EDUC 5333-Week 2

"Turn" 

For this week's blog I chose the story "Turn" by Dana Atchley. Before I could begin accessing this digital story, I needed to learn more about Dana Atchley. Upon further researching him, I have found so many more of his digital stories and loved everyone of them I watched. All of his stories that I explored have similar structure to them-old time video with music. The video had music that began to play after the introduction. The music was the background sound to the words being spoken, which created a nostalgia that wouldn't have been the same without the musical accompany. The music helped to set an old time tone when paired with the video footage. 

In the video "Turn", the family is marched out of the house yearly to stand in front of their home and slowly turn in a circle. Over time, the family grew and changed-going from the sons to include a wife and then a young child-Dana Atchley. While this was a short story to be told, it was a wonderful example of the ISTE stand for students-creative communicators. The piece uses a specific digital tool to create a unique and original story that communicates a complex idea. 

Using this story with a high school level art class would be a wonderful way to allow students to explore art beyond just a simple photo, I do think that this story is more targeted to an older audience-junior high or high school level would be beneficial, as well as adults. However, I can see where I could use this with my own 2nd grade students. We have a unit where we discuss traditions and how they are important. This video is a good way to show my students that traditions can include things other than just holiday celebrations or food related scenes. 

Lambert's guidance of the steps for writing stood out to me the most, and in particular, step number 3-finding your moment. I feel like this step stuck out to me because the story itself really resonated through the turning points of their lives. When the family changed and grew the moments in the story changed. Atchley's birth was an important moment in the story. This personal narrative is really more about Atchley then the other's in the video. He relates the kiss between his parents to a time that he does not remember since they divorced when he was so young. He finishes up the story by talking of how he took a path in life that his father never would have expected. In turn, Atchley became a lead pioneer in the art of digital storytelling. 

Story Spine:
Once upon a time...a grandfather took home videos with an old camera

Every year...the family stood in front of the camera and turned in a circle

One day...a new member of the family appeared

Because of that...Dana Atchley was born

Ever since then...Dana Atchley became a lead pioneer in the art of digital storytelling

Resources:

International Society for Technology in Education. (2024). ISTE standards: For students. ISTE; International Society for Technology in Education. https://iste.org/standards/students

Atchley, D. (2019, April 2). A story about Dana Atchley. While I Remember. https://www.whileiremember.it/a-story-about-dana-atchley-2/

Lambert, J. (2010). Digital Storytelling Cookbook. Digital Diner Press. 

Ohler, J. B. (2008). Digital storytelling in the classroom: New media pathways to literacy, learning, and creativity. Corwin Press.