Chptr 7 -8

All quotes from Jason B. Ohler. Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity (p. 106). Kindle Edition.

CHPTR 7

• Universality is a particularly important concept in the world of DST,

This makes me think of the "everyman" character that Tom Hanks has perfected. It is always appealing and accessible. I think the everyman is a useful tool when the point you want to make is about how something effects us all. If the main character in Cast Away was an eccentric or outlier, the effects of the isolation on the viewer would not have been as powerful. 

• Learn the rules, break the rules, then make the rules.

There is such a thing as earning the right to break the rules. All the great artists broke the rules. Usually, it was after playing within the rules. When I was in Madrid, I saw Picasso's early work. As a young person he could paint realism very well. He slowly devolved his art after mastering the classic way. If he was crapy painter and then made cubes, nobody would have cared. There's always the really bright or imaginative student who wants the break the rules. We could tell he/she that after they play within the rules they can do it their way.

CHPTR 8

• Kohlberg's "Stages of moral development" (1984)

I created a little kid version of this for my class. It was a smartboard file with 5 levels. I had the students place themselves on the chart where they thought their morality was at that point in time. I was amazed at the accuracy. The students with poor behavior put themselves lower and said things like, "i just try not to get caught." or "I don't behave when no one is looking because there is no reward." No one was brave enough to put themselves on the top. The highest level was "I do the right thing when no one is looking." Even though some belonged.

• "To help students grow through their stories."and from CHPTER 7" Powerful experiences become powerful stories when we reflect on how the experiences changed us."

I have been thinking about student presentations in general lately. What are we assessing? Whats the point of having them say things out loud? Sometimes we think regurgitation of information is somehow learning. It is important to learn concepts, but real personnel growth comes from "how does this information I learned change me or my views." I think this is true because it marries the ideas of content with emotion. We remember and value learning when it is tied with our emotions. Reflecting on how new knowledge effects us makes the new knowledge emotional. I heard this once..."you won't remember what a teacher taught you but you will remember how they made you feel."

Here is my video.  Read the epilogue at the bottom after viewing the video. 



I made this video because drinking out of the carton is gross.  Yet, when no one is around, I do it.  This video is an effort to break the habit and be the person I want to be, who is slightly less gross.