Kimberly+Meier

Kim's page

Write a reflection on the following quotation: "If you don't have a good story to tell, you might as well save yourself the expensive digital bells and whistles and go back to your writing table" (Storytellers of the New Millenium). Click on your page and label it with today's date.
 * Saturday afternoon:**

April 28th: My first thought is that everybody has an important story to tell, and the creating of a digital story is complex. I think that the writer of the quote is being a bit harsh with their statement and needs to realize that everybody comes to the point of developing their story in a different way. Also, what makes the author feel that the act of simply writing is invalid? I know that creating a story digitally is an exciting and effective medium, but so is the written word! I can't tell you the times that I've been drawn into a book, and unable to set it down for hours. As far as developing a digital story is concerned, for me it has been an eb and flow, trying to write and mesh words and images together. Although I had a basic idea of what I was doing and what my story would be, it has been a work in progress and honestly I've been able to clarify what I'm trying to say as I am working. Therefore, I feel that your story can evolve as you work with the "digital bells and whistles".

Desktop publishing... —can inspire students to ambitious, creative projects; it can give teachers a means for teaching how visual and verbal elements of a page work together to make meaning; it can give writing classes a new and intensely social application; and it can give students useful skills. (346–7)

With digital technology and, especially Web 2.0, it seems, writers are *everywhere* —on bulletin boards and in chat rooms and in emails and in text messages and on blogs responding to news reports and, indeed, reporting the news themselves as I-reporters.

abound—on MySpace and Facebook and Googledocs and multiple blogs and platforms—and on national media sites, where writers upload photos and descriptions, videos and personal accounts, where they are both recipients and creators of our news. In much of this new composing, we are writing to share, yes; to encourage dialogue, perhaps; but mostly, I think, to participate.

In other words, our impulse to write is now digitized and expanded—or put differently, newly technologized, socialized, and networked. Taken from Writing in the 21st century

1. There is an immense change in the way in which we now are communicating as a society. The written word is now becoming secondary to that of the image for our means of communication. People are tending to read less books cover to cover and getting their information from a collage of information including digital, art, oral, and the written text. In the Rise of the Image article I was intrigued by the statement where they talked about receiving information in a 96 second time frame that included two hundred words, 51 images, music and word. It made me realize how now we are truly influenced by the image. I feel some sense of loss at the back seat that the written word is taking, but I do see our new means of communication as immediate, and exciting. As an art teacher, I am excited and intrigued that the understanding and use of art in our new form of communication is of great importance in expressing our ideas. Basically, I hope that in depth reading and writing do not become a thing of the past, but I am excited by the new means of sharing endless information with one another as a society.

2. I think that the new delivery of information needs to be used carefully. We have endless resources at the press of a button, but I think that we need to be careful and responsible with the information that we read and seek out. I am excited that as a community we can now share globally with one another, but I think that we need to be responsible and ethically sound sharers and writers of information. I do think that the use of image takes on a much greater role and has an immediate impact on all of us. Is it however making us immune to what we see because we are so bombarded with images on a daily basis? I think that people might seek out quick and immediate information, and become less inclined to delve into in depth reading and research due to the internet and the quick access we now have to everything.

3. In the past writing was used for taking tests and learning rudementary skills. Over time writing became a means of composing and expressing ones self and interests. Now with technology writing and composing are becoming an integral part of everyday life. We are composing and sharing on my space, facebook, google docs, and blogs to name a few. No longer are we writing for just the teacher but a larger more global audience. Teachers need to incorporate writing and technolgy for the 21st century, and so many of us are already involved. We need to learn how to responsibly teach students how to research and find valid and truthful information using technology, and search for useful vs. irrevelant information. We also need to teach our students that that we have a new worldwide audience, the value of networking with others on the internet, and our ablity to make a difference and address serious causes through our writing. Images are an important means that the writer can now use to get a point across and influence others along with their writing. I found it intriguing and exciting that there is a great need to understand the language of art in order for students to effectively express themselves digitally; this due to the image becoming our new form of communication over the written text. I do think that it is important for teachers in the 21st century to teach students to be responsible, and ethical writers now that technology is becoming a big part of the curriculum.

I would like to learn how digital storytelling can be used in the classroom and see examples used by other school districts.

Activity 2:


 * 1) Click Reading Across a Dozen Literacies, read the introduction and focus particularly on the sections devoted to artistic and visual literacy. Be sure to follow the links exploring the nature and power of these two literacies today.
 * 2) Then click on your and reflect on insights you have gained. After reading about artistic and visual literacy, I once again realized what an important tool they can be for conveying a message, and inspiring reflective story telling or writing. Artistic literacy referred to understanding and finding value in the art image (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) In order for a person to fully appreciate what an artist is trying to convey, they need to learn to understand the elements, and principles of design so that they can analyze, interpret, and judge a piece of work. By learning to do this, an individual can learn to appreciate the work of others, and react to it emotionally as well. Music in particular is a very powerful tool that through the use of tone, rhythm, and melody a composer can create a variety of feelings and mood. I thought about the times that I've seen movies clips with and without sound, and what a dramatic difference it can make in how I feel! Visual literacy also needs to be analyzed like art and music and once again is a very powerful tool. It is used to communicate, tell of events, and convey stories. Without image, we do not get the whole picture or idea. We may not beable to understand or empathize. Images have the capability to sway minds and help us form opinions. These are all very strong tools for us to use.

Activity 4:

I am going to create a lesson using famous works of arts and selected photographs that deal with the impact of war on society. I am going to use three images in my lesson plan that students will view, reflect upon and critique. There will be various questions revolving around the emotional impact of the image, and then using the principles and elements of design, decide if the artist was successful at conveying their message. The images will be used as a spring board for students to eventually create a piece of art work that revolves around a current conflict within our society. Although I haven't developed the lesson plan yet, the medium used might be collage and found material, mixed media such as drawing and painting, or works done with acrylics or watercolors. The images that I am going to use are as follows: Guernica, 1937 by 20th century artist Pablo Picasso. The oil painting is a powerful political statement that deals with the invasion of the Nazis in the small Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War in which 1600 innocent civilians were either killed or wounded. My second image is going to be Improvisation No. 30 (Cannons), 1913 by Vasily Kandinksy. Kandinsky was a German Expressionist and his oil painting deals with the tense years in Germany leading up to WWI. My third image will be a photograph of an innocent child from the Iraq War. I wanted students to discuss a current event, and compare and contrast how photographic and art images can be used to make important statements about our society. Some questions that I might use with the students would be as follows:
 * How does this image make you feel?
 * How does the artist use color to convey his message?
 * Which image causes you to make a closer observation and think more in depth?
 * What format do you find more valid: photograph or painting?
 * How can the same type of subject matter be conveyed in such a different way?
 * Where does the artist draw your attention and why?
 * Is art a valid way to communicate and express important events of our time?

Annette - (P) Wow this is a really good topic and the pictures you selected are perfect! (Q) What grade level will you be addressing (P) Could you have students draw their emotions or another picture in regards to activity?


 * Wanda is Sharing**
 * This is a good lesson for high school students.**
 * This is a good way to expose them to other culture and the world of art.**
 * How will or will you activate prior knowledge about the world of art?**
 * I would plan a trip to the art museum so that they can experience art in a serene and peaceful setting.**
 * They can then compare and contrast the art you show them and the art at the museum.**
 * The art museum also has classes for students.**


 * Activity 5:**

http://digitales.us/content/da-um-jeitinho Evaluation: 4/4/3/4/4/4/4 I liked the humor of the story and the inflections of the woman's voice. The pace and variety of photos were well done. Needed to work on use of negative space...too much black. Length of story good, and I liked how she added the girl riding the horse at the beginning of the story.

http://digitales.us/content/oreo-attack-bunny Evaluation: 4/2/3/3/4/4/4 Is there anything better than a child's story, art, and voice? I loved the pictures and I particularly enjoyed the nice variety of sounds which were used such as bells, drums, and things breaking. The pace was very good. The sound could have used improvement and it sounded like they needed better equipments. There was no music, but the use of sound and changes of voice complimented the story well.

http://digitales.us/content/driving-experience Evaluation: 4/4/4/4/4/4/4 This story was particularly good, and it had a very strong message. The music created a very appropriate mood for the subject matter, there was a nice variety of photos, and I liked the use of diagonals in the photos themselves. I liked the use of panning in this piece and the pacing was very good. My only critique would be that the voice could have been a bit more clear. Kim Meier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSzDXoB6icM Evaluation: 4/4/4/4/4/4/4 This was a well written and interesting story with a clear message. I enjoyed the heartfelt music, the expressive voice, and the timing. The postcards were a very interesting subject matter to highlight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwc7lN-XbFI&feature=relmfu Evaluation: 4/4/4/4/4/4/3 The story was well thought out and interesting, but I felt the ending was too abrupt and needed more thought. I loved the music, and it set the perfect tone in conjunction with the black and white photos. The voice was also very good and well paced. The author could have used more panning or close ups, but overall I liked the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYTjYZ1PGOw&feature=relmfu Evaluation: 4/4/4/4/4/4/4 This had a well written story, and I liked the combination of photos and film combined. I liked the use of the phrase that the feel film that the author found was "a gift of stories without words." She had a nice soft voice, a gentle pace, and very nice appropriate music to set the mood.


 * Things that I liked overall was a length of about 3 minutes, panning from all directions, especially from bottom to top, zooming in and out of the photos, combining photos, and showing part of an image. I also like consistency in using color or black and white.
 * Music Sources Magnatune.com  - Website where you can download music for free. The genres of music on the website include: classical, new age, electronica, world, ambient, jazz, hip-hop, alt rock, electro rock, and hard rock.   http://freeplaymusic.com/  -Downloadable free music from a variety of over 50 styles and feels.   Sound Effects  Findsounds.com  - Search, find, and download any sound for free. Multiple examples of each sound are available.   http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/PIRsfx.shtml-  Free downloadable sound effects for: ambient, vehicle, human, general, and animal.   http://naturesongs.com/-  multiple examples of free nature sounds.   Graphics  http://www.flickr.com ,   http://www.fotosearch.com   ,   www.freefoto.com-   Collections of free images.   General Websites  Google.com, Yahoo.com, Youtube.com, Askjeeves.com

Emmy: Great resources, Kim, to share with the group - and FREE!