New Project – starting Semester 2 2007! See the project blog at http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=98617

Students will upload a photo or small digital movie onto a blog and tell us about it. Students from other classes will use 3, 2, 1 (ask 3 questions, make 2 comments and offer 1 suggestion) to give feedback to other students. Students may then adjust or change what they have done and upload their final version. Students may work in groups or individually. Some classes may like to make one digital story for their whole class. It would be great if the class kept a blog of their week by week progress on their work.

This project will run during Semester 2 2007.

To register, click on comments and give your details or email Gail Casey at casey.gail.a@edumail.vic.gov.au

Welcome to our registered classes so far:
Tracy Muller’s class at http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=67293 
My classes (Gail Casey) Uijeongbu, South Korea
     semester 2 blog http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=97161.
     semester 1 blog http://uijeongbu.globalteacher.org.au/ 
Lisa Cobb from  Tampa, Florida USA
Anne Mirtschin from Victoria, Australia-Hawkesdale p12 College

To get started you need to introduce yourself and your class to all participants by clicking on the comment link. Classes of any age can join this project. Samples of previous students work can be seen at http://gallery.globalstudent.org.au/ . I can organise a blog for you if you would like – you need to request this.

One very important requirement for this project is for each teacher or class to make a weekly post or comment on their progress of the project – so often projects fizzle out due to lack of communication. (What have you done this week? How are your students going? Have they had trouble this week? Do you need any help with any aspects? Were you happy with the feedback from other students/classes?)

A timeline for this project will be published after participants have been surveyed.
Questions that need to be answered include:
1. Details about your school, class and yourself (including experience).
2. What software will you use ? (still pictures, windows movie maker, photostory, other….)
3. What do you think your stories might be about? Do you have any theme?
4. What would you like to get out of the project? (We would like to meet your needs.)
5. How long would you like this project to go for? How often will you allocate time to your class for this project? (eg. Once per week for 10 weeks, 3 times per week for 5 weeks, once per week all semester?)
6. What are your required start and finish date? What date do you hope to have your students work ready for comments by others?

Please answer the above questions in an email to me (casey.gail.a@eduamil.vic.gov.au) or by leaving them in a comment at this post.

To see the answers to these questions from Participants go to http://dsglobalclassroom.globalteacher.org.au/2007-participants/ 

This project is for classes that would like to get started with blogging in a secure educational setting. Blog pages will be set up for you and comments only appear on your blogs after you have seen and approved them. Choose your own blog topic or join in with the “Tell me a story” Theme. I have a class waiting to share their poetry with another class using blogging. Other classes wish to share their stories. This project is open to any age and any subject.

Blogging guidelines & help video clips are available, click on the links, and planning sheets are at your fingertips.

 

Click on the comment link to share your blogging ideas and get started.

Email casey.gail.a@edumail.vic.gov.au if you have problems.

To join this project click the comments link and tell us a bit about yourself and your class. We shall use this blog to work together? Our student samples can be placed in the gallery at http://gallery.globalstudent.org.au/. Check out some resources at http://digitalstories.globalteacher.org.au/resources-that-i-use/.

We can make our digital stories as simple (voice recording only or voice recording over a single photo in photostory 3) or it can be as complex as your skills, knowledge, resources and time allows. We will share ideas and come up with ideas for digital stories that will be suitable for you and your class no matter what age or area of teaching.

All comments that are made on blogs in this project will be moderated before going live on the blog – please check out the blogging guidelines at http://digitalstories.globalteacher.org.au/resources-that-i-use/blogging-guidelines/

Unit Summary – start simple!
Teachers will blog with me on this site to get the hang of blogging.

Students will add comments to a blog that Gail will set up for them.

Teachers, after looking through the resources at: http://digitalstories.globalteacher.org.au/resources-that-i-use/ they will decide if they wish to use any of these resources.

Students will design and produce a 1-3 min digital story.

By using blogs student digital stories will be given a stage with an audience where they can share ideas, make connections and develop understanding and empathy. Students will be required to comment on other class blogs – they will put themselves in other students shoes and attempt to hold back their values, opinions and prejudges and build on the ideas of others.

In this project students of all ages will explore digital storytelling. Student stories will make connections to images that they have collected in their lifetime. Their stories will reflect who they are as people and make them aware of connections to the world around them. By listening and watching other student stories they will learn that stories are the reflection of our experiences. Students will develop an understanding of how stories teach us lessons about life so when we tell stories we attempt to make a point about something – they will explore storytelling through digital media.

Their story telling and listening will not only help the teller in the telling, it will help the listener in the hearing. Incorporating blogs will allow a greater range of listers even across great distances. Students will find voice, confidence, and structure in their writing through digital stories.

Stages of the Project
Stage 1: Teachers add comments to this blog - information such as the interest, expectations and experience of the teacher/class can be shared hence adequate support can be set up.

Stage 2: Each teacher will be given a blog where their students can start to express their ideas of the stories they wish to produce.

Stage 3: Classes are allocated mentors and the mentors will explore the projects essential question: How can we listen to others with understanding and empathy? It would be good but not essential that each class involved in the project will be mentors to another class.

It is expected that once per week time is set aside for the mentor class to give feedback on the appropriate blogs.  

Note: Students can get very disappointed if there is not a set day of the week when they know they will hear from their mentor.

Stage 4: Teachers can request further blogs for students to develop their digital story hence having greater control of their own blogging environment – this will depend on the level & maturity of the students.

Stage 5: Celebration – Digital Stories can be uploaded to the blogs – file size must be less than 1,500KB. (Help can be given to those that have trouble reducing file sizes.) Classes involved in the project will view the samples of participating students – each student will choose perhaps three digital stories and demonstrate understanding & empathy through commenting on the appropriate blog.

Note: If students/staff/parents do not want their digital story to be displayed on the blog/gallery/internet then schools can choose to send their work on CD or other means to their mentor school.

Stage 6: Reflection on a reflection blog.

This project is a work in progress. It can be easily changed, adapted or adjusted to meet your needs –  the more input and ideas from others the better the project will grow.

Share your ideas by clicking the comments link.