Digital Storytelling

Digital Tools to help create a richer experience with stories.

1. Digital stories contained video clips, voice, music, etc.
2. Digital stories should still maintain elements of good story telling (character, plot, etc.).
3. Excellent for helping students engage.
4. Personal story telling can be particularly effective and can include historical references in all media.
5. Important components to consider when planning a project:

• Encourages Research - I've found that students who struggle with reading/writing are much more responsible to using digital media, which doesn't have to include many words.
• Incorporate personal voice - encourage students to explore the narrative form.
• Can project present an opportunity to explore point of view/perspective (paint brush perspective)
• Try to establish a dramatic question which will hold the viewer's attention (distinguishes story from a travel log)
• Include emotional content.
• Use a soundtrack. Help students see how music may enhance story, or interfere with the story.
• Economy - help students filter effective components and not overwhelm the story with too much. Teach simplicity.
• Discuss pacing. Is it monotonous? Overwhelmingly fast? Is there good variety of action speeds.

6. Helps students retain knowledge.

7. Increases communication skills.

8. Helps students understand that school is connected to the outside world.

9. Encourages creativity.

10. Promotes digital literacy (and literacy through researching and writing)

11. Specific steps in creating a digital story:

• Script or outline of project - planning always makes it better 
• Capture images with video camera, scan photos into computer
• Create story board *This step may be more efficient if it follow the script so you know exactly what images you need.
• Put images together in a movie or slideshow (iMovie, Garage Band, Power Point, lots of possible platforms).
• Add sound.
• Compress product for web.

12. Good for collaborating with tech teacher who can support process by teaching editing tools.

Personal reflection. WOW, so many possibilities! I can think of applications personally and in the classroom.

So now I have to stop to come up with the assignment....

Hmmmmm.           POSSIBLE DIGITAL STORIES:

1. Mom and Dad’s life for the anniversary party.
2. Short story of my favorite bike ride.
3. Exploration in the classroom of the history of Thanksgiving (good research topic and study of sequence and list describe text structures).
4. Study of development of technology through my life – how I’m living the space age in my old age. Contrast compare what I expected with what actually happened.

Other ideas I may want to steal:

“Idioms of everyday life” illustration

EASIEST ONE TO DO IN CLASS RIGHT NOW –

Thanksgiving!

Origins in Europe and throughout the world of harvest celebration.

First Thanksgiving in America – Pilgrims story in Plymouth  (post 1660) vs the Virginian story (first recorded in 1607 and then codified in 1619).

Why should we be thankful?

Thanksgiving as celebrated by my family.

 USE COMIC LIFE STORY BOARD FOR CREATING STORYBOARD. OR VIDEO STORYBOARD. CAN BE ACCESS FROM WEBSITE.

ASSIGNMENT: Explore components that will help you create a digital story. Check out Digistories. 

Assignments:
1. Create a script and storyboard for your own digital story and bring it with you to next week's class.
2. Bring digital media (photos, video, music) to class next week that go along with your storyboard.
3. Explore the online resources for digital storytelling listed on the class website.
4. Comment on this post. Include ways you could use digital storytelling with your students, something you learned in class, or thoughts about a digital storytelling resource you explored.