Week 7 Final Draft of Digital Stories

Final Draft of Mi Vida Loca

1. Raise awareness of a social problem- In my story (La Vida Loca) there are so many ways I can go about raising awareness, my husband is cooking with a shirt on that said " Tobacco Free Day 2014 WV RAZE". But I am going to talk about the students in my pictures. This group of young students are a youth coalition whom I have had for 5 years since 8th grade through a grant funded by Senator Byrd we were given a grant to develop the National Youth Leadership Initiative NYLI in partnership with Michigan State University and CADCA. These kids help me talk about high school drop out and substance abuse prevention all over the state. We have traveled from Charleston WV to Washington DC to meet with legislators to discuss funding for programs in our schools. 

We have asked for evidence based programs so that our health teachers can be trained in hope of empowering a drug free community. Why do I do this because I was a high school drop out. I dropped out of high school my junior year because I got tired of having to go up against the gangs, drugs and all the negative senescence of John F Kennedy High School. So now I teach prevention to keep kids in school and off drugs. That is my passion!

2. Build self-esteem-In my digital story I have a picture of very few words, that picture is about me on Graduation day at Fairmont State University. So much was happening that day! I will never forget, I had relatives fly in from Florida and New Jersey to see me graduate. I remember the morning of graduation. I took my dad with me to practice then the two of us went for breakfast I was stressing out about what am I going to wear, look at me an old lady graduating among these young adults. I had so many mixed feeling that day. I was graduating with a bunch of 20- 26 year old students. I felt out of place!

Meanwhile at my house everyone was getting ready and the kids where planning a little gathering for after the graduation. While I was getting ready my middle son Matthew came into my bedroom to help me with my graduation gown I told him to try it on soon it would be his turn! Matt said to me "Mom your a my HERO" thank you for doing this for our family this is a big day for you but an even bigger day for me. My Mom is graduating from College how awesome is that he said. I was at a lost for words. I hugged him and in that very moment my self esteem was in such a place of accomplishment a place I had never experienced before. 

I suppose its because I never really thought about what my kids thought about me going to school, to me I was just a mom trying to finish my education at an old age. Nothing to really brag about. 

3. Create an alternative to a stereotype typically portrayed in mainstream media.
I don't really know how to answer this, an alternative to stereotypical in my case would be to never give up understand personal experience so that you can live by example. Mainstream media is an over flood of things that are either positive or negative so choose what you want it to be. Then make a difference by changing the norm. 

Please view below my Final Draft 

http://youtu.be/RMuudRLZCwg

I use digital media to tell stories on the issues that affect our student community. I teach student how to make photo voice stories with photography that will help convey their ideas and how they want to share their expressions.
The student and I communicate through several different social media and we network with tools such as Edmodo, google live or SKYPE.