TELLING A STORY

ClassroomB Learning Space, a photo by Wootang01 on Flickr.

     Flickr is a tool that I can see myself using with all of my students. My students love to talk about their lives and tell about what they do or have done and this is such a creative and fun way to do these things! Educase.edu says that "digital stories let students express themselves not only with their own words but also in their own voices, fostering a sense of individuality and of "owning" their own creations." I like the idea of them being able to express themselves through storytelling without the face-to-face exposure. Some students, especially middle schoolers, can be so nervous to present to their class. Flickr provides an opportunity for the to feel more comfortable and to tell their story in a little different way.
     Using Flickr with my students would be a big hit! They LOVE technology and are very creative so this is definitely something that they would connect with instantly. I could introduce cultural aspects of the language through photos and narrate the presentation, stating what the photo is of, the importance it has, even ask the students questions to check for understanding.
     Once I started to read about Flickr I immediately thought about having my students use it to narrate a biography about themselves. In the past I have had them write a story about their childhood, talk about things that they have done and include memories that are special to them. They also have needed to include pictures with their story. Instead of having them write about their childhood on paper, they can use digital storytelling to tell about their childhood and narrate the pictures that they use.