Rationale, Goals, Objectives
Rationale
The field of education is strongly encouraging the use of technology in the classroom. However, “the use of technology can only be effective if teachers themselves possess the expertise to use technology in a meaningful way in the classroom” (Sadik, 2008). Digital storytelling can engage students in multiple ways. Digital photo stories can be meaningful and impactful to students when the teacher presents them to the students as part of a lesson. Having students create their own digital photo stories facilitates student-centered learning utilizing student engagement, reflection for deep learning, project-based learning, and the effective integration of technology into the classroom (Sadik, 2008). This workshop will enhance teacher knowledge about the use of digital photo stories in the classroom. The workshop will provide teachers with the skills required to create their own photo stories for use in the classroom. In addition, the workshop will equip teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to have students create their own photo stories to meet learning standards in the classroom.
Goals
The learner will:
1. Develop an increased understanding of how digital photo stories can increase student engagement in the classroom.
2. Understand how to apply the elements and principles of photography.
3. Develop the skills to create a photo story using the Kizoa application.
1. Develop an increased understanding of how digital photo stories can increase student engagement in the classroom.
2. Understand how to apply the elements and principles of photography.
3. Develop the skills to create a photo story using the Kizoa application.
Objectives
1. The learners, in groups, will analyze and discuss readings that correlate photo stories to student engagement in the classroom and will present findings to the entire class.
2. The learners, in groups, will compose ideas for four standards they could address utilizing photo stories either as presentation material or as project-based learning for the students.
3. The learner will demonstrate the elements of photography by taking at least seven photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the seven elements of photography.
4. The learner will demonstrate the principles of photography by taking at least nine photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the nine principles of photography.
5. The learner will create a 3-4 minute photo story that includes music and text about the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center using the program Kizoa.
6. The learners, in groups, will constructively critique at least two videos presented by other groups at the workshop by sharing, in a whole group discussion, their feedback about the video.
2. The learners, in groups, will compose ideas for four standards they could address utilizing photo stories either as presentation material or as project-based learning for the students.
3. The learner will demonstrate the elements of photography by taking at least seven photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the seven elements of photography.
4. The learner will demonstrate the principles of photography by taking at least nine photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the nine principles of photography.
5. The learner will create a 3-4 minute photo story that includes music and text about the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center using the program Kizoa.
6. The learners, in groups, will constructively critique at least two videos presented by other groups at the workshop by sharing, in a whole group discussion, their feedback about the video.
Literature Review
In order to prepare for my workshop on using digital photo stories in the classroom to improve student engagement, I conducted research on digital storytelling. Sadik (2008) believes that digital storytelling facilitates meaningful technology integration and learning. His study followed Egyptian teachers incorporating digital photo storytelling into their curriculum (Sadik, 2008). His findings were that, although there were some problems reported, the teachers believed that the digital storytelling projects could increase students’ understanding of the curriculum (Sadik, 2008). Jocson (2016) also believes that digital storytelling is a useful tool to increase student engagement and learning. Jocson (2016) followed thirteen students in one of her college courses as they created their own digital stories. Jocson (2016) concluded that when students are given the opportunity to create their one digital stories, it opens up doors for different ways of making meaning and acknowledging forms of learning that happen along the way.
The next several articles that I reviewed all focused on using digital storytelling to improve engagement and learning in a specific subject area. Both Butler and Monda-Amaya (2015) and Morgan (2014) provided information on how to use digital storytelling to improve writing skills. They focus on moving the writing process into a digital storytelling format, allowing students to create their own photo stories (Butler & Monda-Amaya, 2015; Morgan, 2014). Morgan (2014) continues to discuss ways to use digital storytelling to improve reading skills in students, and also offers information for teachers to use digital photo stories for their own instruction to improve student comprehension. Sancar-Tokmak and Lutfi (2013) used expert-based training (XBT) to instruct a group of pre-service teachers how to incorporate digital storytelling into a mathematics classroom. Compared to a group of pre-service teachers who were trained in a more traditional approach, the XBT teachers earned significantly higher scores on their digital stories (Sancar-Tokmak & Lutfi, 2013). Sancar-Tokmak, Surmeli, and Ozgelen (2014) studied pre-service science teachers to determine their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) after creating digital stories about various science concepts. The pre-service science teachers reported improved technological pedagogical content knowledge after completing this study (Sancar-Tokmak, Surmeli, & Ozgelen, 2014). Daskolia, Kynigos, and Makri (2015) used digital storytelling to promote collaboration amongst students learning about urban sustainability.
The last set of readings that I reviewed focus on instruction of how to create a digital photo story. Morgan (2014) provides links to tutorials for various digital photo story programs in addition to providing information about using digital storytelling to improve reading and writing. Yee and Hargis (2012) explain the pros and cons for three different digital storytelling creation programs, Kizoa, Animoto, and Photo Story 3. Karan-Miyar (2009) describes the advantages of digital storytelling in education and also explains how the program, Photo Story 3, can be used to create digital photo stories. Lamb and Johnson (2008) as well as Kobré (2013) provide information about taking quality photographs to add to digital photo stories. Kobré (2013) dedicates an entire chapter of his book to instruction on creating photo stories, and focuses the next chapter on multimedia, which describes how to use photos, music, and text to create photo stories.
The next several articles that I reviewed all focused on using digital storytelling to improve engagement and learning in a specific subject area. Both Butler and Monda-Amaya (2015) and Morgan (2014) provided information on how to use digital storytelling to improve writing skills. They focus on moving the writing process into a digital storytelling format, allowing students to create their own photo stories (Butler & Monda-Amaya, 2015; Morgan, 2014). Morgan (2014) continues to discuss ways to use digital storytelling to improve reading skills in students, and also offers information for teachers to use digital photo stories for their own instruction to improve student comprehension. Sancar-Tokmak and Lutfi (2013) used expert-based training (XBT) to instruct a group of pre-service teachers how to incorporate digital storytelling into a mathematics classroom. Compared to a group of pre-service teachers who were trained in a more traditional approach, the XBT teachers earned significantly higher scores on their digital stories (Sancar-Tokmak & Lutfi, 2013). Sancar-Tokmak, Surmeli, and Ozgelen (2014) studied pre-service science teachers to determine their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) after creating digital stories about various science concepts. The pre-service science teachers reported improved technological pedagogical content knowledge after completing this study (Sancar-Tokmak, Surmeli, & Ozgelen, 2014). Daskolia, Kynigos, and Makri (2015) used digital storytelling to promote collaboration amongst students learning about urban sustainability.
The last set of readings that I reviewed focus on instruction of how to create a digital photo story. Morgan (2014) provides links to tutorials for various digital photo story programs in addition to providing information about using digital storytelling to improve reading and writing. Yee and Hargis (2012) explain the pros and cons for three different digital storytelling creation programs, Kizoa, Animoto, and Photo Story 3. Karan-Miyar (2009) describes the advantages of digital storytelling in education and also explains how the program, Photo Story 3, can be used to create digital photo stories. Lamb and Johnson (2008) as well as Kobré (2013) provide information about taking quality photographs to add to digital photo stories. Kobré (2013) dedicates an entire chapter of his book to instruction on creating photo stories, and focuses the next chapter on multimedia, which describes how to use photos, music, and text to create photo stories.
Audience
The audience for this workshop is sixth through twelfth grade Science teachers for the local school system, White County Schools. The teachers work either in White County Middle School, White County 9th Grade Academy, or White County High School. The age ranges and experience levels of the teachers vary. Due to a lack of diversity in the White County area, it is expected that the majority of the teachers will be white/non-Hispanic.
List of Tasks or Activities
- 8:00 – 8:30 Welcome and introduction of the photo story and the importance of its use in the classroom. The opening will begin by sharing a brief PowerPoint which explains why people should adopt pets from the animal shelter. Then, I will present the photo story I made for project three in this course, which is a photo story about pet adoption. We will discuss which one caught the attendees’ attention more, which one made them want to adopt a pet more, etc., and then start the discussion about how they think their students would rather learn. Then, I will use a photo story to briefly explain why we should incorporate the use of photo stories in the classroom to increase student engagement.
- 8:30 – 9:00 Teachers work in small groups (3 to 4 people) to analyze and discuss readings provided to them by the facilitator. The information in each of the readings involves using photo stories to increase student engagement in the classroom.
- 9:00 – 9:30 Teachers present their findings on their readings to the entire group.
- 9:30 – 9:45 Break
- 9:45 – 10:00 Whole group discussion of ideas for using photo stories in the classroom. This discussion covers how the teachers can create photo stories to enhance student engagement as well as ideas for having students create their own photo stories for project-based learning.
- 10:00 – 10:15 Teachers break into groups according to the grade levels they teach. Teachers will review standards and determine at least four standards that they could address by incorporating digital photo stories into their classrooms. Teachers will come up with ideas of how they would address these standards using photo stories.
- 10:15 – 10:45 Presentation on the elements and principles of photography
- 10:45 – 11:15 Guided tour of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center.
- 11:15 – 11:45 Teachers will use the knowledge they gained about the elements and principles of photography to take photographs after the tour. Each teacher will take at least sixteen photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the seven elements of photography and one of each of the nine principles of photography.
- 11:45 – 12:45 Lunch
- 12:45 – 1:30 Presentation on the program Kizoa and how to create a photo story
- 1:30 – 2:15 Teachers work in small groups according to grade levels they teach. Teachers, in their groups, will create a simple promo photo story in Kizoa about the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center. Teachers will include their own photographs and information they learned about the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center from their tour.
- 2:15 – 2:30 Break
- 2:30 – 3:00 Teachers continue working on their photo stories.
- 3:00 – 3:30 Teachers present their photo stories to the entire workshop group. Groups will constructively critique other groups’ photo stories by providing feedback after each photo story presentation.
Expected Outcomes
Each teacher will leave this workshop with at least four ideas of how to use photo stories in their own classroom for either teaching or project-based learning. Each teacher will leave this workshop with a general knowledge of the elements and principles of photography and at least sixteen photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the seven elements of photography and one of each of the nine principles of photography. The teacher will leave this workshop with a completed photo story about the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center. Below are links to the elements and principles of photography project portion of this workshop and a sample of the Kizoa photo story project portion of this workshop.
Sample Elements and Principles of Photography Presentation - This presentation aligns with Goal 2, “The learner will understand how to apply the elements and principles of photography.” It also aligns with Objectives 3 and 4: “The learner will demonstrate the elements of photography by taking at least seven photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the seven elements of photography” and “The learner will demonstrate the principles of photography by taking at least nine photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the nine principles of photography.” This presentation aligns with these goals and objectives because is shows that the learner was able to produce images of their own utilizing the elements and principles of photography.
Sample Sautee Nacoochee Community Center Promo Video - This promo video aligns with Goal 3, “The learner will develop the skills to create a photo story using the Kizoa application.” It also aligns with Objectives 5 and 6, “The learner will create a 3-4 minute photo story that includes music and text about the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center using the program Kizoa” and “The learners, in groups, will constructively critique at least two videos presented by other groups at the workshop by sharing, in a whole group discussion, their feedback about the video.” This promo video aligns with these goals and objectives because the video is evidence of their learning of the program Kizoa to create a photo story. Because of the skills they acquired to create their own photo story, they will also be able to constructively critique other groups’ photo stories.
Sample Elements and Principles of Photography Presentation - This presentation aligns with Goal 2, “The learner will understand how to apply the elements and principles of photography.” It also aligns with Objectives 3 and 4: “The learner will demonstrate the elements of photography by taking at least seven photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the seven elements of photography” and “The learner will demonstrate the principles of photography by taking at least nine photographs of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center area utilizing at least one of each of the nine principles of photography.” This presentation aligns with these goals and objectives because is shows that the learner was able to produce images of their own utilizing the elements and principles of photography.
Sample Sautee Nacoochee Community Center Promo Video - This promo video aligns with Goal 3, “The learner will develop the skills to create a photo story using the Kizoa application.” It also aligns with Objectives 5 and 6, “The learner will create a 3-4 minute photo story that includes music and text about the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center using the program Kizoa” and “The learners, in groups, will constructively critique at least two videos presented by other groups at the workshop by sharing, in a whole group discussion, their feedback about the video.” This promo video aligns with these goals and objectives because the video is evidence of their learning of the program Kizoa to create a photo story. Because of the skills they acquired to create their own photo story, they will also be able to constructively critique other groups’ photo stories.
Background Information for the Facilitator
Kaila Steele has seven years of experience in education. She has been a math teacher, a data analyst, and is now an instructional technology specialist. In addition to her work in education, Kaila is also a wife and a mother of four beautiful children, and when she isn’t working, she is devoting most of her time and energy to her family. Kaila is currently pursing her Master’s degree in Instructional Technology with the University of West Georgia and hopes that furthering her education will improve her overall skills for her career in education.
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