Tom Banaszewski is an Educator/Multimedia Author at Maria Hastings School in Lexington, MA. In this article http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan02/banaszewski.htm he explains his own journey in teaching fourth and fifth graders how to create their own digital stories through the Place Project. Students begin by selecting a topic. The only requirement is that it must be about a particular place that holds meaning for them. He explains how students are encouraged to develop their topics and how those topics are then translated into visual images; either drawings that the students make themselves or locate on the computer. He also goes through the process of instructing the technological aspects of the project and the time considerations that must be made for a class of 24 students.
Through this article it is easy to see the wealth of learning experiences each student achieves while having fun developing their own digital story. Students reflect on the importance of a special place in their lives, develop their thoughts into a story, exercise their writing abilities, share their writing and ideas with their fellow students, express their thoughts both orally and visually, while at the same time learning a new technological application. What aspects of Tom Banaszewski's digital storytelling project do you find most valuable for students?
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4 comments:
Clearly a powerful experience for these kids! I love reading these project descriptions shared by enthusiastic educators! While it is hard to believe a teacher could devote 6 months to any one project, I respect the fact that this teacher didn't rush the project. I think it is always valuable when students are given ample time to explore a subject from several different angles calling upon different skills. Tom Banaszewski didn't expect students to move at the same pace which meant that everyone really learned the process. I think teachers tend to rush the students who take longer to get it because the teacher feels pressed for time. Tom Banaszewski strikes me as a super mellow guy!
In order to maintain interest in a project for six months the activities had to be varied and the right mix of challenging and engaging. He sounds like a wonderful facilitator and motivator. I am struck by his focus on students' feeling of safety and trust.
He mentions the limitations of the computer memory another constraints as reason for the 3 minute max. for the student stories. Based on what I read and viewed at the links you provided I think 3 minutes is just right (and typical) for the digital storytelling medium.
Glad you enjoyed the article, Mariah. Tom Banaszewski does sound like a devoted and enthusiastic educator. I think so many teachers (being such great organizers and being so task and goal driven themselves) don't leave a lot of flexibility in their lessons. This is certainly an example of a teacher who understood the complexity of the project and the different paces with which students would progress and did not sacrifice their learning to meet a certain timetable.
Thanks for your impressions.
At first when I read this article about Tom Banaszeski and his digital storytelling project, I thought he must be a teacher at a private school -- to have that much time to devote to such a project. But, I looked up Maria Hastings school, and it appears to be a public school. Now I am extra impressed with him. I know at our local school fourth grade teachers seem to have very little "extra" time. No wonder it took him 6 months.
Regarding your question, Elise, the aspect of this digital storytelling project that seems most valuable to me is actually NOT the technical skills (though they certainly have plenty of value), but rather the sense of community and trust that is engendered in the classroom through doing this project.
I think it is incredibly valuable that the students have this platform to express themselves. It's risky for them, but as I was a shy student myself, I wish I had more opportunities to "risk" putting myself out there more such as this one.
The community that grows from this project, from getting to know each other better through their individual pieces is really cool.
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