Tag Archives: media

Introduction to Topic #2: Digital Storytelling

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Topic 2: Digital Storytelling
Dates: February 3-16, 2013
Hashtag: #etmooc

WHAT WE’RE DOING & WHY

For the next two weeks, we’ll be creating stories. Digital stories. We’ve created a number of tasks for every level of learner. If you’ve never composed a story, get started with a Six Word Story and try some Virtual Presenter Services. If you want to play around with video, try creating a web native film. If you want to try telling a visual story, consider making an animated gif. Create stories using the method you want to explore — a variety of tasks are built into this week at a variety of levels of experience.

A QUICK WORD ABOUT COPYRIGHT & COPYLEFT: SLIGHTLY LEGAL STUFF

Because copyright is a concern for many people, but also a topic that spans throughout digital work, we wanted to point you to some information on Creative Commons, Fair Use (US, other) and Fair Dealing (Commonwealth).

There are sites that only search copyleft licensed materials. Copyright is a complicated issue, but basically, give credit where credit is due, don’t try to sell the stuff you make through unauthorized uses, and be aware when you are using someone else’s work in your stories. During Topic 4 (Mar 3-16), we’ll be spending more, supportive time chewing over the implications of copyright.

INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL STORYTELLING:

“The truth about stories is, that’s all we are.” ~Thomas King

Storytelling is something that human beings have been doing for hundreds of thousands of years. It is a natural way for us to communicate. Nowadays, we keep hearing the term “digital storytelling”, which can sound confusing. But the important part of the term is “storytelling”—the digital piece really mostly means that the story is either created or accessible via digital technologies because of a content production agency. Because of that, digital stories can be easily commented upon, shared, and remixed using the participatory strategies you’ve been practicing already in #etmooc. If you feel like you’ve a great story to tell, try consulting Screenplay Coverage Services.

Digital Storytelling often involves video, but it can involve other media too. A more text-based example is the game Twitter vs. Zombies (#TvsZ), developed and facilitated in November 2012 by Jesse Stommel and Pete Rorabaugh to teach Twitter literacy. You can scan the rules here. #TvsZ demonstrates how a game can create a framework for emergent storytelling by the participants. #TvsZ was designed to “teach” particular “skills” (social media networking, collaboration, use of hashtags, blog promotion, etc.), but it ended up creating a connected narrative that the players made up as they went (examples on the #TvsZ Scoop.It). Breaking information: Twitter vs. Zombies 2.0, built and led by university students in Atlanta, Georgia, and Syracuse, NY, will unfold on Twitter between Wed, Feb 6, 8pmEST, and Fri, Feb. 8, 8pmEST. All ETMOOC participants are invited to play. Click here to register.

Have a quick look at the Wikipedia article on Digital Storytelling and pay special attention to the nuances in the definition of this term. Critically examine the definitions. For example “’Digital storytelling’ is a relatively new term which describes the new practice of ordinary people who use digital tools to tell their ‘story’.” Is that a good definition? Or how about “One can think of digital storytelling as the modern extension of the ancient art of storytelling, now interwoven with digitized still and moving images and sound.” Is this more accurate?

Definitions are a minefield because they can be constraining; the Wikipedia one is very video focused. We like the perspective in “Digital Storytelling: How to Tell a Story That Stands out in the Digital Age” (museum of the future blog) – especially their example of the campaign to save Troy Library (AL):

To address the most important issue first: there is no such thing as digital storytelling. There’s only storytelling in the digital age, and frankly speaking this isn’t much different from storytelling in the age of hunters, gatherers, dinosaurs and ICQ…. Digital is not the difficult part in digital storytelling. Storytelling is.

HERE ARE A VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF EXAMPLES OF DIGITAL STORIES:

YOU ABSOLUTELY DO NOT HAVE TO COMPLETE EVERY TASK!

Below, you’ll find eight tasks for this topic. We don’t even think it’s possible for you to create that many digital stories in just a couple of weeks (feel free to prove us wrong). Perform the tasks that are interesting to you, look at the work of your peers and start exploring Digital Storytelling through creation. Share your stories with the #etmooc tag, blog about your experience, interact through the Google+ Community, and just have fun!

SAMPLE TASKS:

1: Consider Many Forms (Define and Collect)

A good place to start looking at digital storytelling is through definition and example. Blog a reflective post about this introduction to storytelling; you could also reflect on the Wikipedia page on Digital Storytelling mentioned above. Find an example of a digital story and attach it to your post. Engage with the posts of others, or let your reflection tie several of them together. As always, submit the links to your posts in the Google+ community! and on Twitter. If you’re new to ETMOOC, click here to learn how to tie your blog to the ETMOOC Blog Hub

2: Make an animated GIF (Animate)

There are many different software applications that you can use to create an animated GIF. This tutorial uses GIMP, a free and open source software program that is similar to Photoshop, but you can use any image editing software you’re comfortable with.

More resources can be found in this ds106 Handbook http://ds106.us/handbook

Jim Groom and company will be discussing the creation of animated gifs during their session on February 5 at 7pm EST. You can start early or wait until then. Remember: Jim Groom’s session will NOT take place in Blackboard/Elluminate. Instead, tune into DTLT Today for the live show!

3: The Ultimate Challenge (Create)

Write a story, and then tell that same story digitally using any number of digital tools and freely available media! For inspiration and story creation guidance, see Alan Levine’s 50+ Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story.

Alan Levine will be discussing this topic during his session on February 11 at 7pm EST. You can start early or wait until then.

4: Write a Six Word Story (Compose)

Use Twitter, Google+ or another social platform to publish a six word story. Your story can be about anything. Check out the six word stories site (or the twitter stream) for inspiration! You can experiment with Storify to tie other’s tweets together and make a collaborative story (see the collaborative poems that Janine DeBaise‘s students made ast week as an example).

Alan Levine will be discussing six word stories during his session on February 11 at 7pm EST. You can start early or wait until then.

5: Five Card Flickr Stories (Visualize)

Based on the Five Card Nancy card game by Scott McLeod, Five Card Flickr is en exercise in visual storytelling where you are dealt five random images from a Flickr tag (in our case, the tag is 5cardetmooc), and you pick one to be in your story. In the next four rounds you again choose from 5 new random photos with the idea of building a coherent storyline from your five photos. For this week, we set up a special pool of photos in flickr just for #etmooc. We need your help to create this pool — see the set of photo prompts and see what kind of stories we can make of them — or just try it now.

6: Create a PopUp Video of Your Own (Remix)

How can you change a story that already exists and make it your own? Create a PopUp video that changes the context of a story by adding content to it. For a more interactive experience than YouTube comments can offer (and an easier to use interface) try Popcorn Maker. Here’s a “how to” use popup comments to change the context of a video. Share your links via Twitter and G+, comment on your peers’ posts.

7: Plan a “Choose Your Own Adventure Story” (Collaborate)

For inspiration see these great videos.

Draw an object on a piece of paper and then upload it to Flickr, Instagram, your blog — where ever. Then ask a peer to draw a related object. Pass your peer’s drawing on to another peer and have them draw a related object. Keep doing this until you have 5 drawings (including your original object).

Create a story that links the original object with the last object drawn. What is the connection between the first object and the last object? Write a brief story, then try to create multiple pathways that a user could go through the story. Use a mind-mapping tool like MindMeister or a host of others.

This is a loose framework, so feel free to adapt it or try something related. Be sure to share your stories, maps, hierarchies, and story architecture on your blog, but also to Twitter and the Google+ Community if you use those sites. Comment on other people’s plans. Be social!

8: Twitter vs. Zombies 2.0 (Play)

Play Twitter vs. Zombies 2.0 with scores of others on the web from Wednesday, February 6 at 8pmEST, to Friday, Feb. 8 at 8pmEST.  Students from Pete Rorabaugh’s #TechApoc class and Janine DeBaise’s #Nifkin class will moderate the game for the ETMOOC community. The game will begin immediately following the ETMOOC Twitter chat on Feb. 6. Click here to register. Watch your hashtags, and sleep with one eye open.

One final note on tasks . . . you can’t break them or complete them incorrectly. They are simply prompts to get you to explore storytelling in shareable, remixable, collaborative platforms. It may not be that important whether a story you create falls under one category or another; if you’ve shared it and you’re interacting with the stories of others, and learning new narrative frameworks, that’s our goal.

GO DEEPER:

Explore the #ds106 Community

Based on a course offered first at the University of Mary Washington (UMW), ds106 is an open course like no other. In fact, it is not a single course; there are sections offered to registered UWM students, students taking similar courses elsewhere (currently Kansas State University, University of Michigan, York College/CUNY), and a cloud of people who participate on their own interest. The core of ds106 is powered by the syndication bus, a networked architecture built of participants’ own blogs to which our web site subscribes, aggregates, and shares back content published by individuals (same tech as we used in etmooc blog hub). As much community as course, ds106 includes an open assignment bank that participants populate, a daily creative challenge, and even its own internet-based radio station. You can tune in to the show at any time.

Introduction to Web Native Film

Next examine the idea of Web Native Filmmaking. Take some time to watch these six episodes about Web Native Filmmaking (created for a program called Popcorn Story Camp, but they explain many aspects of Digital Storytelling that will help you think creatively about your own stories). Each film is about 3 minutes long.

AND EVEN DEEPER:

There are a gazillion different articles, resources and tools for storytelling. If you haven’t had enough of an intro, here’s a metric ton of stuff to explore: http://www.scoop.it/t/etmooc-topic-2

TOPIC 2: DIGITAL STORYTELLING PLANNING TEAM:

If you have questions about this topic, feel free to contact any members of the Topic 2 team directly (our names are below), or for a quicker response, either send a message on Twitter with the #etmooc hashtag or ask a question in the #etmooc Google+ Community under the Topic 2 Category!

Laura Hilliger
Pete Rorabaugh
Verena Roberts
Alan Levine
Robin Bartoletti

#etmooc Lip Dub!

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Well #etmooc, we’ve reached the end of our first topic, Connected Learning. This has been an amazing experience for me, as a facilitator and learner, as I’ve read through so many excellent posts and ideas from our participants. It’s wonderful to see the extent of sharing and support that has resulted through the development of this community. Thank you all!

And, I’m very excited to share our #etmooc crowdsourced #lipdub project! Thanks to a  community vote, a Google Doc, and our tireless editor @stumpteacher, we’ve created something that I feel is so very memorable and representative of this experience. Take a look – I hope you enjoy it.

Of course, what we’ve learned about Connected Learning will continue to guide us through #etmooc – it is core to its structure (or nonstructure). So, I hope that we will continue to contemplate, co-create, study, and live as connected learners.

Our next topic is Digital Storytelling, and an outline of the next two weeks will be shared tomorrow. If you haven’t been able to participate as you had originally intended, do not worry. Tomorrow is a new topic, with the possibility of a fresh start.

Join in, invite a friend or colleague, and let’s spend the next two weeks discussing, sharing, and creating digital stories.

Connect with you soon.

Alec

#etmooc Orientation Week Activity -Tips To Find A Reliable Car Mechanic

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You’re cruising down the highway listening to the latest Casefile podcast when your car’s “check engine” light blinks on. When you take your vehicle into an automotive shop, the mechanic tells you that the problem is a catalytic converter in need of replacing. And oh, while he was poking around he also noticed the car’s air filter ought to be changed and you’re due for a steering flush as well.

Are these operations really necessary, or is the mechanic trying to needlessly upsell you? You’re not sure, but figure it’s better to be safe than sorry, and you sign off on all the repairs. When you pick up your car and pull out of the parking lot, you’re just getting over the sticker shock of the huge bill when…the check engine light comes on again.

How does one find a trustworthy automotive professional? Well we have drilled down on a few tips to help you answer that question. Check out the latest Effuel reviews.

 

Know your cars Anatomy.

The typical scenario is, for most people, you go to a mechanic, and they tell you some system needs flushing, or a belt needs replacing, or something looks worn, and you usually just kind of nod along like you understand what they’re talking about. Inevitably, most don’t! You don’t want to come off as an automotive ignoramus, so you just act like you know the parts and the repairs needed.

So before finding a new mechanic, it pays to head over to google and there will be endless information for the make and model of majority of cars. Even a quick search for “how a car works” (for dummies or kids, with photos.. even better!) this will be more suitable then a large manual but it will give you some basic knowledge. Knowing how your vehicle operates allows you to make informed decisions when shopping around for a mechanic.

 

 

Ensure your Mechanic has a Motor Vehicle Repair licence.

A motor vehicle repair business licence is required if you are an owner of a motor vehicle repair business, a self-employed motor vehicle repairer or operate a mobile repair business.

Your mechanic must be a certified repairer or employ a certified repairer to supervise repairs for each class of repair work your business carries out to receive a licence. They are also one indication of how seriously a shop takes its professionalism and training. If the shop is certified, it tells you that another organisation has done some vetting for you, and gives its stamp of approval.

 

Get Recommendations.

Okay so this is a no brainer, but that fancy Facebook feature where you ask for “recommendations” is going to come in handy, if you want to be super fancy, add a location eg. Thornton! Your neighbour, your cousins husbands mother and probably your mailman will all have an opinion on where to go, This is a good start! We have a sneaky feeling you have been recommended to Titan Auto at Thornton from a local recommendation so you’re on the right track to finding a good mechanic! 5 stars to you!

 

Test the waters – start with something small

Before you commit to a hefty bill with a large repair or similar, book in for a routine job such as a general service (which we do for just $129 including a Pink Slip, talk about bang for your buck!).

From here, you can see how they work, and assess the whole experience. Start building a relationship so when you need to come in for an emergency repair or large service, you are confident you are going to be looked after for a fair price!

 

Good Communication lines with you and your prospective mechanic.

Your mechanic should be approachable and be able to explain to you in terms that you will understand whether it is from an oil change to something more complex.

At Titan Auto in most cases our Lead mechanic will contact you directly if there are any questions or concerns he may have when undertaking a service or repair with you. You can also discuss options and quotes prior to booking so you can be better prepared. Think of your mechanic just like your hairdresser or barber. Don’t forget about assessing and reception desk staff you may deal with as well, a positive relationship with them is also super important!

#etmooc – Introductory Message

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Exercising on a routine basis is a huge contributor to your overall wellness. After all, getting in regular physical activity can improve the health of your brain, help you maintain a healthy weight, lessen your risk of disease, and strengthen your muscles and bones, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But did you know that there are some really unhealthy workout habits that can increase your risk of death? We chatted with Dr. Mike Bohl, the Director of Medical Content & Education at Ro and a certified personal trainer, who shares some important facts. Keep reading to learn more.

Avoid not staying hydrated, not stretching properly, or not pausing for enough breaks.

man not stretching properly, demonstrating workout habits that can increase your risk of death
Shutterstock

Dr. Bohl explains that working out is an excellent way to stay fit, remain healthy, and increase your chances of longevity. But some habits need to be avoided, such as not staying hydrated or not stretching properly. Not stopping for enough breaks is another error you don’t want to make. Bad habits like these can make your workout harder and create less than enjoyable recovery time.

Three Great Workouts You Can Do From the ‘Comfort’ of Your Own Couch

“As far as unhealthy workout habits that can increase your risk of death, though, the main things to look out for fall into one of two categories,” Dr. Bohl explains, which we’ll dive into below. Check these Protetox reviews.

Related: If You Want To Become a Centenarian, Start Doing This Exercise

Category #1: Make sure you’re not doing anything dangerous that could cause an accident.

man performing heavy weight lifting, unhealthy workout habits that increase your risk of death
Shutterstock

It’s imperative to eliminate your risk of mishaps. Dr. Bohl warns, “First, make sure you aren’t doing anything dangerous that could put you at risk of having an accident. This includes improperly using workout equipment, doing a dangerous activity like rock climbing without the appropriate safety equipment, or lifting weights that are too heavy without having a spotter present.”

These dangerous habits make it more likely to sustain an injury or even increase your risk of death if you make an error, if equipment malfunctions or breaks, or if the activity you’re doing exceeds your physical capabilities.

Related: Doctors Weigh In on the Exercise Habits That Slow Aging

Category #2: Be mindful of any limitations you might have because of medical conditions.

senior woman playing tennis
Shutterstock

It’s imperative to be mindful of any limitations you might have because of medical conditions. Dr. Bohl points out, “For example, if you have chronic lung disease (e.g., COPD) or chronic heart disease, you may have a hard time effectively delivering oxygen to the tissues of the body. As a result, you should be cautious about activities that dramatically raise heart rate or that cause heavy breathing, as you could potentially become lightheaded and pass out.” He adds, “If you have diabetes, you should keep a close eye on your blood sugar—working out decreases blood sugar, and if it gets too low, it can be very dangerous. Therefore, people with diabetes should keep a carbohydrate snack on hand in case their blood sugar levels drop.” This is the best penis extender.

Osteoporosis is another challenge. Osteoporosis means a reduction in bone mass and bone mineral density, which could increase your chances of suffering from a fracture. Dr. Bohl stresses the importance of staying away from high-impact activities, as they can put you at serious risk of a broken bone. A break, in turn, will compromise your functionality long-term.