Digital Learning Story
Introduction
Welcome to the world of technology, which is a place that is filled with innovation, creativity, and exploration! In fact, there are countless ways to experience the world of technology, all of which dive deeper not only into the digital domain, but also into the broader world, simply because through the lens of a camera or a computer, this world can be viewed in ways many have never imagined. In turn, one of the most exciting ways to explore the world of technology is through creating a digital learning story, which is why throughout this webpage you will find an exciting lesson plan that details how students can embrace digital exploration by creating their very own digital learning story videos. In fact, within these videos, students will be invited to share a story about a new animal species that they make, and take viewers not only into the world of technology, but most importantly, into the world of creation. |
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Time Frames In regards to time frames, this lesson will take approximately five hours to implement, with each hour dispersed across five days, and the entire lesson taking a week. For instance, the first hour will involve choosing two animals and researching them, where the second hour will involve creating a combination of these animals and answering questions in relation to where this animal lives, what it eats, and what a day in the life of this animal is like. In turn, the third hour will encourage students to start making a storyboard with the answers to the interview questions, and mapping the layout of their digital learning stories. Finally, the last two hours will be reserved for creating their stories, by videoing themselves and inserting these videos into a Google slideshow to be shared and presented with the rest of the class. Benchmarks 1c – Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. 2a – Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world. 3a – Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits. 4a – Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems. 5b – Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making. 6b – Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations. 7b – Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints. 2. The Students:
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Context This engaging technological lesson can be given to a class of second grade students who are exploring the worlds of technology, science, and movie making, and are ready to connect these worlds with an enticing interdisciplinary project. In turn, this lesson will encourage students to become scientists and research real life animals that live on our planet, in order to create their own animal combinations based upon their research, which they will then present through a digital learning story. In fact, within their digital stories, students will also be encouraged to talk as their animals by answering questions regarding where their animal may live, what it may eat, and even recounting a day in the life of this unique animal. In turn, through researching and creating a digital learning story, students will be able to use their prior understanding in previous lessons of researching animals on National Geographic, creating a Google slideshow, and making Popsicle stick puppets, in order to create a digital learning video that portrays a unique story of their experience researching and creating a new animal species. In fact, this lesson fits into the larger unit structure, because later in second grade students will be introduced to animal habitats. Therefore, by beginning to think about where animals live, and taking their perspective, students are building the necessary foundations for these later lessons. Overall, this lesson is developmentally appropriate for the students, simply because it involves utilizing programs and concepts that the children are familiar with, but in a new and inventive format that encourages students to use their creativity and endless imaginations. Objectives
1.) By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of animals by researching two different animals on national geographic and discussing what they learned. 2.) By the end of this lesson, students will be able to show their knowledge of how to make a digital learning story by videotaping themselves speaking about a new animal “species” they found as “scientists”, and answering questions relating to this animal’s habitat, diet, and life. 3.) By the end of this lesson, students will be able to utilize various forms of technology by videoing themselves with a computer camera and inputting this video into Google slides. 4.) By the end of this lesson, students will be able to expand upon their creative domains by utilizing their imagination to create a new “type” of animal by combining two real life animals they researched, and then making this animal into a puppet with art supplies. Preparation
1. Prepare the Room:
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4. Computers:
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3. Relevant Materials:
5. Helpers:
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Lesson Introduction The world of technology is an incredible place to explore, simply because within this world the possibilities are endless. In turn, these are the reasons why to begin this lesson invite students to sit at the carpet and watch a video of a student conducting an interview with an animal, where the student uses their voice to talk like the animal and answers the interview questions as if they were the animal themselves. In general, throughout this video, continually link what is occurring in the interview with the digital learning stories the students will soon be engaging in, by asking students questions about what digital elements they notice in the video, as well as pointing out the types of questions that are asked in the interview. Overall, once the video is over, invite students to engage in an active discovery session where they discuss what the video was about, and how technology was used during the video. In turn, throughout these discussions, guide the students to the surprising realization that the video they just watched was actually called a digital learning story, and that they are going to get the chance to create their own digital learning stories. In fact, during this reveal, ask the students based on the video and the words in the phrase, "digital learning story", what they think this type of technology is. Finally, once students understand what elements are in a digital learning story, invite them to put on their scientist hats and explain that they are going to get the chance to research two different animals using the National Geographic website, and create a new "species" by combining these animals. In turn, through this fun and engaging introduction, students will not only get the chance to utilize prior knowledge of researching on the computer and visiting websites such as National Geographic, but most importantly, will get the chance to take this prior knowledge and apply it to new, creative, and exciting situations. Learning Activities The world of technology is an incredible place to explore, especially when it is combined with the worlds of art and imagination. Therefore, after introducing students to this lesson, and sharing the learning objectives, invite them to dive deeper into making their digital learning stories by first encouraging them to utilize the research they conducted on National Geographic, and solidify the two animals they want to combine. In turn, after students have chosen two animals, invite them to keep their scientist hats on, and use their imaginations, in order to draw a sketch of their unique animal combinations, including various colors and labels. In regards to the answers that students give, once students have completed their storyboard templates, invite students to take their drawings and answers and bring their combination animals to life by creating them out of construction paper. In turn, during this exploration time, assist students who may need extra scaffolding by drawing, cutting, or pasting their puppets together, so that they can still enjoy the fun of creating these puppets, but do not need to worry about the technicalities of actually constructing them. In contrast, if there are students who desire extensions, encourage them to add more information to the storyboard sheet about their combination animals, as well as encourage these students to add more details to their puppets, such as making props for their puppets.
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Sharing Objectives Overall, after introducing students to the lesson, engage them in an active discussion about the objectives for this lesson, and the goals that they should be working towards throughout this lesson. In turn, in order to share these learning objectives, encourage the students to be active participants, by asking them which goals they feel they should strive to reach. In general, having the students be the primary constructors of the learning objectives will help them to build autonomy in their learning, and most importantly, encourage them to be more engaged and motivated throughout the lesson. In regards to these animals, after students have completed their animal sketches, invite them to answer various questions about their new animal combinations by giving them an interactive “storyboard” template, which they can fill with facts about their animal, including what its name is, where it lives, what it eats, if it is a prey or a predator, if it has a special skill, and what its daily life is like. In turn, allot students an hour to use research and their imaginations in order to write down these facts, where as the educator, walk around the classroom and assist students as necessary, including checking for understanding by asking students questions about their animals, and helping those students who may be practicing their writing skills by writing down the facts that they verbally share.
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Closure The world of digital learning stories is extremely exciting to explore, which is why to end this lesson, and bring everything the students have learned full circle, assist students in making a class Google slides presentation that will act as the digital portfolio for all of their animal videos they made. In turn, after every single students has finished making their animal videos, invite them to gather at the carpet and help create and finalize this digital portfolio as a class. Finally, once all of the videos are inserted into the Google slides presentation, encourage students to turn off the lights and experience a “showcase” of all the digital learning stories they made as a class, and enjoy watching all of their peers’ videos and everything they created. Overall, this final closing activity will not only help to end, or summarize the lesson, in the sense that it allows students to showcase their hard work throughout their digital learning story journeys, but also requires higher level thinking about lesson concepts, simply because in the final showcase students are being given the opportunity to present a completed piece of work that required them to think technologically and creatively to output a unique digital learning story. |
In fact, once students have researched and completed their sketches, storyboards, and puppets, invite them to engage in the final activity before creating their digital learning stories, which is taking the information they wrote on their storyboards and transferring this information to a script, simply because in their digital learning stories, these students will actually become the animals themselves. Therefore, in order to increase accessibility, offer students two versions of this script to choose from, including a sheet filled with sentence-frames and a sheet with more open-ended questions. In turn, continue to scaffold the writing process and assist students as necessary until they are finished with their scripts and ready to make their movies. Finally, introduce students to the movie making process, by working with a small group of students at a time, and helping them find the video camera on their computers, which they will use to film their puppets “speaking” as they read off of their scripts. Overall, this final learning activity will not only be fun and engaging for the students as well as bring together everything they have learned through the use of technology, but also directly connect to the closure of this lesson, where students will have the opportunity to share the digital learning stories they have made with others.
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