Week 6

 Digital Storytelling


Want to help students acquire 21st century skills, helping them to be proficient in new literacies? Then giving them an opportunity to participate in digital storytelling is a must! This week, you'll learn more about what this is, explore some great Web 2.0 resources that allow students to share their multimedia stories, and learn how to use your own tools to create a story from scratch.

Are you a person who learns best by listening and watching? Then go to Alan Levine's tutorial, "50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story." Here is the accompanying wiki. Follow the links to find more great resources.

While Alan features 50 different Web 2.0 applications that can assist with digital storytelling, we'll focus on just a few. The first one is VoiceThread. This is a powerful tool that can be used for many different tasks, but for now, lets focus on storytelling. Perhaps the best way to gain an understanding of what this tool can do is to watch a couple of Voicethreads. Here is one on the topic of digital storytelling. Here is a sample of a student-created story using VoiceThread. Are you getting the idea?

VoiceThread offers a free account that allows any individual to post up to three VoiceThreads. In order for students to comment, they can either use the teacher's account, or register for their own free account, but remember that students should not use their real or full names, and not their actual photograph for their avatar. It is fun to watch the VoiceThreads in which students have created a drawing that is converted into a JPEG file and uploaded as their avatar. Others have found copyright free photographs of animals or objects. Be creative! Students don't have to have a microphone on the computer. They have the option of typing comments or using a telephone to place a comment. You have the option of setting a VoiceThread to public or private. If you set it to private, only those whose email addresses you register in your account will be able to view and place comments (if you invite them). You also have the option of making a VoiceThread public, but not allowing public comments.

If you are interested in the ability to post and share more than three VoiceThreads, you might want to consider a special version of the program that is designed for educators: Ed.VoiceThread.

 Thing #14


Discovery Exercise:
  1. Click on the Browse button in VoiceThread and select several to watch.
  2. Create a free account in VoiceThread. Upload an avatar.
  3. Post a comment on any of the VoiceThread's you visited.
  4. Create a blog posting about your explorations of VoiceThread. How could you use this in the classroom? Share the URL to the VoiceThread where you left a comment.
  5. OPTIONAL CHALLENGE: Create a VoiceThread and share the URL (or embed - bigger challenge) on your blog!
Discovery Resources:
Some Other Software/Programs that create video output using photographs:
Microsoft Photo Story - Click here for an example of using this in the classroom.
Scrapblog - Click here for a sample.
Animoto (Click on "Learn More" for a 60 second overview of the program) Here is a sample I created in about 10 minutes.

 Curriculum Connections

IDEA #1: Have students create VoiceThread booktalks - 1 minute commercials for their favorite book. Students can create drawings to illustrate what they are talking about - scan them or create them electronically using a program such as KidPix.

IDEA #2: Have students illustrate their own creative stories, post the drawings in VoiceThread, and read their stories outloud as the pictures are displayed. Classmates can make predictions, ask questions, or make comments about the story.

FlipCams & Windows Movie Maker
Those of you who are participating in the Academy School District 20 "20 in the 21st" mini-grant will receive a Flip Video Camera to use to capture video that might be used in digital storytelling. We will have a face-to-face workshop to practice using these. For further reference and for those not working on the grant, here are some great resources to help get you started:

Flip Video Camera tutorials:
An Introduction to the Flip Camera:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq_i0_OPCz0&feature=related

Installing the Flip Camera Software: http://www.learnthisthing.com/2008/07/31/installing-the-flip-video-camera-software/

How to make a video with the Flip Camera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA_Bc742JQ8&feature=related

How to download video to a computer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9-MP2XbRyk
Your camera is to be your tool to capture engaging movie clips - around school or in the community - that you can use to tell a story. While you are doing this, think of how your students might use this tool to enhance their learning and communication skills. The tool we will focus on to create a video using your footage, plus possibly copyright friendly photographs from Flickr or other sources, is Windows Movie Maker.

Windows Movie Maker is a free application for those with Microsoft Office installed on their computer. It allows users to assemble photos, movie footage, and sound to create a digital movie. To get this application loaded on your computer, contact your BTC if it is an Academy School District 20 computer, and if you are on your own computer, click here for download information.

There are many features contained within this program that might not be immediately obvious. For best results, go through the free tutorials from Atomic Learning on Windows MovieMaker 2. Grant participants will have face-to-face instruction on this program.

 Thing #15


Discovery Exercise
  1. Think of an idea or concept that you would like to share with students in a 3-minute film. You might get some ideas by searching or browsing through Teacher Tube, or use this Bubbl.us brainstorming tool to help.
  2. Use a storyboard tool to frame your ideas. Here are a few different types:
    1. Celtx (free download)
    2. Kid's Vid (Just create an online account)
    3. Storyboard Template (PDF document - print off and hand-write)
  3. Film the clips that you need. (NOTE: If students are in the film, you must make certain that their parents have signed permission through the AUP before you post this on the Internet)
  4. Use Windows MovieMaker to edit and create a final product.
  5. Write about your experience on your blog. What were some of the challenges? Do you think students will have the same or different challenges? How can this experience help you help your students?
  6. OPTIONAL CHALLENGE: Upload your film to your blog!
  7. OPTIONAL CHALLENGE: Skip ahead to Week 7 to learn about Audacity. Build your sound track in Audacity - which allows you to put multiple tracks together (i.e. music AND narration). Use this Audacity sound track in your movie!
Discovery Resources for Digital Storytelling:

Great sample about 21st century learning
Course by Annette Lamb with tons of links
Bernajean Porter's Site - Great resources, examples, etc. Look at all examples in the StoryKeepers' Gallery! Check out the digital media scoring guides, and the 7-step tutorial.
Digital Storytelling in a Nutshell, by JVB, NECC ‘05
Sample student projects
Creative Commons Copyright Friendly Music for Video
Tools for Assessment:
Intel' Assessing Projects
Rubistar
“Storyboarding is a function of complexity. If students create projects that are much longer than 2 minutes, then they should create some kind of formal storyboard. I have created storyboarding materials specifically for this kind of digital storytelling that you are free to use.”
  • Voice Thread
  • Photo Story (You can use Creative Commons images from Flickr-storm)
 Curriculum Connections

IDEA #1: Collaborate with a class of students in another state or country. Students from one class begin a story using drawings and narration, and the students from the other class finish the story.

IDEA #2: Add a real-world element to your digital storytelling assignment to students. Ask professionals to review and give feedback to students.
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