Story Telling as Reflection

In the readings this week, I really connected to the idea of using digital story telling as a reflection tool in the classroom. In the article by Suzie Boss, “High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Stick,” I love the story about Ruthe Farmer’s middle school class and the way they used digital storytelling to reflect on their experiences as inventors. While I was reading about the way this class did their reflections, I was immediately reminded of NPR’s Story Corps project. With a permanent booth in New York City and traveling recording booths elsewhere, Story Corps captures the stories of ordinary people. Working on the premise of everyone has a story, Story Corps is a place where you can share your story. I think this program has been successful because it is a digitally recorded conversation. Participants are comfortable because they are just talking to a friend, there is no stranger doing the interviewing. Similar to the booth set up in Farmer’s classroom, the people telling their stories are at ease and willing to tell their story. For students, it may sometimes be intimidating or uncomfortable to reflect in front of the class. Using technology to help students have a more comfortable outlet to use for reflection can greatly benefit those students who are apprehensive about sharing in a group. Blogs and digital recording materials can provide students with the outlet they need while preserving their privacy. Also, digital technology provides the student and the teacher with a record documenting a student’s progress. At the beginning of the year, a student may make very basic entries but by the end, it is likely they will grow and develop deeper thoughts. Technology can be a powerful tool for students to reflect on their growth over the year. Although I think these are great tools for reflection, I am wondering if they can be used in the younger grades. The examples brought in the articles were middle school classrooms and I am curious if there is a way to use technology for reflecting and recording students’ thoughts that I could use for my second grade classroom.