I really enjoyed the chapter we read from Bryan Alexander’s book. His writing style was easy to follow and contained interesting information. It also wasn’t too complicated for someone like me, who is not very advanced in the particular field of digital storytelling. I wasn’t familiar with many of the sites and such mentioned in the chapter.

As the chapter we read mentioned, blogging is like writing in a diary or a journal. As a child, I used to write in a diary and I really enjoyed doing so. Now that I have my new WordPress site, I have found that there’s something thrilling about capturing the interest of others while also getting my thoughts out. The main difference between journaling and blogging is the privacy aspect. My thoughts being released on this blog are not thoughts that I am concerned about sharing with others, so I do not have a problem with sharing them. When someone wants to write about deeply personal topics, it may be a bit more difficult to write on a blog versus in a journal.

I imagine some of the websites mentioned in the chapter, like the Dionaea Project, are attractive to readers because the live aspect is encapsulating and mysterious. To be perfectly honest, this project freaked me out a little bit! I don’t think I would particularly enjoy exploring the site, but I did find it interesting to read Bryan Alexander’s summary of it.

As a future teacher, I thought the online, “blog-esque” version, if you will, of Dracula would be a great way to get students interested in a classic story by combining it with modern technology. Interactive learning tools like this are great for students. I also think the dating of blog posts is beneficial. Students are able to get a better perspective on time.

When I came home everyday from middle school, I went straight to the computer and IMed all night. I know students these days go directly to Facebook and other social networking sites. I remember I wasn’t too keen on reading for a while. I discovered ‘The Internet Girls’ Series’ by Lauren Myracle. The books are written in the form of instant messages. The first of the series is called ttyl. Not that the material was particularly educational, but I was interested in the way it was presented; it related to me, because I loved to IM! If we could present academic information, of historical events, for example, using modern day tools of communication, imagine the relatability it would have to students, just based on the organization of material! Unfortunately, this series was banned from many schools because of it’s failure to be “grammatically correct.”

I plan to be a teacher, and overtime I have come across many teacher blogs that will be useful to me, through sites like StumbleUpon and Pinterest. Many educators can add to this material. Through collaboration like this, we can teach our students in the most successful ways possible by using methods that have already been tested and proven effective. We can learn from each others’ stories. 

Teaching in Heels (A cute blog I discovered on Pinterest written by an elementary teacher!)

After reading the chapter and exploring the website, I am really beginning to understand the significance and importance of digital storytelling in our society. It’s strange for me to think of my avid use of social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter (I set up a separate one for DS106), and even Pinterest) to be considered the telling of a story! Although, the phenomena that I am presenting myself as a character, telling a story on this new blog is quite intriguing. Sometimes I wonder who would want to read it! All in all, it is empowering to know that I truly can tell my story and make a difference. It’s amazing what one person alone can do with the internet.