Final Project: DST Lesson in a Math Class

As I have discussed with many of you throughout the semester, it has been difficult to come up with ideas for DST within a mathematics setting.  The task becomes even more difficult when you begin to consider the standards based curriculum we are following and the limited room for flexibility within our instruction.  However, I was able to develop a digital storytelling project idea that aligns well with the ISTE NETS, as well as, the Pennsylvania State Standards.

The project will be based within the context of our Quadratics Unit and will challenge students creativity and innovation.  It is difficult to include quality mathematics within a digital story, so it will create an obstacle for students to overcome with their collaborative partners when completing this project.  The project will require students to choose a device that creates a projectile (potato launcher, trebuchet, Nerf rocket, hot wheels ramps, etc.).  From this projectile, students will use their standard formula for height they learned in class (outlined in my lesson plan) and solve for a missing value in their formula (starting height, time, velocity).  Their goal is to create a digital story that shows their process of completing experimental runs, recording measurements, and making appropriate calculations in a 2-3 minute video.  In the end, students will share all of their projects so their classmates are able to see the different forms of projectiles and the various methods for solving these missing values.

I truly believe this is a relevant assignment that can include DST into a mathematics classroom effectively, and one that the students would dive into.  Additionally, this assignment is productive in showing students several real life examples that apply to the classroom.  As you see in my sample video, the students enjoy these problems, and do not even realize they are doing the math.  I hope to teach this course again so I can attempt to implement this lesson with my next group of students.  Included below are my lesson plan, my scoring rubric, and a sample video for the assignment.


Lesson Plan


Rubric

20 % Time: Coach Y's Court Webpage

For my 20 % time project I wanted to utilize some of the techniques we learned in class related to something I am very passionate about: SPORTS!  What I have created...or at least started to create, is a webpage that is actually going to be a database for the most effective basketball drills and training videos for players and coaches to utilize with their team.  I have dubbed the webpage with the name "Coach Y's Court".

Right now, it looks very basic because I have never used Google Sites before so I am getting the hang of the tools and interface of the application.  I originally created the site with the intention of just posting my training videos that I created, but I realized if I want the website to be worth its use, I need to utilize some of the creative energy of the other basketball minds across the world posting their useful coaching and training techniques.  That is why you will see videos posted from other sources that I have decided to included.

If you are interested in checking it out, click the link for the site below and visit the subpage for "Coach Y's At Home Drills" to view the five training videos I have created so far.  I created these particular videos, because there is a plethora of material on the web for coaches and players to use, but very little that do not require access to a full basketball court to do.  My videos allow players to effectively train in the comfort of their own home utilize some innovative training techniques I have learned and developed over the years.

Coach Y's Court

Digital Media AM/PM Festival

Many of you may not know, but I currently teach at Delcastle Technical HS.  It is one of the four vocational-technical high schools in New Castle County, DE.  Each student enrolled at Delcastle is placed into a shop or trade by the end of their freshman year, and one of the programs we offer at our school is a Digital Media shop.  After talking to the instructor and many of the DM (Digital Media) students, I realized how relevant our work in class is with their day-to-day shop.  From green screen newscasts to short films for the school website, DM uses everything we have in their everyday class and much more.  Although you may not have a program like this offered at your school, this proved to me the draw and excitement that comes with digital storytelling.  The students love their shop and it is one of the toughest to get into in our entire school (over 20 different shops/trades).  Below I have attached a link to their annual short story film festival.  It is called DM AM/PM and there are 8 teams of students who are required to write, develop, shoot, edit, and produce their own 3 minute film in under 24 hours.  The website has links to the films at the top if you would like to see some of the students' work.  Enjoy!

Digital Media AM/PM Festival Link

Everybody Is Going Green These Days

Tonight's class, we were introduced to Chroma Key and the green screen effect that many media outlets (movies, news, etc.) use in their everyday editing.  Although the process of filming in front of the whole class was a bit nerve-racking at first, everyone seemed to successfully shoot their video in front of the green screen.  I really enjoyed this activity because it introduced me to a form of digital media that I knew existed, yet never truly understood.  Surprisingly, the process is extremely simple and it seems like anyone could do it.  

Although we came across some small issues (no tripod, green clothing, too wide a camera angle) it was a quick and easy process to complete from start to finish.  I can definitely see the draw for this tool as a resource for digital storytelling in the classroom.  I have taken a tour of a news studio as a student and saw how quickly everyone wanted to jump in front of the news desk and film with the green screen background, so I would only assume it would be the same in a classroom.  These green screen projects showed how exciting this simple technology is for adults, so I can only imagine how involved our students would get into a green screen project of their own.  When teachers enjoy their work and when students actively participate, you end up with a great final product that any teacher could appreciate.

Below is my completed green screen project from tonight's class. Enjoy!

Lights, Camera, Action

Last week we were given an opportunity to use iMovie to edit our "Door Scene" projects from the previous week.  Although I enjoyed the first steps of the project, I thought five steps would have been overkill for the assignment.  However, the chance to make the audio and video changes through iMovie sparked an entirely new interest for me with digital storytelling.  I felt like I was in my own little editing studio, and I really started to have a lot of fun with the project.  The other steps were entertaining because they were goofy to film and fun to work with the off-the-wall ideas that many of us had, but this step brought with it a whole new dimension of digital storytelling.
Any one working on the computers close to me could tell that I was having a little too much fun with the editing process, so much so that I caught myself laughing out loud at times.  It was really entertaining and exciting to be able to take what seemed to be a bland video and turn it into a piece of digital media full of transitions, soundtracks, visual effects, sound effects, and much more.  I can't wait to work through our remaining projects and see what else I can discover through iMovie and any other editing software we might come to utilize.

Greatest Door Scene Ever?

I Educational App Review: Blurb Mobile

Blurb Mobile: 4/5 Stars 

Blurb mobile is a multimedia application that allows users to compile their audio, video, and photos into an interactive digital storybook.  Although the only form of presentation is in a film reel format, Blurb Mobile provides a very artistic approach to digital story booking.

When creating a story, users are able to upload photos and video from their device, or can use their device camera to capture photographs or record video to be included.  There are several framing formats that can be utilized to give a different layout to the visuals.  Once a video or photo is framed into the story, users can easily edit the content (rotate, crop, shrink, etc.).  Additionally, users have an option to provide narration over the story by recording audio on their device.  Text can be added to each piece of the storybook if users choose to do so.  After a story is complete, Blurb Mobile allows for Geo-tagging and users can add the location of the story to the story itself.  Finished products can be shared with others by adding friends to your "Story Stream".   

Overall, Blurb Mobile is a simple and fun to use application that even the most novice users can master quickly.  It provides plenty of room for individual creativity, and the stories available to view from other creators show how artistic and exciting this application can make digital storytelling.  Users of Blurb Mobile can enjoy works compiled by other authors and see what this application has to offer.  It is a truly unique way to compile multimedia and create your own digital story.

Pros:

• Overall ease of use
• Quickly import multimedia files to story
• Point and shoot photos or video to add to story
• Editing tools
• Voice narration
• Text titles
• Global sharing (Story Stream)
• Artistic and unique approach

Cons:

• Can not import audio files
• Cannot be viewed as a video slide show
• Limited audio time for each frame
• Limited themes