This coming Wed., we will be focusing on sounds, recording, and narration. What does the Ohler article explain about these areas and how do you propose you could incorporate that into your final work?
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I really liked how Ohler said in his article, "Through creating electronic personal narratives, students become active creators, rather than passive consumers, of multimedia." I think this is not only true for our students (k-12) but for everyone. I think more so, adults rely on multimedia to entertain them - they lose the ability to create and are almost afraid of creating.
ReplyDeleteOhler also talked about how the focus needs to be on the story and not the technology. I have to watch this.
I was really impressed with the description of Kim's digital story and the how she used her voice with different music to dovetail with the pictures - The most impressive thing is how a 6th Grader could do this – Better yet she was given the opportunity to develop this way of story telling.
With my project I would like to try a narrative - I am not comfortable with my voice and how it sounds on camera. I am going to have to work with my voice and see if it fits in my final project. I have picked out music that will work perfectly with what I want to convey. I don't think there are any sound effects that will work with my project. I am going to have to think about that one.
I was thinking of including narration by recording some of my art students whose work is in the movie. My thought was to have them do a little narrative about “Art is….” And video it on the flip almost like a personal definition/narrative. I’m not sure if I will include their faces or not because I might need parents to sign permission slips so I could work on camera angles at the same time. By letting the student create the narrative I would be letting them find/develop the power of their own voice which is discussed in the article. They would also be expressing themselves orally. Making them an active participant “In the year in review” as they were which digital storytelling does.kel
ReplyDeleteI felt like the Ohler article did a great job telling Kim’s story, you could picture what it would look and sound like. I think the article expressed how the mood and story are affected by the sound and narration and how important it is. As a side note, I’m glad he addressed the curricular tie in as this is so important in schools today and will definitely support the use of digital storytelling in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think that with my younger kids, giving them a chance to talk into a microphone and tell their story will be great. Today I talked to them about starting a digital storytelling project and we are going to give it a try. I’m planning to use pictures that they took and their voices as narration. Should be interesting but they are a great group to try it with. For my final project I am planning on using some narration but am not sure if it will be me or someone I can bribe into helping me. I’m thinking of using some background music and/or sound effects at different parts to reflect the mood and storyline.
Sue
Ohler emphasized the idea that the story comes first before the technology. I liked his analogy that a bad guitar player with an amplifier is just a louder bad guitar player. Teach them to tell stories first. Script writitng is essential. "If it ain't on the page,it ain't on the stage". He also emaphasized the idea of using ones' voice to give it the emotional connection or impact. A story map as opposed to a story board allows one to plan out yur story so it goes from a call to adventure, a problem with a solution to a final conclusion or closure. This forces one to come to a point and not just dribble on and on without a purpose to your story. It teaches students to write more efficiently and gives a voice to the quieter student. For my project, I have already written a partial script but after reading this, I feel I need to streamline it a bit more so it is more succinct and to the point. Like others that I have read, I too plan on getting one of my students to narrate my script for me. I am also planning on using music and sound effects in addition to the narration. I have this written up as part of my story board.
ReplyDeleteNancy
I plan on using students' voices as well. I was not planning on having them narrate as much as tell the story. I planned on using the noise of pencils being sharpened as a background noise, and look forward to learning how to do that in Audacity.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the analogy about giving a bad guitar player a louder amplifier! This proves that if a student is a weaker writer, the storyboard and script take on the role of editor and need to be closely monitored, so the video does not end up weak. Spending more time writing first seems to be the way to go, from what I have read in the readings and other websites tonight.
I agree with the author that the writing portfolio the kids develop would benefit from a digital story. They have to do those writing portfolios anyhow...why not give it a little flavor?
PS where did that baby get that fabulous wig? She is gor-geous! :)
ReplyDeleteThe main concept I learned from Ohler’s article is that the story comes first. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the aspects of technology. The special effects are nothing without a good story. Again, he emphasizes the value of story mapping. As an English teacher, I appreciate the importance of writing out the narration rather than add libbing. He also points out that one should practice oral storytelling. I agree that the more I practice telling the story aloud, the less self-conscious I will become. It is also the best way to practice voice, tone, etc. I do worry that it will sound too rehearsed after a certain point. I remember what I liked most about the “pretend video camera” story was that it was so casual and seemed spontaneous. I think my biggest issue will be slowing down. I tend to talk fast, especially when telling a good story. I will have to remember my audience and take my time.
ReplyDelete~ Eden
I was struck by this quote:
ReplyDelete"Oral storytelling is a powerful way for
students to develop their own voices
and discover what events and details are
essential to their stories. Oral presentation
is also an important way to prepare
for the future"
This is a useful concept when working with students who ar shy about public speaking. essentially, they are publically speaking with outstanding infront of the classroom. It can help them over come their fears and if their peers give positive feed back can help them come out of their shell.
Use of sound in my final is still iffy. I haven't decided if I want to narrate the story or do it more like an old fashion silent movie for the first half and subject speaking for the second half like the Wizard of Oz. The subject matter does lend itself to this idea...Julie M
I believe this article hit on a couple of points. One, is that narratives allow the story teller to develop the power of his/her voice. In turn making them heros of their own. Two, voice overs can be powerful with still pictures...provided that the pictures and the narration compliment one another. Three, that the visuals of digital story telling should not take the place of oral story telling.
ReplyDeleteI have not yet decided on the narration for my final project. I can tell you that I have worked at making my project both personal for myself and an emotional content for my audiance. As I begin working on my story board I find that the narration and music are the most difficult part. Telling the story visually is easy, but I know that the sound if you will, is the "Power" of the story.
Paulette
I feel that the Ohler article was an easy read but now after reading the question posed to the class I am confused. My take from the article related to the question is the importance of including sounds, recording and narration but not to only focus on the technology side of work, but rather to emphasis the “power of their stories.” The technology is the medium for the story but without the development of the story and narration the true essence of the story will be lost. I started to plan my narration for my final project and I think this will aid in the creation of the storyboard that will in turn help project the true emotion of the story being told.
ReplyDeleteI liked that Ohler suggested the use of story mapping along with the use of storyboarding. I find myself staring at a blank piece of paper not knowing where to start with the storyboard. By using the mapping technique I think this will help me plan out the components of my final project that I can then place on the storyboard.
Finally, although I found the article very informative on how to use storyboards, making it personal and gave examples of what has worked in the past, the lasting impression I am taking from this article is the fact that I need to focus on the small steps when planning the story and not just look at the big picture and the media that I can create. This may help with some of the anxiety I have on creating the final project. (Emailed on the date...was not able to blog)