Webstreaming Storm Trackers

Thursday, May 14th 2009 by Wes FryercloseAuthor: Wes Fryer Name: Wes Fryer
Email: wes@isteconnects.org
Site: http://www.speedofcreativity.org
About: Wesley is an international learning consultant, author, digital storyteller, educator and catalyst for educational reform focused on blended learning, differentiated instruction, and creative engagement. His bio is available on www.wesfryer.com/bio and complete vitae on www.wesfryer.com/vitae.See Authors Posts (74)

Tonight as the tornado sirens go off here in central Oklahoma I’m reminded of storm chasers and the inspiration for a new, educational nonprofit focused on digital storytelling and constructive social media use: StoryChasers! The STORM CHASERS are out in force tonight, and this interactive map from our local News9 station here in Oklahoma City permits Internet users to click on storm chaser cars to view the LIVE webstreams from their vehicles out on the road, in the path of these severe storms tracking across the midwest tonight.

SevereStudios.com is another website which features live webstreams from stormchasers, which can be viewed along with accompanying Google Maps showing the current location of the storm chaser.

Just as storm chasers use available technologies to follow a storm and bring both images and “the story” to an attentive audience, we should empower our students to constructively use digital media tools as well as the social web to communicate in compelling ways. Websites like Ustream, Mogulus and Qik are enabling anyone with a computer or cell phone to broadcast as well as record live video from anywhere an Internet connection is available. For the past three years, our statewide “Celebrate Oklahoma Voices” project has sought to empower educators in Oklahoma to effectively utilize digital audio recorders, cameras, and microphones to create and share videos on the “global stage” of the Internet.

What are educators and others doing to empower “story chasers” in your community? Remember ISTEvision.org is seeking digital stories in advance of NECC!

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