Camp Plug and Play 5.0: Enhance Writing through Digital Storytelling

Notes:

Camp Plug & Play 5.0 offers a world-class professional development experience where participants dive into one of five topics for the week. Strands offered in July are: Be Active with Your Whiteboard, Enhance Writing through Digital Storytelling, Fantastic Films with iMovie ’09, Get Going with Google, and Visuals, Photography & Design. Each strand is taught by knowledgeable and patient trainers who have a strong passion for empowering teachers and students with technology.

Registration includes your own room Monday until Friday and delicious breakfasts, lunches and breaks at the Westward Look Resort. Most importantly, you receive practical instruction and lots of hands-on time so that you leave with new knowledge, skills, and confidence to use what you’ve learned in your classroom.

The week kicks off Monday afternoon with an opening presentation from Dean Shareski, Digital Learning Consultant for Prairie South School Division in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Much of Dean's work with teachers and students is documented on his blog, ideasandthoughts.org. After the keynote, participants meet in their learning strands where they will spend the rest of the week learning, playing, and creating. In addition to direct instruction and work time, Camp Plug & Play offers evening breakout sessions about popular topics like productivity and iPods. Another evening session is Pecha Kucha. Campers are invited to make presentations consisting of exactly 20 slides which are shown on the screen for exactly 20 seconds each. Those that present these fast-paced speeches are entered to win terrific prizes.

To make sure the technology works smoothly, the Arizona K12 Center provides a MacBook for each participant to use during the day. Although you might not be a Macintosh user, what you learn at camp will certainly be applicable to computers running Windows. Watch for email from the Arizona K12 Center in the weeks leading up to Camp Plug & Play for information about the camp's online social network, your learning strand, Pecha Kucha, and breakout sessions.

Camp Plug & Play is a great way to spend some of your summer! This is your opportunity to join a group of Arizona educators who, like you, are passionate about engaging today's students in their learning.

Enhance Writing through Digital Storytelling
 
Every person has a story to tell. The most powerful story is that of someone’s life, insights, changes, hopes, dreams, told from their own voice. Through visual images, personal voice, and soundtrack, a touching digital story is formed. The power in digital storytelling is that students learn to write differently, and more effectively, through the use of powerful and focused language. More importantly, this process can be transformational for the storyteller.
 
As educators, we know the best way to learn is to experience the learning process first hand. In this strand, you will experience the power of your voice as you create your own digital story. Through this art form, you will combine the beauty of storytelling with the incredible power of digital media to create an authentic project. As a learner, you will then understand how that process can connect to your classroom and curriculum. We will spend time discussing classroom connections and helping to craft next steps for you as you plan for your teaching context.
 
;Digital Storytelling is a process unlike any other when it comes to the voice, imagery, and the power of words. Experience this form of art first hand and leave with not only a beautiful product, but the know-how and confidence to conduct this type of project with your students.
 
In Enhance Writing through Digital Storytelling you will:
 
•    Learn the 7 elements of storytelling.
•    Write a 250-350 word personal story.
•    Practice "story circle" to assist in revision.
•    Record a voiceover and create a soundtrack using GarageBand.
•    Build and create your story using iPhoto and iMovie.
•    Revise, edit, and finalize your personal digital story.
•    Dialogue about connections within your teaching context.
 
Note: Enhance Writing through Digital Storytelling is designed for those who want to incorporate project-based learning in the classroom. Participants should have some experience working with photos and video.

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