applies to the publishing phase of the writing process. Yes, it is time consuming, but publishing presents a powerful mechanism for motivating students to continue reading and writing.

Publishing should not be every student publishing their writing at the same time in exactly the same way. Publishing should allow students a strong sense of ownership over a host of decisions regarding the shape and form of the final product of their writing efforts. I think that for some teachers 'publishing' becomes a beast that needs to be controlled. This need to control is what ultimately stifles creativity and results in a pie factory outcome. Lets get back to giving our writers some options and a sense of ownership about publishing. Running concurrently with these options we need to be ready to provide resources, advice and support for their efforts.
   While the majority of writing undertaken by students will remain ‘unpublished’ it is important for students to identify a piece of writing they wish to lift from their notebook entries and polish towards publication. It is very easy to linger too long in the notebook- to get caught up in the cycle of continually adding entries without developing one special piece. When we allow this to happen opportunities to redraft, revise and eventually edit are lost. These are critical places for real learning to take place.
   Let’s face it, writers need an audience for their words. The greatest feedback any writer can receive is to experience the reader’s response. When the reader is emotionally moved, informed or entertained, the writer is affirmed. Writers not receiving opportunities to share their writing with an audience, is similar to an actor who rehearses for a play that never gets performed. Publishing makes all the planning, drafting and revising worth it!
   So, we need to build into our schedule, frequent opportunities for students to experience the full range of options that publishing offers. Let’s allow students to delve into publishing in ways that allow their individual preferences to shine through.
   Apart from displaying published pieces on bulletin boards you can feature writing across grades. You may be able to feature student writing in newsletters, within the neighbourhood, and in writing competitions. You could host author parties and book launches. You could develop displays that highlight aspects of writing such as leads, endings, character descriptions. You could publish poetry anthologies, class books, magazines, plays. You could provide digital story telling opportunities.
   Every child should be given the opportunity to publish in book form. What an achievement it is for a student to experience the joy of publishing their very own book. –A book that can be added to the classroom library.