EDUC 5333 Blog 3

 The story I plan to explore is that of my first Thanksgiving during my first semester in college. I had never really traveled or experienced other customs and culture and had no idea how unique my family was until I brought my friend Amanda home with me from college. She was from California and was somewhat shocked but courteous of my family's traditions. Until then I truly never knew that I grew up differently than others. I was never immersed in diverse cultures or traditions. This moment helped me have two revelations. I need to see the world and learn about people and their customs, and I am proud of where I come from. 

The plot and characters include my father's family, my college friend Amanda, and me. I will take the reader through the events of my family's Thanksgiving meal and the chaos that usually ensues and ends with the realization that other families are not like mine but can still be celebrated for their customs even when they are different from others. 

I chose this story because, in my Humanities class, we are learning about diverse cultures and how they play a part in your identity. I am planning on using this story as an example for my students' cultural project, in which they have to write a story about their cultural traditions. 

In telling this story digitally, the specific ISTE standards addressed are-

1. Empowered Learner

• a. Articulate and set personal learning goals

• d. Understand fundamental concepts of technology operations

4. Innovative Designer

• b. Select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process

• 6. Creative Communicator

• a. Choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of creation or communication

• b. Create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations

• c. Communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models, or simulations

• d. Publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for the intended audiences

7. Global Collaborator

• a. Use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures

• b. Use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts, or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints

The TEKS standards for English 1 that digital storytelling addresses are:

1. Composition/Writing Process TEKS:

- E1.11(A) Plan a piece of writing by selecting the appropriate form for a particular purpose and audience

- E1.11(B) Develop drafts through the stages of the writing process 

- E1.11(C) Revise drafts to improve clarity, development, organization, style, diction, and sentence effectiveness

2. Author's Purpose and Craft TEKS:

- E1.9(A) Plan and organize writing using literary devices, rhetorical devices, and genre characteristics

- E1.9(B) Use effective techniques like imagery, descriptive details, and sensory language

3. Media Literacy TEKS:

- E1.13(A) Create and produce multimodal texts that effectively communicate ideas

- E1.13(B) Use various digital tools to produce and publish writing

- E1.13(C) Use appropriate technology to display information effectively

I am considering Canva as the tool for capturing, editing, communicating, and producing my story. I am familiar with Canva, and so are my students, so I feel that it would be easier to create a digital story on a platform they already know how to use. 

When assessing digital stories produced by students, I would create a rubric detailing specific required items. Since I teach English, the focus would be on the actual construction of the story. I would ensure that students wrote a story with a plot, developed characters, was appropriate for the audience, included imagery and descriptive details, and was engaging.