Comments on: Digital storytelling tools and TIME

By: Ultrawoman

Ultrawoman — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 01:17:16 +0000

Digital Storytelling is Great

I used Microsoft Photostory the other day – really easy to use -similar to Powerpoint and you can download it from the Microsoft site.

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:48:41 +0000

Just today, my some sheer curious clicking (starting with a link in my twitter space) I discovered 2 new valuable “Tools 2 Try” (love the concept of tagging them, I may hop on that tag myself).

Many of us, and myself at times, cling to a notion that we can somehow as individuals really have a grasp on most information within our domain of expertise. In terms of the explosion of new web tools, resources daily, this ends up to be a futile treadmill chase. So I shrug and say, “I Cannot or Will Not Pretend to be an Expert” and rely on my electronic circle of colleagues via RSS, twitter, even old listservs to be a aprt of an extended “expert field”.

And speaking of new tools, I am so excited by not only VoiceThreads, but 3 different web based timeline media creation tools, that I am working on a wiki/workshop called “There Must be 50 Web 2,0 Ways To Tell a Story” (nods to Paul Simon for the soundtrack).

I hope you keep up the stand for organizations to provide more of this R&D time. Education lags way behind industry in making these a part of their organizational improvement strategies. It was 3M’s granting of 15% time for open wondering to researchers that resulted in accidental invention of PostIt notes. Education, at best provides?? 1% 2% 0.005%?

Great guest blog, Dean is lucky!

By: Wesley Fryer

Wesley Fryer — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:09:42 +0000

Good points, Zac. The educational system certainly is a complex adaptive system which, to be realistic (as all models and strategies for change should strive to be) requires system level thinking. Single tweaks or a series of tweaks cannot generally redirect the broad course of a complex adaptive system. That is one of the fundamental problems with most educational reform proposals. They suggest, “if we just do this, then we’ll improve student achievement the way we want to.” It’s always more challenging and complex than that.

That being said, however, there certainly ARE many things we can and should be doing to promote constructive change within the educational system. Dialog about TIME and our ubiquitous need to find more of it during the school day to use creatively is an important step. We shouldn’t just stay in the “talk phase,” we’ll need the action phase eventually, but the “talk phase” is critical– and it needs to involve dialog with multiple stakeholders.

I think you were wise to choose educational leadership rather than technology integration. Certainly technology integration can be an area of focus within both edleadership or C and I, but I think by selecting a broader field you will position yourself to be more flexible and therefore relevant in the future as your career goals and activities continue to evolve.

You’re very welcome for the ideas that inspired some new thinking. That is my main purpose in blogging, both for myself as well as for others!

By: Zac Chase

Zac Chase — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:55:07 +0000

There’s a lot to assimilate here.
The question this brings to mind is in relation to the issue of time: We know the problem, where are the teams of people working on a solution.
In the fall, I begin my Master’s work in Educational Leadership. When selecting a program of study, I considered three options: ed. leadership, curriculum and instruction and technology integration. The chose frustrated me because each implied that it existed independently of the other.
If this is the mindset, how is a solution ever possible?
My inclination is to ask for a systems approach. My reaction to my own thinking is that a systems approach will only end in failure. The network of interconnectivity is nebulous and ever-changing – tools, participants, norms – they are all in constant flux. This isn’t an assembly line problem.
The other option is that of the starfish (http://vvrotny.edublogs.org/2007/07/09/book-review-spider-and-the-starfish-the-unstoppable-power-of-leaderless-organizations/). My rejection of that approach comes from an understanding of those who run the machine. This (education) is a top-down outfit. The idea of de-centralization is a frightening one.
So, from whence will a tested, effective, authentic, replicable “model” come?
One thing is clear, treating curriculum and instruction, technology integration and ed. leadership as three separate fields isn’t getting us any closer.
Thank you for making me think.