Week+1+Interview

In this assignment, you will use still digital photos and editing software to create a personal digital story. You are to work with a partner for brainstorming ideas and/or peer reviewing, but each person in the class must complete this activity individually. Begin by reviewing examples at the Center for Digital Storytelling’s Web site: // [] //. Part One: Writing the Script
 * Week 1 Assignment: Part Two ****Personal Digital Story Preparation and Creation and Posting **
 * 1) Using Lambert’s guide to the interview technique **(pages 3 – 8 from this week’s reading, //Digital Story Cookbook//)**, you must help yourself and your partner focus on the individual story for each person by interviewing each other. Lambert’s guide is your guide. You interview someone else to help them. You are facilitating their process just as you would facilitate the process for other teachers in your school.Use e-mail to ask and answer the questions. When they interview you, you are responding to the questions that will help you focus on telling your own story.
 * Note: This step sets the stage for your selecting a topic related to you personally. This assignment is designed so that you go through the process of creating the video related to some facet of your life. It can be about your profession, family, community, important events, influences. You will get ideas from the Digital Story Cookbook when you view the sample stories. It is about you. Later in the course you will create a project for professional development for other teachers. My digital story that I created in Joe Lambert’s class recently is in the Resource section of EPIC for this course. **
 * Note: You must use a collaborative word processing document to show each person’s responses in the same document. You may use different colors to distinguish each person’s work. Put a link to this file in your eportfolio. (This document may be in google docs or in a wiki or a GoogleSite. **
 * //Note: Ensure that everyone in your discussion group has the opportunity to interview and be interviewed. //**

==I thought we could all ask 3 questions for the interview and everyone could respond to the questions in a different color below. By also answering our own questions, it would give us 12 questions each. I know it says we only need a partner, but I thought this would allow us to begin our group work together. Once completed, we could all copy and paste the below conversation into a word document or upload one word document that we could all download. What do you guys think? -Amy ==

1. What do you consider your greatest professional achievement? -Amy

 * My greatest professional achievement is taking on more of a leadership role and becoming a life-long learner by obtaining my Masters in Educational Technology & Administrative Leadership. -Amy
 * My greatest professional achievement is working on my Masters in Educational Technology Leadership. --Joyce
 * My greatest professional achievement thus far has been the decision I made five years ago to begin a career in hospital compliance. Since this change in career I have earned several certifications and have continued my excell for excellence by obtaining my Masters in Educational Technology Leadership. --Regina
 * My greatest professional achievement is accepting the responsibility of technology coordinator for our campus in addition to my teaching responsibilities. I have learned a great deal from these technology responsibilities and also from the coursework involved in the Masters Leadership Program. --Maridale
 * 2. If you "Got Caught Reading", what would you most likely be reading? -Amy []
 * If I "Got Caught Reading" I would most likely be reading an emerging literacy or picture book to my 2 year old or 6 year old. Once in awhile, my 9 year old will join in on the reading, because he enjoys the sound effects and voice alterations that I use. I am sure he will eventually be to "cool" for mommy's silly reading antics. -Amy
 * When I am not reading for learning or about new technology, you will probably "Catch" catch me reading mystery or suspense stories. These run the gambit from historic, science fiction or present time. If it has a strong and intricate story line and mystery, I am reading it. --Joyce
 * If I got caught reading, I would most likely be reading work emails that I am behind on reading! --Regina
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">I do not go anywhere without my Kindle. I have quite a bit loaded on my Kindle, so I enjoy having it along wherever I go! --Maridale

===<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">3. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is the most important lesson you learned along your career path that you might not have learned if you'd taken another? -Amy ===
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The most important lesson that I have learned in the Education profession is tolerance and flexibility. By tolerance, I mean <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the relative capacity of a child's ability to grow or thrive when subjected to an unfavorable environmental factor. So many students that I teach live in poverty and some live in abusive environments, but they still manage to grow and thrive when inspired by educators. It really humbles me to see students to persevere through life's challenges. I do not think any other profession goes through the continuous cycle of change and self-reflecting that education brings forth, so I think my ability to be flexible is a direct reflection of the Education professio<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">n. -Amy
 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">As this is my second career path (originally, I was a programmer), I have learned many lessons. The most important is building a relationship with the students. Without taking the time to learn about their interests, likes, dislikes, and family, it is hard to encourage / motivate them to do anything. This is especially true of middle and high school students where their social life is all encompassing. --Joyce
 * <span style="color: #029797; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">My current career in hospital compliance is a second career for me. The most important lesson that I have gained from this career path is my talent and love of educating key hospital staff members. Additionally, I have developed a wealth of leadership skills and knowledge of state and federal laws that I would not have learned had I not taken on this path. -- Regina
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is also a second career path for me. I was originally in sales and marketing. When I had my children, I became involved in early childhood education which later led me to a job teaching middle school technology. It is amazing how doors open and you find yourself involved in an opportunity that becomes so meaningful! --Maridale


 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">4. What is one life changing event in your life? -- Joyce **
 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I believe the one event that has shaped my life is having to move from family and friends at the age of 19 across the United States to a new town. My dad lost his job at a "steel mill" type plant after 25 years of service. We left our close knit group of relatives, friends and one sibling behind and landed in a place where we knew no one. This event, though tragic for me at the time, has enabled me to make many more moves around the country to find work. It has also given me the skills and openness to accept other cultures and traditions that are different from my own. My husband has built on with our weekend and holiday trips to different parts of North America.. --Joyce
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I believe one event that has changed my life was having a miscarriage that required me to be rushed to the hospital and receive 3 units of blood. I was 6 weeks and 5 days pregnant when they told me that the baby no longer had a heartbeat. The doctor told me that I could have a DNC or just naturally miscarry since I wasn't far along. I think part of me didn't want to have a DNC, because I was hoping they were wrong and a DNC seemed like having an abortion. I didn't actually start having the miscarriage until I was 9 weeks pregnant. I was at home and within 2 hours the blood loss was so massive that I passed out. My husband had just left the room for a few minutes to get my dinner and when he came back I couldn't move without blacking out. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, my blood pressure was extremely low. I had to have an emergency DNC and get 3 units of blood. I can still remember the nurse saying, "If you have ever wondered what it was like to almost die, you've just experienced it." This event has really made me grateful for everything that I have and has made my three children that much more precious to me. -Amy
 * <span style="color: #029797; font-family: 'comic sans ms',cursive;">The one life changing event in my life by far is by far the births of my 2 sons (actually 2 events). The my kids keep me grounded, they are my life. They have made me go from thinking of me to always putting them first in all of my decisions. Their own uniqueness makes them so special. I would not trade this event for anything in the world. --Regina
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">My children being born was life changing. Like Regina said, this is more than one event (actually 3 events). Our family is very important to both my husband and me. I feel so grateful to have them in our lives.

> // Point is, if you can't be content with what you have, you will never be content with more. People have a habit of always thinking happiness is just one step above where they are at present. --Regina //
 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">5. If you had the chance to change something about your life, what would that be? -- Joyce **
 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">One of the people I missed the most is my maternal grandmother. When we were younger, I can remember pushing her buttons (along with my brothers and sisters) when she would babysit or roll my eyes when she would start telling stories about her life and her family. Though I learned how to knit and crochet from her, as an adult I realize that I missed out know so much about my heritage. My grandmother is one of the relatives we had to leave behind when we moved. When she was dying from cancer, I was back in school earning my teacher certification. While my mom was with her, for three months before she died, I had her write down some of the family stories, so my child would know where she came from. My daughter was born a little more than 6 weeks after my grandmother passed. She is truly missed. --Joyce
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I know this is on more of a humorous response, but I would never live in or build a house with a septic tank. I have had horrible experiences with living in the country and having to deal with septic tanks. I would love to live in a house "rent-free" without a septic tank. -Amy
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">// The best thing I did for myself was to learn to love where I am, in any circumstances. It took a certain amount of looking for the silver lining in every cloud, sometimes to the extreme. //
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I would not use credit cards. It would be great to be debt free! I am working on encouraging my children to try to save more and use credit cards less. --Maridale


 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">6. What do you see as a great need in your community? -- Joyce **
 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Our community has many needs; however, I want to focus on our children. We are in dire need of strong role models that show students daily that gang life is not the only option in town. The gang influence through music television, movies, games and peer pressure is so entrenched in our students' lives that they do not realize or believe that there are better options and choices in their lives. --Joyce
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">My community is in a great need of local businesses that could ease the tax-burden on families. Many families are struggling to keep their homes due to ridiculous tax rates. -Amy
 * <span style="color: #029797; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A great need in my community is the need to develop strong role models and mentors for our African American boys. -- Regina
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">We need more hands on educational experiences for children outside the classroom. This might allow children to develop more of a love of learning. Hands on experiences motivate students and possibly give them future career directions that can give them a better sense of the importance of doing well in school.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7. If you could change something about your school or job, what would you change? --Maridale
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Our campus is very over-crowded. I would reduce the number of students on our campus and also reduce class sizes. This would allow for more one on one attention for each student. --Maridale
 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The one thing I would change would be to repair the breaks in the teachers' relationships. Our teachers are so worried about protecting themselves that they will not work together, only in their cliques. There is a definite disconnect between the teachers and administration. It seems to be an US against THEM relationship. --Joyce
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I would like to change the lack of student engagement and student centered learning in our classrooms. I would say that our campus classrooms spend at least 85% of the time lecturing or doing seat-work. I think this is why we are "Academically Acceptable with an Exception". Our students are not being engaged and teachers' high "stress" to teach to a test is negatively impacting our students. --Amy

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">8. Who was one of your most memorable students and why? --Maridale
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">One of my most memorable students was a boy that had arms only to his elbows and only one leg. He walked with his one leg and his prosthetic leg. He was short in stature with the most outgoing personality. On the first day, he was sitting in my computer class and I began to wonder how he would type. He had appendages on his elbows that allowed him to hold a pencil and type on the keyboard. He never complained and always had a smile on his face while overcoming physical adversity. He went onto high school to march in the band and play the drums. He is now in collge working toward his career. What an amazing student! --Maridale
 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I have had several students who have made an impression on my life. One was a student with muscular dystrophy. He had the most creative mind and outlook on life. Even when he was having a tough day, he had a smile on his face and was willing to help other students with their projects. His personality and willingness to help others had earned the respect of the other students in the class. Another student had just lost his mother to cancer. He and his father did not see eye to eye and his mother had been the buffer between them. He struggled daily with the grief of loosing her and trying to build a relationship with his dad. Throughout the two years I had him in class, I watched him mature and make peace with his father. . --Joyce
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Wow, this is a hard question for me to answer. I was sitting here reflecting about this question and I couldn't think of one student that just has made such a lasting impression on me. I have had several students that have greatly impacted my life professionally and personally. I do think recently a student that has made a major difference in my life was a former student who died from cancer a few months ago. This student was a very respectful student who always had a smile or found amusement within the classroom. While sitting at his funeral and listening to the preacher talk about the student's life and bravery through his battle with cancer, I wondered if I did my best to make his life meaningful and engaging. It made me think about my own children and how was I making their life meaningful and engaging. I think listening to the preacher and attending his funeral has really impacted the way I interact with students and my own children. --Amy

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">9. What do you feel is one of the best methods to motivate students? --Maridale
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I feel that one of the best methods to motivate students is to give them a goal to work toward. We do a college and career unit along with career assessment, which gives students an opportunity to utilize surveys to find out what careers they might have a greater aptitude for. This allows them the time to think about career opportunities that they might be best suited for. With a possible career in mind, they might work harder in school to achieve this goal. --Maridale
 * <span style="color: #217a21; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Building a relationship with the students is necessary to help them be successful. Finding ways to use their interests in the lesson helps engage them and motivate them in the concept. One of the most motivating strategies has been giving students choices on how they learn the material or how they demonstrate their knowledge. At our high school, our students have very little control how the Army impacts their lives. By allowing students a choice in how they learn the concepts, they are able to have control over something in their lives. When I have "dictated" the learning method, there are more students who do not work on the assignment. Allowing choices with the same assignment, students are excited and work hard to complete it. --Joyce
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I agree with Joyce that building a relationship with the students is one of the best ways to motivate them. You really need mutual respect and a trusting relationship. --Amy