Carrie

**Activity #1:** **My thoughts on the dominance of reading and writing...** I have to admit that my first gut reaction to what is writing is of research papers, writing or journaling. Thinking more about it, I realize that is so much more than pencil and paper. I remember "back in the day" when I would write papers in high school, and they were on my mom's typewriter. I used the paper white out and placed it very carefully in front of my mistake so I could type over it. Then, when I entered college, writing emails as a major avenue of correspondance become all the rage. Who ever sends a written letter anymore? Jen says: I was at a lot of antique stores this weekend and looked at post cards and what people had written in the 1920's. Flipping through old magazines and childrens books was so fun; I am wondering what will be in the antique store's in decades to come? The first edition kindle?? How boring!

Audra: I had to laugh when you said "who ever sends a written letter anymore?"....my first thought, MY GRANDMA!!!! That's about it. The only other pieces of mail that I receive now a days, that have writing on them, are cards, and that is very limited writing. So props to my Grandma who still gets the ink to the paper and slaps on the stamp!!!

**How will it shape what we know and how we know it...** In recent years too, I've noticed that more of my friends are opting to send messages over Facebook, emails or texts for well wishes instead of the "good old" birthday or Christmas card. I have to say that I am not one of them. I will use those newer technological means to wish someone well too, but for me, I love receiving mail that is not a bill or junk. I love receiving something personal that someone took the time, thought and effort to send my way. Amy: I am also sad to see real "mail" fall to the wayside. When I was living in Green Bay for my student teaching my dad sent me a funny card once a week. I kept them and treasured them. I knew he was thinking of me and took the time and care to send me a card. An email would not have meant as much. ﻿It was sad that in **The rise of the image the fall of the word ﻿**the author wrote about how we are hooked (on technology). That bookshelves have been replaced by entertainment centers and libraries are replaced by TV rooms. It was bothersome to me that when Dan Quayle, former Vice President asked elementary school children in Georgia if they would study hard and mind their teacher they said YES, but when he asked if they would turn off the tv on a school night the adamantly said, NO! I think we need to disconnect some of our technology and enjoy time with our families and friends-the more important things in life.

**What are the implications for us in a 21st curriculum...** Writing is not all that it once was. It is that and more. It is writing research papers, poetry, journaling, etc., but now, it is also texting, blogging, video taping, cell phone calling, digital storytelling, etc. For reading, it was simply reading a book, a magazine or the newspaper. Now in a time when Barnes and Nobles has claimed bankrupcy and newspapers are struggling to stay in print, using a Kindle or a Nook to read print is becoming so much more prevalent. Jen says: I don't think people realize how fast we are losing societies treasures....like books! The picture of the woman in The Seven Deadly Sins: Pride was amazingly powerful. I looked at it the first time at the NLU campus but could not bring myself to look at it again. It was bothersome. It is amazing how a picture can provoke so many feelings and emotions. You look at a picture and if you have artistic and visual literacy, you are thinking deeply about it. You are noticing more about the picture or music itself. You aren't just mindlessly looking or listening. You are interpreting, analyzing and judging. You are letting yourself feel the piece of art. How great an experience for children to be able to have!
 * Activity #2: **

The criteria I use for a great picture in digital storytelling is either 1.) does it depict the goal I want to relay or 2.) does it show the emotion that I want portrayed? For the goal, I think of pictures of my students during Morning Meeting illustrating what it looks like for example. For the emotion aspect, I think of pictures of my kids. I love the candid shots the best. The ones where you can really see how happy they are, when Mady is observing something and you can see the wonder in her face or when either of them are really belly laughing. Jen says; I agree the goal is the key to a successful image being used. A lot of people interpret images carefully so you should always check wtih others to see if they agree with the image you want to use. At the beginning of the school year, I read __Have You Filled a Bucket Today?__ by Carol McCloud. I would use this picture as a tool to discuss what this boy may be feeling and what might be going on with the three boys in the background. I would talk about what might have happened before to make this boy look this way and how would my students feel if they were in the boy's shoes. I would also discuss what the three boys could do include the other boy or make him feel better. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Jen says: At my school this year the whole theme is about filling buckets and not being a dipper. It's a good image to use.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Activity #4: ﻿(see picture below) **
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Activity #5 **

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"A Mother's Gift" by Bobbie Sferra is a great example of **Point of View**. It is about a daughter who shares the story of how great of a role model her mother was on her and her three sisters, her life and the role the women in her mother's life played on her too. Her mother will be turning 80 and this was a tribute to her along with some of the great things she learned from her mother such as how precious family is, how to be frugal and other life lessons that made a huge impact on her.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Going to Clifton" by Vanessa Sandoval was a very interesting and surprisingly engaging example of digital storytelling. Hers was a great example of **Power of the Soundtrack**. I never even thought to rely solely on a soundtrack for a digital storytelling, but she did a fantastic job of incorporating the music she used with the photos in her story. For example, she used the sound of a train as she showed pictures of one and sounds of children playing on a playground as she showed a playground. She did not talk throughout the entire piece which seemed to make it even more interesting and powerful somehow.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Vietnam" was a very powerful example of digital storytelling. It was a perfect example of **Emotional Content**. It was from the perspective of a woman who spoke about her uncle but began with her dad and how his mom and sister had died. His father had remarried a wonderful woman whom her dad had loved as if she was his biological mother. Her uncle was born and was only eleven when she was born. She adored him. She spoke all about him and his life and then explained how he was drafted during the war in Vietnam. She shared some letters he had written to their family. And finally, she shared the letter that was delivered saying that her uncle had died in the war. She explained how it was the first time she had ever seen her dad cry. The first time she had ever seen a dead person. The first for a lot of things and things changed. It was an honorable tribute to her uncle and reminded me of how many families were in the same boat during the war in Vietnam and today. How tragic it is and was.