A WILD sledding adventure

One day over christmas break I was out sledding with my little brother, Michael. He dared me to go down dead man's hill, thankfully it was still light out. When we got to the bottom of it, there was a bear! I was scared at first. I noticed that he seemed to be going in a different direction, so I said, "let's just be really quiet and walk back." My brother was scared too so he quietly walked with me, hoping to escape danger.
As we were heading back to our normal sledding area, we looked behind us to see if we were making any progress. And to our surprise, there were MORE ANIMALS! THEY WERE HEADED TOWARD US! Were they running? Oh My! They're BUFFALO! WE WERE GOING TO GET STAMPEDED LIKE IN THE LION KING!!!! They kept getting closer, so we decided that we could not out run them and that we should just find a place to protect us. We began looking for the closest spot... should we climb a tree? With my snow gear it would be hard... where would I put my sweet intertube? I just got it for christmas! Mom will never believe this story! (She is a Buffalo Bill's fans... but...) The buffalo seem to be chasing the bear... wierd. Michael and I find a gaggle of trees and hide in between there, hoping that buffalo won't be able to run through there.
Now, we just sit and watch in amazement, and a little bit of fear... Where did this wildlife come from? I was not aware that these animals lived in central New York.
The bear looks so scared... I hope they all leave soon! So, then we can go home and drink hot cocoa and thaw out by the fire.
When we told our parenst what happened... of course they didn't believe us. I guess it will just be one more "story" Michael and I have.

digital video

How could I use digital story telling in my future classroom?
I could give it as an alternative for a take home assignment. This would also be a useful group project. I could also incorporate this into a technology lesson becuase I would first have to teach them how ot use the digital components. I could also create lesson plans with the use of digital storytelling, in order to show an example and to pique interest. This use of technology will encourage students towant to create their own digital stories.

Do I want to use digital storytelling in my future classroom?
I think that I would like to use digital storytelling in my classroom. It will be important to implement technology as it is the future if society. It would almost not be fair to my students to not incorporate technology in the classroom. Creating my own digital story would also be a useful way to introduce myself at the beginning of the school year. This might make my students think that I am super awesome too! : )

Is it worth it?
I think that the benefits definitely out weigh the costs. For some younger grades the stories may need to be simplified, or more explanation needed. It is also very important for you as the teacher to be familiar with all of the necessary skills so that it is worth it to both you and your students. In the end, a great project will be created and it will have a lasting affect.