Digital media everywhere

  This past weekend I went to the Green Festival here in D.C. at the Convention Center.  Unlike last weekend when I went to the digital storytelling presentation I was not going expecting to see a lot of digital media.  However, when I was there I couldn’t help but see it everywhere.  This is my 3rd year attending the festival and I think that this year was it’s strongest presence.  The first booth I went to was the sylvania energy saver booth.  If I gave them a used lightbulb they would give me a new energy efficient lightbulb.  As part of the deal I had to fill out an online pledge to energy efficiency.  So many of the booths had a digital media component that the public could interact with and learn more about their organizations.

      The presentations also included digital media.  The first talk I went to was to hear the environmental consultant for Montgomery County Schools and her plan to create green schools.  A Powerpoint presentation accompanied her talk.  After our analyzing exercise of Angela’s principals presentation, I couldn’t get over that this woman would also choose to use glaring red text on a white background. (It wasn’t for the whole presentation, but it was still too much) 

   The afternoon presentation panel discussed art & politics.  One of the presenters had created an elaborate powerpoint presentation but when she saw the small audience she changed plans.  Instead she instructed us to sit in a circle and have a more intimate conversation.  I wonder what the presentation would have been like if she went ahead and did her original presentation.  Maybe the audience would have been more reluctant to dialogue.

  Recently I have been thinking about digital media frequently and most specifically our own digital storytelling projects.  Any technical tips we learn in class will be very beneficial to me, including audio which Nathan mentioned.  I think I have decided the subject of my story.  I would like to tell the story of the garden run by the elementary school that I work.   Since it is a project I am already very invested in I am very interested in telling its story.  I also see potential for it to be an educational tool in the classroom.  Hopefully, Heather I can discuss this possibility more with you in class on Thursday.