i-Create

The sites featured are fun, interactive sites for primary to middle school age students. They have the potential to excite a young audience, (including, students with special needs, a sector of the learning community often overlooked), and get them involved in story writing. They would appeal to the emerging technological generation and strike favor with the Rudd Government and Education Queensland who are encouraging an increased technological component to the curriculum in education centre's of learning.

The sites allow for personal creativity when writing stories. They are well supported with instructional videos. Participants are able to choose characters, settings, items and scenery items from a reasonable range of choices. The characters can also participate in a variety of feelings, actions and interactions with other characters, objects or people. Participants create their own narratives.

Storyjumper has added facilities to enable more personal creativity. It enables the creator to add their own photographs and artworks as props and settings. Portraits can be cropped to an oval shape and pasted to characters. ‘The Bunya Fairy’ http://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/154522/4bbde9ed19fad   illustrates this feature. There are pedagogies for narrative writing, and a section for teachers, where students can log in and paste links to their teacher.

Mulberry School for Girls London has produced a video that shows how the inclusion of girls, with severe and complex needs, has benefited not only the SEN students, but also their mainstream peers. The video http://www.teachers.tv/video/48491  , also displays the creative strategies these students and educators have followed to facilitate story telling.

Another interesting video to watch on story making is http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-writing-storymaker.htm

The sites relate to technology enhanced language learning (CALL and computer mediated language learning (CMC). They also activate language skills that include:

• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking

Bottom up processes focus on the learner being able to write grammatical correct sentences and dialogue appropriate to the character.

Top down processes require the reader to have knowledge of narrative writing.

Schema Theory involves knowledge of how to negotiate the site.

All sites have pedagogies that include learning strategies that are according to Rebecca Oxford, (as cited in, Nunan, 1999) ‘Tools for active self directed involvement’, or personalized creativity.

All of the personal creative technologies identified and explored in digital storytelling, are aimed at journeying along the continuum of rapidly emerging technologies. They have been road tested and deemed to be user friendly. Thought has been given to the layout to make it enticing. ENJOY!






















REFERENCES:


Ahmad, H.A. & Soo-Min, L. Telling Stories using Children’s Visual Language: A Unique Approach in Picture Books with Case Study from Indonesia and Korea: Korea: Woosong University.

Edwards, B. (1979). Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: How to unlock your hidden artistic talent, Glasgow: William CollinsSons & Co. Ltd.

Glogster – Poster Yourself /Text, Images, Music and Video Retrieved April 2 2010, from http://edu.glogster.com/

McKenzie, J. (2001). How Teachers Learn Technology Best FNO.ORG From Now On The Educational Technology Journal Vol 10/No6/ March.

My StoryMaker Retrieved April 2 2010, from http://carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker/storymaker.swf  

Secondary SEN – Language and Inclusion/Teachers TV Retrieved March 22 2010, from http://www.teachers.tv/video/48491

Slideshare Present yourself Retrieved April 2 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/

Stephenson, J. (2001).Teaching and learning online: pedagogies for new technologies, London: Kogan Page

storyjumperPublish your own children’s book Retrieved March 23 2010, from http://storyjumper.com/

The NEW MEDIA CONSORTIUM and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (2010).The 2010 Horizon Report, California: The New Media Consortium.

Timeline of Computer History Retrieved April 15 2010, from http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/?year=1939

Voki – Get your own Speaking Avatar Retrieved April 17 2010, http://www.voki.com/