This document contains 4 posts by a student in an online discussion board for an education course on digital storytelling (DS). In the first post, the student discusses how oral storytelling is an important precursor to DS. They found the section on bringing in a professional storyteller to teach key elements of storytelling particularly insightful. In the second post, the student discusses how DS allows them to teach literacy skills in an engaging way for younger students. They also note the time-consuming nature of DS projects. In the third post, the student cites their favorite quote about only amplifying weak stories with technology. They emphasize planning enough time for the DS process. In the fourth post, the student

1. EDU 727: Discussion Boards
1st Post:
6/17/10
I loved the reasons oral storytelling is important because it really resonates into the
power digital storytelling can have within the classroom and outside of it. The first thing that
came into my mind was how awesome it would be to have digital stories that my husband and I
grew up with told by our family members so that our son would be able to hear them the way
we did as children. There is so much power in the oral story that I was glad this part was really
focused on and put first in Ohler’s article.
I also found the section on how storytelling comes into play as a precursor to the
technology very interesting. Ohler mentioned that as the technology became more sophisticated
and advanced his students’ stories became weaker. The idea of bringing in a professional
storyteller that taught the keys parts of the story really drove home how important it is to start
with the basics and build from there. Overall the article was helpful and great glimpse at what
the course will hold.
Reply to Three Classmates:
I agree with Lauren that the effective storyboarding seems to be a key part of this process. I will
be teaching a 2/3 combo next year so it will be interesting to see what that will look like with
such young students. I also liked what Megan said when she mentioned that the skills that
digital storytelling involves are ones that we already teach our students anyway. This seems like
a great way to show off those skills in a very visual way. And finally, Kelly's comment about
working this into her first grade curriculum seems to be one that I can relate to. I like the idea of
using writing that the students are doing in a traditional way and then having them illustrate it,
while having them narrate it at the end. It's nice to hear such great ideas from everyone!
2nd Post:
6/29/10
Teaching elementary school gives me the ability to teach all areas of literacy mentioned
in the article. The writing and organization skills are key in just about any subject and digital
storytelling is such a great outlet to show off and hone those skills. For younger students, these
skills are brand new or given a name for the first time, so I love the idea that they can be
introduced in a more modern way that fits the technology heavy environment our students are in
everyday. I can’t wait to get into the classroom this coming school year and really teaching
students how to give their writing more voice in a brand new way.
I did like the section Robin wrote on how time consuming digital storytelling can be. I
have done some research on TPACK and how technological, pedagogical, and content
knowledge come together and I have realized that as a teacher you have to really have a strong
unit plan when teaching with technology. It’s so important to know your technology and how
you want your students to use it, so that all of the time everyone does put into their stories pays
off in the end.
3rd Post:
7/22/10

2. My favorite quote from the entire article is, “Telling weak stories with technology is like
giving a bad guitar player a bigger amplifier.” I think it speaks to the heart of DS- if you’re
going to do it, do it right. Ohler seems to think the same way when it comes to deciding
whether or not to incorporate DS into a lesson or unit. It’s important to make sure that you plan
enough time to teach the DS process and then get support from your tech teachers or other
teammates. I think it takes a lot of planning and follow-through so that students see that their
projects are important and shouldn’t fall short, even if it takes a little longer than you expected it
would. I don’t believe in sacrificing quality for speed. I’d rather make sure my guitarist is
playing well, instead of loud 
4th Post:
7/23/10
Scorsese’s point of view on visual literacy is definitely applicable to an elementary
classroom, especially a more modern one. We have so many different types of learners in our
classrooms and between the TV and computer, they are all extremely well-versed in visual
aspects and learning. Many of our students come from homes that don’t have many books or
don’t value reading for the sake of literacy, but as something you do solely for school. This
gives teachers an interesting angle they need to take into consideration when preparing a unit or
lesson, especially one that is more abstract. I love the idea of pushing students and teachers to
look at the same topic or subject through different angles or lenses. This may help teachers
realize that they can reach more students by doing things a little different than they used to. It
also ties into DS perfectly because students need to figure out how to get their reader’s attention
and tap into the point of view they are trying to get across.
Scrosese mentioned that he grew up in a poorer household that didn’t have much and
with family that had immigrated to the U.S. Both of these characteristics are common among
students in our lower performing schools and classrooms. Therefore, his point of view that
students should try out their visual literacy legs to see if its for them , is spot on for this
population as well. Many of these students are more visual and oral in their learning habits by
nature, so it would probably be comfortable way for them to express themselves with subject-
specific content as well as being creative.
This was a great video and enlightening to hear from such an visual giant! Awesome
choice!