Embedded in this story, technology contributes the authentic songs/calls of=
the birds and bird photos. The story is told in front of a small screen wh=
ere photos of the birds appear from a rear screen projector so that I have =
freedom of movement as a storyteller, and never step in front of the beam o=
f light. In a classic storytelling session, the listener would imagine the=
way the birds look and sound. But this is a marriage fact and fancy. It =
is an informance, and I have goals that involve learning some identifying c=
haracteristics of the birds. The 'facts' of authentic song and photos are =
made explicit and not imagined.
What equipment was used?
Windows laptop computer with Power Point 2003. Digital (DLP or LCD) projec=
tor (600x800 resolution) which can reverse images on screen. VGA cable. S=
ound amplifier and speakers, and/or microphone setup. 4x6 foot table, or t=
wo desks, on which to place the computer and projector. Translucent Screen =
(about 27x36 inches) which can be positioned about 4 feet in front of proje=
ctor made of a 27-30 inch wide window shade or embroidery backing material.=
Rigid stand or freestanding support for the screen-- a large picture frame=
or laundry rack. Set of digital picture files of individual bird pictures.=
Resolution 600x800. ( .jpg is best format.) Set of sound files of individ=
ual bird songs. (.wav or .mp3 format). Table of picture and sound file name=
s correlated by bird name
=09
What did we do?
We needed was to obtain the use of professional pictures and sounds and a s=
oftware program to display them in concert with the narrative. Eight birds =
was the magic number. Each of the eight=97great blue heron, snowy egret, ma=
llard duck, wood duck, Canada Goose, Red Tailed Hawk, and Great Horned Owl =
could be easily observed and heard in most seasons at the preserve. The dig=
ital pictures we got from our nature center volunteers were very good. We c=
ould see the outline of the heron=92s body; the characteristic feathers on =
the head; the enormous wingspan; the long spindly legs; the long beak. The =
habitat background, especially the nest, is correct for each species. The p=
ictures were in .jpg format, at a high 600x800 resolution, and about 1 MB i=
n file size. (Internet thumbnails do not have enough resolution and picture=
quality to be projected.) We used them =93as is=94 without enhancements ot=
her than cropping
=09
The sounds were another matter. None of our local contacts had the speciali=
zed equipment to record in the field. We needed the adult heron croak, the=
sqwawks of immature herons in the nest, the quack quack of dabbling and di=
ving ducks, the cackling geese=85the scream of the red tailed hawk and the =
great horned owl.
=09
We asked permission to use the Cornell Ornithology Lab=92s (Macaulay, 2006)=
recorded sounds of our eight birds. After six months we got them. They ne=
eded to be amplified and converted to .mp3 format for convenient use in the=
Power Point presentation program. We imported the pictures into Power Poin=
t in the order they were to appear in the narrative. Then we embedded the s=
ounds onto the pictures. A small icon is displayed wherever it is needed on=
the picture allowing the operator to double click on it in order to produc=
e an instantaneous response of the bird=92s traditional sounds, and another=
click to silence the sound, so as not to override the storyteller=92s voic=
e or interfere with the progress of the story. The storyteller cues in the =
sound by requesting a specific response to the phrase, =93If you are my mot=
her, could you sing me your song?=94 The requested bird sings, digitally.
How did the marriage of Fact and Fancy work out?
As the storyteller moves through the story, the individual bird pictures ar=
e projected onto a 24x36 inch rear projection screen surface. Power Point h=
as the capability of image reversal, as do most digital projectors, so that=
the image is displayed correctly. The pictures are advanced by clicking th=
e proper arrow, either on the keyboard or the PowerPoint screen. In slide s=
how mode the icon for stopping the sound doesn=92t work well, so the operat=
or needs to bring the sound volume down, and then back up for the next pict=
ure. A student could be retained as the operator.
The beauty of rear projection (as opposed to front projection) is that it a=
llows the room lights to be left on and does not require room darkening sha=
des or curtains. The other advantage of rear projection is that the storyt=
eller can stand next to the picture and not walk in the path of the light b=
eam, and can maintain selective eye contact which is necessary for a genuin=
ely successful storytelling experience.
=09
The screen material is a choice of the least expensive light transmitting w=
indow shade (with the spring-loaded core removed), or a similar sized piece=
of embroidery backing fabric stretched between two vertical supports. We =
used a freestanding metal laundry rack and some clothespins to stretch the =
screen taut and flat. Two woodshop clamps with the screen stretched between=
them would work well on a typical classroom desk or table. In the field, t=
ent poles or badminton poles would work well as long as the screen is arran=
ged so as not to flap or catch the wind.
=09
When the story is finished, the projectionist moves backward through the so=
unds, without the pictures (by blocking the light from the projector with a=
manila folder). This is to allow audience recall by sound alone. If prompt=
ing is needed, the operator can remove the folder and momentarily reveal th=
e picture. Power Point is not yet sophisticated enough to achieve this effe=
ct. If the picture is turned off, or a blank picture frame is inserted, the=
icon is not available to bring up the sound.
=09
What could you do?=09
Could this informance project be done by one teacher working alone? Not lik=
ely! It requires collaboration. You will also need a capable and responsib=
le student assistant. He/she must be familiar with manipulating digital pho=
tographs, and playing sound files from within Power Point, operating a lapt=
op computer and a digital projector together, controlling sound playback an=
d being able to remember where the pictures and sounds fit into the story. =
There is a new digital presentation program called =93Inspiration=94 (Inspi=
ration, 2006) which seems better suited to teacher and student use.
=09
Could this informance project be adapted and used for other birds or animal=
s? Yes! One particularly good use would be to scan student art work that re=
lates to the story and project it on this system As long as your informance=
program stays in the classroom, you could use other pictures under fair us=
e provisions, and copyrighted work with appropriate written permission. You=
should think very carefully before loading any of these pictures or sounds=
onto a public website.
References
Cahill, Larry, et al. (2006), =93Enhanced Human Memory Consolidation with P=
ost-Learning Stress: Interaction With the Degree of Arousal at Encoding=94=
, downloaded from www.learnmem.org on July 3, 2006.
Chase, Richard (1945), Grandfather Tales, Houghton Miflin, Boston
Cusimano, Addie (2005), Auditory Sequential Memory Instructional Workbook, =
Achieve Publications.=09
Egan, Kieran (1985), =93Individual development in literacy=94, in Literacy,=
Society, and Schooling: A Reader, Cambridge University Press
Gibson, Dan (1999), Songbirds by the Stream, Solitudes Ltd, Toronto Canada
Goleman, Daniel (1995), Emotional Intelligence, Bantam, N.Y.
Inspiration (2006), Inspiration Inc, Portland, OR
Jensen, Eric (1997), Teaching with the brain in mind, ASCD, Alexandria VA
La Fleur, Joseph A. (2006), Better Birdwatching in the West: DVD Field Guid=
e, Loveland, CO
MacDonald, Margaret Read (1991), Look back and see, H.W. Wilson, NY
Macauley Library (2006), Cornell University, Department of Ornithology, Ith=
aca, NY
Thayer, Richard (2004), Our Birds: California (DVD), www.thayerbirding.com
Appendix A.
The Two Baby Herons
copyright 2006
by
Mary Lynne McGrath
3279 D Street
Sacramento CA, 95816
950 words
(adapted from a Cuban folktale retold by Elvia Perez, in the book, "From t=
he Winds of Manguito"
(*) =3D the place in the story where the real bird song/call is heard on th=
e CD/DVD
One day a male and a female Blue Heron met and fell in love. Becau=
se it was Spring, they made a nest and laid two eggs. Every day they sang =
to the chicks growing inside the eggs. But before the eggs could hatch a t=
errible thing happened. Something scared the Herons and they flew away and=
left the two eggs alone in the nest. The sun was shining and it warmed th=
e eggs, and before long, two Blue Heron chicks hatched out. The first thin=
g they said when they looked around was , "Where is my mother and where is =
my father?" They were babies but they knew that every living thing has a =
mother and a father. They waited and waited, but nobody came for them. Poo=
r little Herons! They decided to go out into the world and look for their =
parents. They didn't know how much danger waited in the big world for two =
baby birds.
Close by to their tree they saw a beautiful large bird, as white as=
snow. They hoped this would be Mama or Papa, but they had never seen thei=
r mother or father. They didn't know what they would look like, but they d=
id know what they would sound like. "Didn't we hear them when we were insi=
de the egg?" one asked the other. So they asked the Snowy Egret if she wo=
uld sing her song for them. She was very surprised to see the chicks, but =
she sang, and they listened. (*) They both knew it was not their parent's=
song. Sadly they waved goodbye and walked on to the pond. When they loo=
ked back they couldn't see their tree or their nest anymore.
On the shore of the pond, they saw a pair of birds floating in the =
water. The male had a sparkling green head and the female had a blue strip=
e on her wing. When they asked, the female sang her song. (*) No, it was=
the wrong song. The Mallard Ducks were not their parents.
The little Herons took a drink from the pond, and watched as two b=
eautiful ducks swam by at the far end where the cattails grew.
Could these splendid ducks be mother and father? The Heron chicks =
really hoped so. They wanted all those colors and especially the helmet of=
feathers that the male wore on his head. "Would you sing your song for us=
?" The Wood Ducks began their very surprising song. (*) Wonderful, but no=
t the song they heard in the nest. The chicks were so discouraged, they ha=
d walked a long way, and they were tired and hungry. Then they heard a joy=
ful noise in the sky over their heads.
When they looked up they saw a flock of Canada Geese, honking up a =
hullabaloo. (*) They knew this was not the song they needed, but it was so=
much fun watching all the geese land in the pond that they didn't notice a=
shadow passing over them. Something was watching from high up in the sky.=
Something that was very hungry. When they finally looked up the Red-tail=
ed Hawk was plummeting down and screaming its call as it plunged toward the=
m. (*)
Now the little Herons were not afraid. They thought this amazing, =
swift bird might be just what they were looking for. After all, wasn't thi=
s bird coming for them? As the hawk got close one called out, "Mama?" and=
the other "Papa?" The hawk froze in mid-air. She was confused. Never be=
fore had her meal called her Mama. She wheeled around and muttering to her=
self, she flew back up into the sky, looking for another breakfast. Now th=
e little Herons knew they had been in danger. They had seen the hungry loo=
k and sharp talons of the Hawk. The littlest asked, "What was that bird go=
ing to do to us?" They decided to get out of sight, and wait, as they were=
too tired, too hungry, and too thirsty to go on looking. Where could Mama=
and Papa be?
They had traveled all day, and still hadn't found their parents. N=
o one had fed them or helped them. They huddled together under a tree and =
cried and cried. The sun was setting in the West, and they knew they could=
n=92t live another day without their parents. Up above their heads, a bird=
who sleeps in the daytime and hunts at night was waking up and calling. (=
*) They listened to the song of the Great Horned Owl and cried some more, =
because it was the wrong song. Then just as their little heads began to dr=
oop, they heard another sound.
As they looked into the sunset they saw two birds flying toward the=
m, with great strong wings. (*) They listened and their hearts began to t=
hump. It was the song they had heard in the nest. Finally, it was the rig=
ht song. This was the song of the Great Blue Heron. Now the little Herons=
were crying for joy. The parents swooped down, picked up the babies and h=
eld them close. They flew back to the nest with them and fed them until th=
eir stomachs were full. Safe under the wings of Mama and Papa, the two lit=
tle Herons went to sleep and dreamed of all the songs they had heard that d=
ay. (all the songs can be replayed) And in the morning they heard the best=
song in the whole world. The song of Mama and Papa Great Blue Heron.(*)
|