Digital Storytelling

VoiceThread & Microsoft Photostory 3 

Want to help students acquire 21^st 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?

Discovery Resources for Digital Storytelling:

Great sample about 21^st 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

Using primary sources in Digital Storytelling

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. 

Voicethread

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.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Click on the Browse button in VoiceThread and select several to watch. 
2. Create a free account in VoiceThread.
3. Create a VoiceThread and share the URL (or embed – bigger challenge) on our wiki.

Discovery Resources:

• NECC WORKSHOP Wiki http://voicethread-workshop.wikispaces.com/
• Check these examples to see other ways that VoiceThread could be used.

  Connect people

  http://voicethread.com/view.php?b=1191

  In lieu of the traditional…Where did you go this summer project.

  http://voicethread.com/view.php?b=4284

  Students sharing their work

  http://voicethread.com/view.php?b=1527

  Showcase student learning

  http://voicethread.com/view.php?b=1149

  Colaborative student project

  http://voicethread.com/view.php?b=2916

  Explaining & reflecting on a student project: Teacher & Student voices—Comic Life

  http://voicethread.com/view.php?b=2229

  To create a “podcast” with which users can interact

  http://voicethread.com/view.php?b=3088

  This voice thread explains many other ways it could be used

  http://voicethread.com/view.php?b=3352

  Voicethread 4 Education - a wiki that collect examples of how educators are using Voicethread with their students or professional development

  http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/

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.

Microsoft Photo Story 3

Microsoft Photo Story -  Click here for an example of using this in the classroom.

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 Photostory 3 to edit and create a final product.
5. Upload your film to our wiki.