I can see how I could use digital stories in the classroom. Just using book themes as an example, having students use pictures and quotes from the book in order to demonstrate theme. I don't think that it is a replacement for writing a paper, but it could be a way to get a student started on such a project.
Your thoughts?
I think that it is easier to make short, succinct videos that have strong emotional impact and little true content or analysis about Crichton's works than it is to actually do the critical thinking involved in writing a paper evaluating the themes of Crichton's stories. Because you can make a video so quickly and easily and with very little depth, it's definitely not a good substitute. Could it be a good way to get the ball rolling? I think so. It requires enough thought that it could be a good start to prepping for a paper.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I think that doing something like this can get a student thinking about the theme of a story or a character they want to focus on when it comes time to write the paper. Conversely, if the paper is written and they want to show the highlights of their argument, this is a model to do it in. I don't think its a substitute for papers (says the man who actually enjoys writing papers), not in the very least, but for students who struggle with organization it can be a good starter.
ReplyDeleteAnother way I thought of it the other day is that I believe some students dislike or struggle with writing because its more abstract then math or science. There is no formula for good writing. (good structure, yes, content no, at least nothing that is simple). I think doing a digital story introduces the concept of organization and building arguments, but in a different medium that makes a transition to writing a paper easier. At least that's my theory. Let me get my teaching degree and into a classroom and I'll let you know how it works out!