Thing 06: Digital Storytelling

Thing 06: Digital Storytelling

I was really excited to tackle the reading and activities for this module. I’ve always been a bit of a video nerd. I remember spending hours with the original iMovie, making too many videos to name and filling up my hard drive with data intensive files.

There were some tools in the module that I’ve heard of and have used in my teaching, like Google Slides, Powtoon & Microsoft Sway. Windows Movie Maker was one that I really disliked but was forced to use when I first started teaching. Most of the other tools were brand new to me. It was great to see a glimpse of effective unit design with a tool, get examples of best practice, and see what other educators are doing with their students. We’ve come a long way from using PowerPoint as the ONLY tool that’s taught to present & communicate ideas.

I spent a majority of my time learning how to use Adobe Spark. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Adobe suite - most of their software is uber sophisticated and expensive - but I appreciate the nuance involved in being creative and doing something well with digital media.

My overall experience with Spark Video was enjoyable. I found the interface relatively easy to use and the learning curve wasn’t all that steep. I quickly found that my video was only good as the media and pictures that I had access to. That means either photos taken with a camera or phone; OR importing photos off the Internet. Luckily, I’ve been keeping a few pictures on my phone of the work that I’ve been doing to the physical space in the Library. As I began to assemble my video, I realized, “I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PICTURES!!! WHY DIDN’T I TAKE MORE??”

I really liked the simplicity of using the tool, selecting a theme and assembling the media and effects was simplistic….limited options = easier to use. I LOVED the option to add music to As I built my creation, I couldn’t help but think how easy this would be to use with my 6th and 7th grade middle school kids. It will definitely be an option as I offer such services to classroom teachers. I also think that these type of quick videos might be a great way for me to document my own work/professional development & learning.

My video lives here: https://spark.adobe.com/video/yRc3L88qGWSRt

I’m really intrigued by the ability to create newsletters. As a librarian, I am constantly trying to find new ways to reach out to and communicate with teachers

On a side note - since my school is a Google for Education organization, I noticed how nicely Adobe Spark integrates with my files from Google Drive. Importing photos from the cloud was super convenient.

I can see myself returning to this module for inspiration, as needed!