Digital Storytelling EDUC 5333: Blog 2

 For Blog 2 my class was given the assignment to watch several different digital stories and write about one of them in our blog. Three of the digital stories resonated with me while I was watching them, but Pine Point tugged at my heartstrings the most. It made me think of my little small town and what was going to happen to it in the aftermath of the May tornado. 

What is so engaging about the story is the multimedia presented throughout. The music was melancholy, which was very fitting for a story about a town that no longer is in existence. The use of photos made the story very personal. It was like looking at someone’s photo album. I loved that there was a mixture of pictures of the town, pictures of friends and family, and pictures of what the area looks like now. The personal stories that were told made the story. It was very easy to imagine that town as your hometown. The author also added in some interactive things that help keep it engaging.

I can see how the digital story Pine Point has many teachable moments and I would gear them towards high school students and up. This could be used in a media class as an example, just like how it is being used in this class or it could be used in a sociology class to go over how a town can be thriving in one moment and gone the next. This could also be used in an upper language arts class to cover types of media and some type of writing assignment. 

The ISTE standards I see reflected in this digital story are:

Student standards:

1.1 Empowered Learner:  Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

1.3 Knowledge Constructor: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts, and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

1.6 Creative Communicator: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats, and digital media appropriate to their goals.

I no longer am a teacher in the classroom, therefore, I can not relate this assignment to grade-level instruction. With that being said, in my current position, I may guide a teacher to use this digital story in their curriculum.

Pine Point made me think about my hometown. I have chosen to write a personal narrative reflecting the May 6th tornado that went through Barnsdall, OK. The story will have a beginning, a middle, and somewhat of an end, which aligns with Ohler’s and Lambert’s storytelling principles. Below is a story map of the story Pine Point.

Beginning: the author tells why he is interested in the town of Pine Point.

Middle: the author takes us through the personal journeys of people who lived in the town.

End: the author tells us what remains of the town of Pine Point.

Sources:

Pine Point. by the National Film Board - Canada

Lambert, J. (2010). Digital Storytelling Cookbook. Center for Digital Story Telling. Open Education Resource.

Ohler, J. (2023). How to make a story - Process notes. Retrieved from: http://storyconcepts.blogspot.com/. 

ISTE Standards: for Students. (2024). International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). https://iste.org/standards/students

Digital Storytelling EDUC 5333: Blog 1

 Hello everyone! My name is Melody McCarty and I am from the small town of Barnsdall, OK. I am an RTI Specialist at my current district where I support teachers in meeting the needs of students requiring Tier 2 and Tier 3 academic services. I received my Bachelor's Degree from Northeastern State University and started pursuing my Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in Technology on May 2024. I have been in education for 15 years. I have taught a little bit of everything. PK, ELA for 4th, 5th, 6th, Junior High and 9th grade, 5th grade Science and Social Studies. 

My husband and I have been married for 30 years and were blessed with three boys. They are grown now and two of them have started families of their own...the youngest is still looking for his future wife. I have the pleasure of being “Mellie” to 2 of the most precious granddaughters. Cameron is 3 and Reagan turns 1 in December. My world was completely changed when they came into my life and I absolutely adore them. We recently learned that the girls will become big sisters in April and that they will be gaining a cousin in May! My middle son is expecting his first child. I can’t wait!

We have been assigned to come up with a topic for digital storytelling. The first thing that came to my mind when trying to choose a topic was the Barnsdall tornado. My idea is to use my personal experience to reach out to others about weather safety and to be proactive when bad weather is imminent. 

The Digital Storytelling Cookbook was most helpful in helping me decide on a topic for this assignment. It helped me understand that a story can be anything you deem worth telling. A story can be as short as explaining why you bought your first car or house, or as long as War and Peace (Lambert, 2010). My hope is that through this digital storytelling assignment, I will be able to connect with those who have gone through this same kind of experience, and for those who haven’t, I hope that they become more weather-aware.

In conclusion, I am excited to embark on this digital storytelling journey and share a deeply personal and impactful experience. I hope that my story not only resonates with those who have faced similar situations but also raises awareness about the importance of weather safety. By connecting through storytelling, we can foster a sense of community, preparedness, and understanding in times of crisis. I look forward to learning from all of you and seeing the unique stories each of you will tell.

Sources:

Lambert, J. (2010). Digital Storytelling Cookbook. Digital Diner Press.