Discovering ds106!

Photo CC By: Alan Levine

As part of my research and discovery for alternative ways to teach, I have found ds106 to be very helpful in finding new ideas to make my classroom more innovative. So, what ds106 is, is a digital storytelling class, that is completely free course to take, for anyone around the world! What the creators of this website course have done, is made a site that anyone could complete assignments using various technology skills, to tell their own life stories, or even fiction stories that they felt they wanted to share. Anyone can challenge other students in the class to learn more, create more, and also can share ideas TO the creators, of more digital assignment possibilities.

What’s so awesome about the idea of ds106 is that people are continuously learning using their own resources, and learning from each other through the technological resources that we have been so blessed to have in our 21st century lives. Everyone has different creative ideas and abilities and if we can use technology to help each other learn, meet new people to share our ideas with, and let them share their ideas with us, the expanding of our learning just keeps on going!

Photo CC By: Thomas Fairbank

I have several ideas for this in my classroom. While I feel that I do not have the time to commit to actually signing up for this course, anyone can get on and check out the work that is being done by others completing and adding too the course. I can use some ideas of assignment’s from this course, and change it to fit my own lesson plans, so that my students can begin to share their learning stories though technology. I would be completely open to having my student’s submit assignment’s through sharing their own GIF or writing their own blog, or using compiled pictures, voice recordings, videos and even made up stories to explain how they might have learned and interpreted information that I have been teaching them.

Another thought that comes to mind, is making several learning experiences through videos of projects that the class has done, assignments that turned out awesome my student’s have submitted, to create a big story throughout the school-year of the learning that did take place in my classroom, and sharing this with ds106, parents and administrators. I always like to have hardcore evidence to give my students of what learning is and how much they have challenged themselves and succeeded throughout the year.

Photo CC By: Scott McLeod

This digital storytelling has endless possibilities, and it’s something that I will definitely keep going back to constantly to see what ideas others have shared, for myself to keep learning new digital technology, and then to share those ideas with my students, so that they can keep expanding their creative abilities through technology. It helps that there is a radio station and a TV channel that I can refer to and share with my students (when appropriate) so that they can also get a better idea and understanding of what it means to keep learning and sharing ideas though digital technology.