More Musings

So, as far as digital story goes, I was quite impressed. Though it seems a bit time-consuming at first, I thought that it was definitely a more engaging way to present poetry than just standing in front of the class and reading. I would definitely use this in English courses K-12. In high-school classes, where the students are more proficient with technology, having them create a digital story would be highly beneficial, I think. For one, they would like it. Kids love using technology nowadays. It would also be an interesting way to expand upon a writing project; have them write about themselves, tell an interesting story about something that has happened to them, and then they can create visuals for the story, and through music and their voices they can really personalize the project more than just a piece of paper that they typed up. It would also be ideal for presentations. It would be a good way for the kids to start writing, as they can always write about themselves, and also a good way for an English class to get to know each other. It's definitely a project I would try in a high-school setting.

As far as Inspiration goes, I wasn't quite as impressed. It was pretty cool, to be sure, but I wondered if it wouldn't end up wasting more time than it's worth. I guess I could say that today's kids are way more likely to pick up on this technology quickly though, and enjoy using it. And while it may take longer for them to create a concept map using Inspiration, at least it would be much neater than one done by hand!