Digital Storytelling in the classroom

1. Digital Storytelling in the classroom By Kyra D’mello, Ingrid Fizely & Sherree Spargo

2. What is Digital Storytelling? Digital storytelling is the art of telling a story through a combination of digital video, still photographs, animations and audio. It is commonly used to express deeply personal stories. Different types of digital stories include: - Personal narratives such as discovery stories and stories about events or places in our lives. - Examination of historical themes and events which are based on resources students use. - Stories that inform or instruct on specific topics such as Science and Technology. http://www.storycenter.org/stories/index.php?cat=3

3. The Purpose of a Digital Story Digital Storytelling can be introduced as an interactive learning tool, but can effectively be used by both teachers and students. Digital storytelling can “generate interest, attention and motivation in your classroom,” (NASA PPT online). It is an innovative way to communicate key concepts to students. The task for today’s lesson has been created to explore the personal life stories of individuals in a creative manner. This task would be suitable in a Stage Two unit such as ‘My Growing Self’ from the PDHPE Modules.

4. Benefits in the classroom • Introducing (or developing) students’ skills in utilising various IT programs. • Allowing students to reflect their thoughts to effectively narrate their story about a personal topic. • Developing a sense of self worth through their unique story which results in a rewarding experience. • Challenging creative minds and improving research skills. • Promoting inquiry based learning through the modalities of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic.

5. Other strategies for using Digital Storytelling • Develop a short story about a historical, scientific, literary, or current political/social hero students most want to be like, telling the story as if they were actually that person. • Act as if you are a totem pole (panda bear, invention, math/science concept, or song), telling your autobiographical story about the deeper meaning of their inanimate object’s importance to themselves or their community. • Turn a current event into a personalised narrated myth that would be told many years to many generations into the future. • Create a multimedia experience of existing poems by vocally performing the emotional content and choosing to create a montage of images and sounds that go beyond the literal meaning to illuminate the deeper personalised meaning found. • Translate complex scientific, historical, or political ideas into understandings through a personal narration that guides deeper understandings rather than re-telling information. • Relate the cause and effect of a dilemma like stem cell research using digital storytelling elements. What is the personal story and meaning for our lives, community, or humanity if the research works in positive ways? What is the personal story and meaning for our lives, community, or humanity if the research works in negative ways? • After students finish a class or community service project, they create their own personal story of a defining moment in which the work and experiences changed the way they understand or view their world. Ideas taken from: www.adobe.com/education/digkids/storytelling/

6. TODAY’S TASK...

7. iMovie Viewing Pane Task Pane For adding music, media, text >>>

8. Resources used in this workshop • iMovie - an easy to use program suitable for creating digital stories. • iTunes - this was used to obtain music tracks for our digital story. • iPhoto - was used to import all photos, ready to be used within the digital story. • GarageBand - allows the simple conversion of a file to a podcast. • Integrated Apple webcam & microphone - both of these were utilised for our digital story (voice-overs and filming). • iWeb - creates fantastic website on pre-made templates. The following Windows based programs are also suitable for creating digital stories: • Microsoft PowerPoint • Windows Movie Maker • Photo Story • Audacity

9. References • Adobe Digital Kids Club: Digital Storytelling. Website retrieved on 24th September 2008 on: www.adobe.com/education/digkids/storytelling/ • Acmi. (n.d.). Storytelling and the digital generation. Retrieved October 2 2008 from Website: http://www.acmi.net.au/2A95168F3B53482EBF498411B5DAFE75.htm • Barrett, H. (2008). Digital Storytelling. electronicportfolios.org. Retrieved: July 11 2008 http://electronicportfolios.org/digistory/ • Digital Storytelling. (2008). Arizona Learning Interchange. Retrieved: July 23 2008 http://www.teachingteachers.com/ • Digital Storytelling. (2008). Daryll Bellingham. Retrieved: July 23 2008 http://www.storytell.com.au/digital.html • Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling. (2005). University of Houston System. Retrieved: July 23 2008 http://www.coe.uh.edu/digitalstorytelling/ • Flickr. http://www.flickr.com • Google Image • http://www.storycenter.org/stories/index.php?cat=3 • Microsoft Office Online Clipart • Nasa?! (n.d.). Digital Story Telling Powerpoint. Retrieved October 2, from Website: http://stargazers.gsfc.nasa.gov/doc/DigitalStoryTelling.ppt • Robin, B. (2008). The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling. Retrieved October 2, from Website: http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/powerpoint.html