Pre-planning essentially begins with brainstorming. And, there are more effective ways to brainstorm than other. For example, you don’t want to brainstorm to the point that it inhibits creativity, right?

According to Effective Brainstorming, a Whitepaper from idfive: Informed Design, collaboration is still the best way to achieve results, BUT we need to follow “mature guidelines”. Here is a summary of their steps to effective brainstorming which also leads to discovered value:

1. Beware the extrovert bias
   This means introverts have often been the best thinkers in history, but animated and outspoken individuals often get the attention. Giving attention to the extroverted members limits (often brilliant) possibilities that the “quiet” introverted collaborators can contribute. Allow the introverts among your team some time and include them in all decision making.
2. Challenge assumptions and falsify
   Don’t silence debate; it will limit diverse perspectives and critical thinking. It’s OK to act like a scientist and try to get to the truth through eliminating those things that are false.
3. Build consensus for hard data
   To help keep competing egos and opinions at bay, begin with the facts.
4. Utilize relationships, don’t ignore them
   Use existing positive personal dynamics to move your project/entry forward.
5. Foster genuine, not enforced, respect
   We all have egos and differences will arise.Therefore, be sure to earn respect through the way you communicate during those moments of debate. Respectful communication delivers positive results vs. disrespectful communication.

TRIO Quest believes that these helpful guidelines will not only be helpful during pre-planning, but during production, and post-production as well. These steps will also help you lead in other areas of your life.

To see the entire whitepaper, go to:
http://idfive.com/insight/whitepapers/effective-brainstorming

I typed in the following key words for Digital Storytelling Best Practices:

Digital Storytelling, Storyboard, Script, Purpose, Inform, Convince, Provoke, Question?, Audience, First Draft, Narration, Point of View, Storyboard, Visual Layout, Background Music, Cohesiveness, Media, Free Media Resources, Organize Components, Record, Tools, iMovie, Final Cut, Windows Movie Maker, Photo Story, Assemble Media, and Edit.

I don’t know about you but just reading the text is BORING!!! But put these words into Wordle.net and these are two of the countless images I could use!!

For more information on Wordle.net go to
http://depts.washington.edu/triolive/wordpress/ttt/archives/791
Have fun Word-el-ing!!!

And for more information on Digital Storytelling Best Practices, the following are great resources!

Center for Digital Storytelling

Developing Digital Storytelling with Students

The Future of Storytelling

Digital Storytelling Best Practices

1. Your site/entry cannot be judged if you haven’t made TQ11 an owner of your Site and your Storyboard. (Note: a Storyboard is only required for DigiMedia and DigiSites.) Therefore, follow the instructions on your activities Google Site Guide and add TQ11 as an owner for your Site(s), and your Storyboard(s).
2. Complete your Critical Thinking questions. Take care with this; it can add a lot of points!
3. Make sure to cite your sources. If you are submitting a DigiText, make sure to cite who took your images, even if you took them yourself! And, if you are submitting a DigiMedia, be sure to credit everyone who worked on or with your video (even yourself). And, if you are submitting a DigiSites, cite resources on web pages where used and then reference them on the required Reference page. Without citation, you cannot get into the finals for any TRIO Quest activity!
4. If you are under 18, remove all last names or personal information. Judges always note when they see last names or other information that could be detrimental to minors. Since the rules say a minor shouldn’t provide personal information, doing so could affect your scores.
5. Spell check! Judges really do not like misspellings.  And checking is so easy to do! Be sure to perform a spell check before you submit. The judges will be really happy!

These 5 steps will make the judges happy because they know you’ve paid attention to the rules and they will ensure that your site will be judged. Nothing is sadder than seeing someone’s hard work kept from judging because they have not completed a required step.

OHHHH! It doesn’t hurt to check the “Wanna Win? Checklists” (found on our site under Handouts) one last time! You have been using these checklists, right? I hope so because they will help you to meet the rubrics at the highest levels! …Just say’n.

This is an excellent and exciting addition to YouTube, as it not only allows you to share your works with others, but it creates an ever-growing library of videos that you can reuse, re-purpose, remix for your own use!

Below is the YouTube and Creative Commons announcement with important details on how to find Creative Commons licensed videos for you to use, AND how you can upload your own videos using the Creative Commons license.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

YouTube and Creative Commons: raising the bar on user creativity

For images that are free to use as long as you follow the guidelines, check out http://flickr.com/creativecommons/.

Once at flickr.com/creativecommons/ you’ll see the various licensed images that everyone can use as long as they follow the Creative Commons license requirements. There are definitions for the licenses in the right column. If you have questions about this, comment to this blog, and I can help.

Be sure to click “(See more)” under each license group and browse through a gazillion pictures. You can narrow the search once you open a  licensed group: for example, open “(See more)” under the Attribution group, enter a term that will help you find the type of image you need and, voila, those images with Attribution licenses appear. NOTE: to the left of the search text box is another drop-down menu to allow you to search “Everyone’s Uploads”, or just “The Getty Images Collection”, and/or just “The Commons”.

Since the flickr creative commons page contains images that can be used freely, be sure to look through each license group for the type of images that you need; then, cite the image you use according to its license.

Again, please make comments if you have other resources or need clarification, etc. To make a comment, click the title of this blog post; it will open a page with a Comment box at the bottom. This is your Blog too! Let’s talk.

Did you know that TRIO Quest activities receive more points for original content including images, art, music, graphs, etc? In fact, your entry will be disqualified if you use a copyright image, song, etc. for the DigiMedia and DigiText activities without permission!

NOTE: DigiMedia and DigiText DO NOT ALLOW Fair Use and a student must have permission to use any copyright materials as content; however, DigiSites allows Fair Use and the use of Copyright material with permission. But it is highly encouraged for students to create all original material and/or use a free use resource such as Creative Commons for all three TRIO Quest activities.

So, don’t despair! You’ve got Creative Commons for great music, sounds, images, graphics, etc. Creative Commons, a non-profit organization, believes that it is important to increase creativity through free and legal sharing, use, re-purposing, and remixing.

This means that there are writers, artists, musicians, photographers, etc., who want to share their work and they do it under Creative Commons license! And, here’s the good part, any work created with a Creative Commons license allows you to use it freely as long as you provide attribution to the creator according to the type of license it uses. How cool is that?

And, here’s an even better part, there are millions of terrific Creative Commons’ creations (images, sounds, songs, writings, art, etc.) online and it is growing every day.

I promise I will tell you where to find this cool FREE to use stuff, but first you need to know a little about Creative Commons. I recommend starting with two short and fun videos, A Shared Culture and Wanna Work Together? http://creativecommons.org/videos/

Once you view these videos, find out about the types of licenses under Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/

And, here’s a link to know how to cite something that you use from Creative Commons: http://mollykleinman.com/2008/08/15/cc-howto-1-how-to-attribute-a-creative-commons-licensed-work/ Remember, you will need to attribute any Creative Commons licensed work properly or face disqualification from DigiMedia and/or DigiText.

Finally, here is a Creative Commons for TQ11 PDF with some cool resources for images, music, etc.

Who needs Fair Use or permission when you’ve got Creative Commons!

Google Guides for DigMedia, DigiSites, and DigiText are available for you to use when creating Google Sites for your TRIO Quest activities. Each Guide is relevant to the TQ activity that you choose and offers you Options for your program’s needs. For example, the DigiMedia Google Guide below offers programs 3 options to create student Google Sites, as well as some facts to know.

Once you choose your option, you will see the Information and Steps that are specific to this option choice. To view instructions for each step, you simply click the Step and detailed instructions appear beneath each step. Click the step again, and the detailed instructions disappear.

There is a PDF for download to print out if desired.

So, you now have options to get your students into  team or individual Google Sites specific to  their activities. And, you always have us to help you through the process as well! Email tquest@u.washington.edu or call 206-543-9288.

1. Register as a Staff (required for Coach Reg)
   Note: If you registered with us after November 1, 2010 as TRIO Staff for Onsite or Online Training, you DO NOT need to register again
2. Next, Register as a Coach
   to receive a REQUIRED Coach Code for students OR to submit entries

*TRIO Quest activities are closely associated to the guidelines within the National Educational Technology Plan, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and portions of the Common Core Standards. TRIO Quest’s goals are to provide engaging and powerful learning experiences using technologies that are at the core of our daily lives. Specifically, TRIO Quest focuses on activities that help TRIO students to learn through the development of skills in research, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation, and proficiency in using technology.