Digital Storytelling

1. Digital Storytelling Trends/Issues in Technology

2. What are Digital Stories? • Stories that are told through the use of digital tools • Focus on a specific topic or point of view • Vary in length (most often 2-10 minutes) • Can be used for any topic (history, personal narrative, math, retelling a story, etc.)

3. Contain a mixture of: • Computer-based images • Text • Recorded audio narration • Video clips • Music

4. 7 Elements of Story Telling • Find your story. (what will get your point across best) • Map your story. (how do you want to tell it) • Capture your audience’s attention right away, and keep it. (ex. Dramatic question) • Tell your story from your unique point of view. (don’t overload with information, just say important parts) • Use fresh and vivid language (be clear and specific) • Integrate emotion – yours and the audience’s. (create a tone and keep with it) • Use your own voice, in the script and in the audio. (be sure to pace yourself)

5. How Can I Use Digital Stories in my Classroom? Teacher Created Uses Student Created Uses Demonstrating learned content Retelling information Sharing student work Executing technological skills Creating original products • Pre-teaching vocabulary • Building background knowledge • Reviewing newly learned concepts • Assessing student learning • Assessing student technological skill development • Retelling a story for ESL learner

6. Benefits of Digital Storytelling • Encourages research • Fosters critical thinking skills • Encourages students to write and to work at becoming better writers • Gives students a voice • Tells a personal narrative • Helps students retain knowledge longer • Enhances learning by encouraging students to communicate effectively • Helps students make a connection • Encourages creativity • Works well with portfolio assessment • Promotes digital literacy

7. Example Long Vowel Sounds by Ms. Inabinet’s First Grade Class

8. Example Don’t Laugh at Me by Hope C.

9. Helpful Sites • Little Bird Tales – Allows pictures to be loaded along with words and audio; user friendly; available on the app store • Microsoft Word | Learning Guides – Great guides available for teachers along with rubrics and templates • Digital Storytelling with the iPad – Apps for storytelling (all-in-one, storyboarding/layout, scripting/writing, images, and audio) • Discovery Education – Provides a description, rubrics and storyboards, examples, and tools and resources • Voice Thread – Add images, video, and audio to build a story • Voice Thread For Education Wiki – Support of teachers on how to use voice thread; separated by grades

10. Lesson Plans • Digital Wish – A long list of lesson plans from grade K-12 using digital storytelling • Unit Plan – A week long unit plan using digital storytelling by having students create a story • Scholastic – A lesson plan of sharing culture through digital storytelling • Digital Storytelling Worksheet – A Microsoft Word document that is a prepared worksheet for students to write out the different parts that need to be in a digital storytelling

11. References • Educational Uses of Digital StorytellingIncludes: Examples, Software, Essentials, Create, Evaluate, Web 2.0 & Links • Microsoft in Education | Teaching GuidesDigital storytelling in the classroomIncludes: Rubrics, templates, and guides • Example Digital StorytellingScott County Student Digital Stories