Week 7: DST Reflection

This project ended up being both worthwhile and frustrating. I created a digital story called Tornado Safety: When the Sky Turns Green, and this was my first time working with AI tools to build something like this. I chose the topic because it actually matters where I teach. Tornadoes are not just something students read about. Many of them have lived through storms or at least understand how serious they can be.

Putting the story together started off fine. Writing the script and thinking through how to explain tornado safety in a way that made sense for kids came pretty naturally. The part that slowed me down was working with the visuals. The AI tools did not always give me what I had in mind. Some images looked off, and others did not really match what the story was saying. The same thing happened with some of the video clips. I would try again and get something closer, but not quite right. Since this was my first time using these tools, I spent a lot of extra time trying to get things to a point where I felt okay using them.

I shared the finished video with my 5th-grade students to get their feedback. I wanted to hear what they actually thought. Some students liked it and said it helped them better understand tornado safety. Others quickly pointed out that some of the images and videos did not align well with the story. A few students did not really have strong opinions either way. I appreciated all of those responses. It showed me they were paying attention, and it made it clear that the visuals matter just as much as the message.

The article by Grant and Bolin (2016) connects well to this experience. They describe digital storytelling as a way to get students more involved and help them connect learning to their own lives. That idea fits in my classroom. Severe weather is already part of my students’ world. When they work with a topic like this, they are not just repeating facts. They are connecting what they learn to situations they understand. Grant and Bolin (2016) also point out that digital storytelling can support student voice and help build awareness of different experiences. That matters in a classroom where students come in with different backgrounds and perspectives.

I can see how this kind of work could help students who struggle with traditional writing assignments. Some students shut down when they are asked to write a full paper. Giving them a chance to tell a story using images, voice, and video opens up another option. It allows them to show what they know in a way that may feel more comfortable and more natural to them.

This course helped me understand what it takes to guide students through a project like this. Before this, I would not have tried it because I would not have known where to begin. Now I have worked through the process myself. I understand that the tools have limits and that things do not always turn out the way you expect. Because of that, I feel more prepared to help students when they run into those same issues.

Even with the frustration, I did enjoy making the story. It pushed me to try something different. I do plan to use these tools again, especially now that I have a better sense of what to expect. I know it will still take time and patience, but I am more comfortable with it than I was at the start.

Digital storytelling has a place in my classroom. It gives students a way to work with topics that matter to them and share those ideas in a format that goes beyond traditional writing.

Reference

Grant, N. S., & Bolin, B. L. (2016). Digital storytelling: A method for engaging students and increasing cultural competency. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 16(3), 44–61.

Week 6: Digital Storytelling in Your Community

 In my digital story Tornado Safety: When the Sky Turns Green, I focused on teaching tornado preparedness in a way that someone could actually use. The story follows a child who hears a tornado siren, is unsure what to do, and then learns the steps to stay safe. That setup made it easier to introduce the difference between a tornado watch and a warning, where to go inside a house, and what should be in a 72-hour kit.

The part of the Empowered Learner standard I came closest to meeting was setting a learning goal and building everything around it. I had to decide what information mattered most and make sure it stayed clear throughout the story. I also had to consider how younger students would understand that information, which affected how I wrote and structured the script (ISTE, 2016).

The technology choices were based on clarity. The visuals and audio had to match what was being explained so the viewer could follow along without confusion. The sequence of events in the story helped organize the information instead of presenting it as a list. Research on digital storytelling supports this approach, showing that it helps students organize ideas and communicate them more effectively (Davis & Foley, 2016).

The audience also played a role. The story was designed for K–8 students and their families, so the explanations had to stay direct and easy to follow. That meant removing extra details and focusing only on what someone would need to know during a tornado warning. This aligns with student-centered learning, in which the student is responsible for how information is presented and understood (Stanley & Freeman, 2017).

Digital storytelling can also be shared outside the classroom. A project like this can be used at home and lead to discussions about safety plans. Research shows that digital storytelling can improve understanding and motivation, which is important for topics that require people to act on what they learn (Kubravi et al., 2018). Overall, this project required setting a clear goal, organizing information around that goal, and using digital tools to communicate it. Those steps connect directly to the Empowered Learner standard. 

References

Davis, A., & Foley, L. (2016). Digital storytelling. In Handbook of research on the societal impact of digital media (pp. 317–342). IGI Global.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE standards for students. https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students

Kubravi, S. U., Shah, S. O., & Jan, K. (2018). Digital storytelling: The impact on student academic achievement, critical thinking and learning motivation. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, 1(12), 787–791.

Stanley, B., & Freeman, L. A. (2017). Digital storytelling as student-centered pedagogy: Empowering high school students to frame their futures. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-017-0061-9

Week 5 Blog Post

 Most of my time so far has gone into writing the script and figuring out how I wanted it to flow. At this point, I’m moving into actually putting the story together. I’m starting with the narration so I can match everything else to it rather than guessing at timing. I already know some parts are going to need to be redone once I hear it all the way through.

Right now, the script is in a good place. It has a clear beginning, middle, and end. It starts off like a normal day, then shifts to the problem, explains what happens during a tornado, and walks through what someone should actually do. It finishes with what comes after. I kept it simple on purpose so someone can follow it without having to stop and figure out what I’m saying.

Going into week 7, I’m focused on building the final version. I need to add visuals that match what is being said, rather than just throwing in random images. I also need to record the narration and make sure it sounds clear and steady. After that, I’ll line everything up and go back through it to catch anything that feels off.

If I need help with anything, it’s picking visuals that actually add something to the story and not just fill space. I also want to make sure everything flows the way it should. If the timing is off, people will lose interest, or I will lose the impact I want the story to have. Some of the images I’ve found don’t really match what I’m saying, so I’ll need to swap those out.

Some of the tools from this week look like they would work well for this. WeVideo and Adobe Express both seem simple enough to use without getting overwhelmed. That matters for my students as well. If something is too complicated, they check out before they even get started. A simple tool keeps the focus on what they are trying to say.

The audience for my story is people living in tornado-prone areas, especially my students and their families. A lot of people hear warnings but don’t fully understand what they mean or what to do next. This is meant to clear that up. The goal is for them to know what to do if they hear a warning, rather than waiting or guessing.

Working on this has helped me get better at breaking information down so it actually makes sense to someone else. I had to decide what really needs to be said and what doesn’t. I also had to stay organized, so the story doesn’t jump around.

Digital storytelling can help students, especially those who struggle with writing. It gives them another way to explain something. It also makes the work feel more relatable because it’s something other people can practically watch and use. My role is to guide them and keep them focused on making something clear and useful.

At this point, I just need to finish putting it all together and make sure everything lines up the way it should. This project has taken more time than I expected, but I think it will be worth it in the end. With tornado season ongoing, this topic feels real, and I want the final product to actually help people know what to do during a tornado. 

Week 3 Blog Post

This week had me thinking about how stories come together and why some of them are memorable. As I started working through this project, tornadoes kept coming back to mind. We just experienced a series of storms last night, and keeping my family and students safe is top of mind. Living in Oklahoma, that is just part of life. Storm season shows up every year, whether we are ready or not. I have seen how fast things can change, and I have also seen people freeze up because they are not sure what to do in that moment. That is what pushed me toward this topic.

The story I am building will focus on tornadoes and tornado safety. I want it to walk through what a tornado is, how it forms, and which signs people should watch for when the weather starts to turn. From there, it will move into what someone should actually do when a warning is issued. I am not trying to pack it full of extra information. The goal is for it to be understood. Students need to recognize what is happening and respond without hesitation. When a warning hits, there is no extra time to figure it out step by step.

Ohler’s work helped me keep this from becoming scattered. He breaks a story down into a problem, what unfolds from it, and its resolution (Ohler, 2013). That made sense right away. The problem is the danger tornadoes bring and the fact that some people are not prepared. What follows is the point where the sky changes, warnings go out, and decisions have to be made quickly. The resolution comes back to preparation. When someone already knows where to go and what to do, that situation plays out differently.

When I started putting it together, I thought about how it would feel to go through it for the first time. It needs to make sense without jumping around. Ohler (2023) talks about mapping things out so the story stays connected, and that helped me settle on an order. It will start with a basic explanation of tornadoes, then move into warning signs like dark skies, rotation, hail, and sirens. After that, it will focus on actions to take in a home or school. I will close by going back over those steps again so they are easy to remember.

This fits naturally in a classroom. It connects to science, but it also gives students something they can actually use outside of school. It also gives them a chance to build their own digital stories, which helps them take what they learn and do something with it. That lines up with ISTE standards like Knowledge Constructor and Creative Communicator, where students gather and present information using digital tools (International Society for Technology in Education, 2026).

For tools, I am keeping it simple. Images, diagrams, narration, and basic editing software will do what I need. I also want to place text directly on images so the important points stand out as someone moves through it. That helps keep attention where it needs to be. Sound will be there, but it will stay in the background so it does not take over.

When it comes to grading something like this, it really comes down to whether the message is clear. The story needs to be organized, accurate, and easy to follow. Ohler (2013) makes the point that it is not about how much is added, but how well everything works together. A simple rubric that looks at clarity, organization, accuracy, and how well the visuals match the message would be enough.

Working through Ohler’s material helped me move this from an idea into something I can actually build out step by step. It gave me a way to think through it without overdoing it (Ohler, 2013; Ohler, 2023). At this point, I know where this is going and how I want to finish it.

References

International Society for Technology in Education. (2026). ISTE standards for students. https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students

Ohler, J. (2013). Digital storytelling in the classroom: New media pathways to literacy, learning, and creativity. Corwin Press.

Ohler, J. (2023). How to make a story - Process notes. http://storyconcepts.blogspot.com/