Abstract

In 2005, Glenfield Middle School in Montclair, New Jersey started its Digital Authoring Initiative. The purpose of this initiative was to have the students become creators of multimedia content not just consumers. Our goal is to take them beyond traditional assignments and learn 21st century skills including research, problem solving and presentation skills. We focused on two major areas: Digital Storytelling and Podcasting. This initiative was recently recognized by the New Jersey Department of Education and showcased at Kid Tech Day 2008. This session will highlight student work and attendees will receive information on replicating this initiative.

This has been an amazing process that started with digital storytelling, grew into podcasting, and blossomed into the creation of our Digital Arts Studio. In 2005, Glenfield Middle School in Montclair, New Jersey started its Digital Authoring Initiative. The purpose of this initiative was to have the students become creators of multimedia content not just consumers. Our goal is to take students beyond traditional assignments and learn 21st century skills including research, problem solving and presentation skills. We focused on two major areas: Digital Storytelling and Podcasting. Digital Storytelling first became an elective class in 2005. It was created with the help of Maria Narciso, Montclair Schools District Technology Coordinator and Gregg Festa, Director, ADP Center at Montclair State University. Digital stories are multimedia presentations which students create by weaving images, music, and voice together. They are able to express understanding, and present situations, experiences, and insights. Stories can be created on a variety of topics including science, social studies and personal or social issues. They revolve around a theme and often contain a particular viewpoint. Podcasts are a powerful communication tools that we are harnessing to improve communication with students, their families and the community.

We have identified four ways to use podcasts in education: 1. Educational-Students create podcasts that demonstrate understanding of a topic 2. Creative-Students create podcasts of performances, music, poetry, etc 3. Informative-Administrator, teacher or student created about school events 4. Instructional-Teacher created podcasts that present curriculum Podcasting was a natural extension of digital storytelling and led to the creation of our Glenfield Visitation Podcast, which became a model for the district. Podcasting was also adopted by our principal, Alex Anemone, as a tool for communicating with parents and the community. Students assist in creating these podcasts. Students also work on individual podcasts. Teachers are now creating podcasts to enhance instruction and differentiate instruction. We have created podcasts on a variety of subject ranging from women suffrage to creative writing stories with a moral. One of our current projects is student created podcasts relating to geometry. Students are demonstrating how to use Geometer™s Sketchpad to create circles, discussing the history of geometry and creating problems to discuss. Both Digital Storytelling and Podcasting examples are available for review. Students who create digital multimedia content are focused and highly motivated. We have seen this in our students and it is reflected in many articles on the subject. Digital authoring builds the following skills: Research Skills Writing Skills Organization Skills Technology Skills Presentation Skills Interview Skills Interpersonal Skills Problem-Solving Skills Assessment Skills In general we have observed a significant increase in student motivation, participation and self-esteem. As they are researching information and creating and editing their projects, they are spending a great deal of time with the information: analyzing it, synthesizing it and communicating it. When they are done with these projects they are experts on their topics. Our Digital Authoring Initiative was made possible through the generous fundraising of our Glenfield PTA and the Montclair Fund For Educational Excellence (MFEE). We also had the support of the Montclair Public Schools and additional assistance from Montclair State University. Teachers have embraced this initiative and have noted a significant increase in student engagement, retention and knowledge transfer. This whole process has been a wonderful example of "It takes a village” This initiative was recently recognized by the New Jersey Department of Education and showcased at "Kid Tech Day 2008".