Cases+of+Innovative+Uses+of+Technology

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= Searching for Innovative Uses of Technology  = = An Individual Project  = = By Kari Holmberg  = = Case #1 Digital Storytelling =

2. A Brief Description of the Case
==== The purpose of this case was to help integrate a type of innovative technology in the Egyptian classroom with Egyptian teachers. The case discusses the lack of technology integration into the curriculum and how teachers don’t fully utilize technology’s full potential in the classroom as well as the lack of teacher training with technology. Digital storytelling was introduced in this study to help teachers integrate technology. The overall goal of this case was to help teachers and students successfully learn and use digital storytelling in understanding content knowledge and its applications. This success with digital storytelling will hopefully result in integrating more innovative uses of technology in the Egyptian Ministry schools. ====

3. Purpose of the Innovation
==== The case study wanted to use a form of technology that teachers could use to successfully demonstrate and apply in their teaching curriculum through the use of digital storytelling. In this case, digital storytelling was used for both teachers and students to present and publish their stories through a form of technology. The overall purpose for digital storytelling “is the practice of combining narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video, to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component” (“7 Things You Should Know, 2007, para. 4). ====

4. Technology and Resources Involved
==== The Egyptian Ministry of Education used Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows in this case study. The school computer lab, access to the Internet, digital cameras, scanners, and microphones were also used to complete the digital storytelling project. Teachers and students also used editing tools that helped import and export, crop, and save photos that were both personal and web-based. ====

5. Prior Skills and Knowledge Required
In this case, teachers and students had little to no prior knowledge in Photo Story 3 software usage as well as technology concepts as a whole. Teachers were trained in workshops prior to teaching digital storytelling concepts to students. Other technology devices as stated in question four were also introduces to students prior to completing their digital storytelling projects. However, throughout my research I have found that “most digital storytelling programs promote the notion that users with little or no technical background should be able to create digital stories” (“7 Things You Should Know, 2007, para. 6).

6. Student Accomplishments (Product/Process)
==== The students were divided into four groups that displayed digital storytelling projects about the weather (in English), Egyptian Statues and Figures in History, the story of Pythagoras, and a story about a girl that needed glasses. All of these projects were properly able to display their work through the process based on these elements: ====
 * ==== Point of View ==== || ==== Content ==== || ==== Resources ==== ||
 * ==== Curriculum Alignment ==== || ==== Organization ==== || ==== Student Cooperation ==== ||
 * ==== Camera and Images ==== || ==== Titles and Credits ==== || ==== Sound ==== ||
 * ==== Language ==== || ==== Pacing and Narrative ==== || ==== Transitions and Effects ==== ||

7. Project Procedures
After dividing the students into their groups, the teachers had each group think about their topic and develop its summary. Next, students needed to get pictures for their story from the web or digital camera. Then, storyboards were constructed to successfully present the flow of their topic. Finally, students had to assign tasks for their group members since students only had three days to complete the digital storytelling. Students were able to create their digital storytelling projects based on these steps in Photo Story 3:


 * Import/Edit Photos || Insert Titles || Record Narration ||
 * Add Background Music || Zooming and Panning || Add Visual/Transition Effects ||

The main advantages for integrating digital in this case were as follows:

 * 1) ==== To extend learning with technology in the classroom. ====
 * 2) ==== To have students make their learning more personal to the concept being learned. ====
 * 3) ==== To motivate students with other means of lesson delivery. ====
 * 4) ==== To connect real-world concepts to the learning material. ====
 * 5) ==== To improve the involvement of studies in the process of learning. ====

9. Project Disadvantages
I have found the disadvantages in digital storytelling in this case to be to be:


 * 1) Lack of educator training. – Lack of teacher knowledge on technology as a whole.
 * 2) Lack of student cooperation. – The process involved only a few students completing the project from the group.
 * 3) Lack of time and resources. – Students spent a lot of time learning Photo Story 3 and how to find resources suitable for their project.

10. Effective Instructional Strategies
Effective instructional digital storytelling strategies that were used in the Egyptian classroom were:
 * Deeper understanding of knowledge at hand.
 * To make the learning content more personally relevant to the students.
 * Student reflection on content knowledge and how it was displayed.

11. Innovation Transferred Across Curriculum
==== “Integrating digital storytelling into the language curriculum is a creative language learning technique that can improve student’s level of learning in reading, writing, speaking and listening” (Digital Storytelling, 2008, para. 25). This case showed that digital storytelling can also filter into other content knowledge such as science, math, and art by presenting and/or solving problems in that subject area. Teachers and students thought that Microsoft Photo Story 3 was easy to use and could be used in other classes if the opportunity was available. ====

12. References
==== Robin, B., & Pierson, M. ( N.A.). A Multilevel Approach to Using Digital Storytelling In the Classroom. //Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling.// Retrieved January 23, 2011 from @http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/multilevel-approach.pdf. ====

(“Multilevel Approach”, (N.A.), para. 24).

 * ==== Software Programs ==== || ==== Use ==== || ==== Platform ==== || ==== Cost ==== ||
 * ==== Microsoft Photo Story 3 ==== || ==== Create digital stories form still images and audio ==== || ==== Windows Only ==== || ==== Free (but requires Windows XP) ==== ||
 * ==== Windows Movie Maker ==== || ==== Create digital stories from still images and video clips plus audio ==== || ==== Windows Only ==== || ==== Free (with Windows Operating System) ==== ||
 * ==== Apple iMovie ==== || ==== Create digital stories from still images and video clips plus audio ==== || ==== OS X for Apple Macintosh Only ==== || ==== Free (with Apple OS X Operating System) ==== ||
 * ==== Adobe Photo Shop Elements ==== || ==== Modify images used in digital stories ==== || ==== Apple Macintosh and Windows ==== || ==== Between $30 and $59 per copy for educators ==== ||
 * ==== Goldwave ==== || ==== Audio recording and editing ==== || ==== Windows Only ==== || ==== Free version available; $45 for full version ==== ||

@http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/educational_goals.html
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= Searching for Innovative Uses of Technology  = = An Individual Project  = = By Kari Holmberg  = = Case #2 E-Books =

2. A Brief Description of the Case
The purpose of this case was to gather information as to how children learn, comprehend, and listen to stories being read via traditional storybooks and e-books. The research conducted was based on early childhood class made up of four year olds in a private Chicago school setting. The study used two digital picture books from the ICDL (International Children’s Digital Library). Two hardcover pictures books of the same digital picture book were also used in the storytime reading. The students have never seen or heard of these stories that were used in this study.

The books used in this study were: //Axle the Freeway Cat// (Harper and Row, 1981). @http://www.childrenslibrary.org/icdl/BookPage?bookid=hrdaxlf_00320001&pnum1=1&twoPage=true&route=simple_0_0_axle%20the%20freeway%20cat_English_0&size=0&fullscreen=false&lang=English&ilang=English.

//The Hunterman and the Crocodile: A West African Folktale// (Scholastic, 1997). @http://www.childrenslibrary.org/icdl/BookPage?bookid=dkthntr_00260002&pnum1=1&twoPage=true&route=simple_0_0_the%20hunterman%20and%20the%20crocodile_English_0&size=0&fullscreen=false&lang=English&ilang=English.

3. Purpose of the Innovation
The case study wanted to collect data as to how children’s response to an e-book storytime differed from the traditional book storytime. Researcher wanted to gather any information possible to demonstrate the positive affect of technology integration in the early childhood classroom setting. This data collection was gathered through child observations and discussion as to the e-books and traditional picture book as a whole. The overall purpose of the e-book “is an electronic version of a text that can be read on a standard desktop or laptop screen, on a PDA or other portable device, or on dedicated e-book hardware” (“7 Things You Should Know”, 2006, para. 1).

4. Technology and Resources Involved
==== The researcher used a laptop, projection screen, and digital mouse to successfully present the two e-books. The researcher was able to have a hardcopy of both e-books from the ICDL website. The hardcopy e-books were to prevent any Internet errors in downloading and presenting of the books in order successfully to conduct the study. Two video cameras and the hardcover copies of the two picture books were are used in this study. ====

5. Prior Skills and Knowledge Required
==== The early childhood children had no prior knowledge to the stories presented in the storytime study. The study reported that some children could relate to the laptop used in the storytime in terms of their parent having used one at home. The researcher herself, needed to have correct knowledge and training with the use of the video cameras, laptop, projection screen, and digital mouse. ====

6. Student Accomplishments (Product/Process)
Both the children and the teachers were able to participate in the visualization and auditory procedures that took place while the researcher conducted her study. Students were able to successfully answer the chosen questions at the end of each storytime reading. Students were also able to engage in a storytime discussion of each of the books whether it was in e-book or traditional storybook format. Both groups were confused as to the ending of //The// //Hunterman and Crocodile: A West African Folktale// book. This data was found to be a misunderstanding of the book itself and not a direct reflection on the e-book or storybook format.

7. Project Procedures
The early childhood classroom was divided into two groups of sixteen children each. The storytime study was conducted on two different days. The e-books were presented first on each of the two days with the researcher sitting on the floor with the children’s backs to her. The researcher had the laptop set-up with the projector screen pointed at the wall. The researcher was able to point her digital mouse towards the projector screen to turn to pages of the e-book. During the traditional storytime book, the researcher sat in front of the children and positioned the picture books so all children could see during the reading of it. The video cameras were set-up to record both the researcher and the children in both storytime settings. A series of questions and answers were conducted at the end of both the readings of each book. Observations and data were collected later through the viewing of the videos of the recorded presentations.

8. Project Advantages
The project advantages of integrating e-books in an early childhood storytimes are as follows:


 * 1) Students have a better understanding of the illustrations in e-books vs. text-based books.
 * 2) Students shown to be engaged more during e-book, resulting in fewer student distractions.
 * 3) E-books enhance and extend the visual learning since the overall picture was three times larger than the hardcover picture book.

9. Project Disadvantages
The project disadvantages in this case could only be determined if the technology advances in this study failed to perform accurately. From my interpretation of the study, only a few disadvantages resulted in this study in relation to the design of the e-book format.


 * 1) No narrative voice.
 * 2) No automatic page-turner.
 * 3) No digital enhancements or extra links for participation.

10. Effective Instructional Strategies
Effective instructional strategies that were used in the early childhood classroom were.
 * 1) The expansion of cultural books that can be retrieved from @http://en.childrenslibrary.org/.
 * 2) The personal narration of the e-book due to the lack of voice design with these e-books.
 * 3) All children were able to visually see the e-book due to the overall size of the picture from the projection screen.
 * 4) Enhance the overall effectiveness of the illustration and text to deepen the understanding of the story.

11. Innovation Transferred Across Curriculum
The use of a projection screen can enhance the delivery of the illustrations from the e-books which allows children with special needs or disabilities to participate freely during digital storytime. E-books available from ICDL are from around the world and also presented in other languages making the learning of other cultures, languages and experiences easy to do. From the vast amount of e-books on ICDL, all aspects of the content curriculum can be integrated in their classroom through this use of innovative technology.

12. References
ICDL (International Children’s Digital Library) @http://en.childrenslibrary.org/

Free-Reading @http://freereading.net/index.php?title=Main_Page

Project Gutenberg @http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Wikibooks @http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page

K12 Handhelds @http://k12handhelds.com/