Sample Activity
This chapter shows useful specifically illustration of how to map a story and would provide valuable examples to students who are trying to do so on their own projects. I think the way he slowly added more to his story about William Tell was a great way to not only know the proper components of a story but really experience what its like to have the specific components be missing. Ohler explained the process.
"I deliberately left out the tension-transformation-resolution that would have made it more engaging in order to show what a story needs. So far, it's a good example of a story that has a beginning, a middle, and an end and works from a functional perspective, but is not powerful, memorable, or useful".
Jason B. Ohler. Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity (p. 90). Kindle Edition.
A I was reading this chapter, it occurred to me that the original story Ohler presented could be handed out as an exercise allowing the students to add their own components in order to improve the story. The instructor also could start with a simpler version of the story than the one Ohler gave, containing the basic components we would recognize aspects of a story, but with no "pull" to engage the reader. Each student could then add to the story that was given out and improve it by adding section in a similar way to Ohler. The students could then share their stories to help inspire each other for when they create their own stories for their main digital stories project.
Great idea, Lisa! I love the idea of presenting a story and having students "improve it". After all, we shouldn't be afraid of the fact that our students can be better at some things than we are, right? If the teacher incorporates students' responses/ideas in his/her teaching, that makes him/her a better teacher. Way to go Lisa Marie! :)
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