Digital Storytelling and eBooks
The first I had heard of digital story telling was this course. I asked some friends if they knew what a digital story was. They did not! I told them I didn’t either but I had to make one so I guessed I would learn! In the article, Seven Things You should know about Digital Stories, a digital story is defined as a combination of “narrative with digital content including photos, sound, and video to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional content”. It is further stated that “digital stories can be effectively applied to any subject and can be instructional, persuasive, historical or reflective”. The potential use of resources is virtually limitless.
In The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, the authors state that a digital story generally lasts between two and ten minutes. Daniel Meadows defines digital stories as “short personal multimedia tales told from the heart.”
Under the create tab in The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, the necessary sequence of steps are outlined as follows:
A Step-By-Step Approach to Creating a Digital Story from Material Found On the Web
PART ONE: Define, Collect, Decide
1. Select a topic for your digital story.
2. Create a folder on the desktop where you can store the materials you find.
3. Search for image resources for your story, including: pictures, drawings, photographs, maps, charts, etc. - Save these resources in your folder.
4. Try to locate audio resources such as music, speeches, interviews, and sound effects. - Save these resources in your folder.
5. Try to find informational content, which might come from web sites, word processed documents, or PowerPoint slides. - Save these resources in your folder.
6. Begin thinking of the purpose of your story. Are you trying to inform, convince, provoke, question?
PART TWO: Select, Import, Create
1. Select the images you would like to use for your digital story.
2. Select the audio you would like to use for your digital story.
3. Select the content and text you would like to use for your digital story.
4. Import images into Photo Story.
5. Import audio into Photo Story.
6. Modify number of images and/or image order, if necessary.
PART THREE: Decide, Write, Record, Finalize
1. Decide on the purpose and point of view of your digital story.
2. Write a script that will be used as narration in your digital story AND provides the purpose and point of view you have chosen.
3. Use a computer microphone and record the narration of your script.
4. Import the narration into Photo Story.
5. Finalize your digital story by saving it as a Windows Media Video (.wmv) file.
PART FOUR: Demonstrate, Evaluate, Replicate
1. Show your digital story to your colleagues.
2. Gather feedback about how the story could be improved, expanded, and used in your classroom.
3. Teach a colleague how to create their own digital story.
4. Congratulate yourself for a job well done!
A list of rubric resources are included under the evaluate tab which includes Rubistar a free rubric creator. Under the resources tab, there is a multitude of links and sources for creating and supporting the use of digital stories. This particular site will prove to be invaluable as I continue to explore and create my own digital story.
Another great site is How to Create Simple Digital Stories at http://electronicportfolios.com/digistory/howto.html
This site has a wide variety of references and tools that can aid in the creation of a digital story.
Ebooks
My first knowledge of ebooks was during this past fall in Selection and Materials with Dr. Goldberg. She introduced us to “The Dot” in class and we were assigned to use it in some way with students and create a project of sorts. We were exposed to a variety of ebooks such as those with the ball bouncing over the words or the words highlighted. I thought then WOW, I wish this had been available for my kids. What a great and interactive way to read!
At my school, we have access to the ebooks that are available through the public library. We also have Encarta and the math, social studies, and science books are available online as well as the resources that accompany the series. We have access to an online dictionary and Encarta as well. I also found through Dr. Goldberg’s class that ebooks are available through the Gwinnett Public Library (That’s how we accessed “The Dot”).
David Lankes states in Ereaders, the iPad—Is That All There Is? that “What excites me about ebooks is not that they’re easier to carry around but that they’re digital documents. Couple that with a digital network, and now we’re talking about reinventing reading.
So what should an ebook look like? With a ubiquitous network connection, not only could I take notes, but I could access them along with cited passages and share them with colleagues and friends in real time. Or while reading a book on the iPad, Kindle, or Sony Reader, imagine engaging in conversation with the author, a friend, or coworkers as you’re reading. Picture a device that’s more a social access mechanism through text than a simple display.”
After reading this article I had to rethink my position regarding ereaders and ipads. Yes, it would be soooo much easier to take one device than a basket full of books to the beach, but would I miss the page turning and holding the actual book? The jury is still out on that one!
Resources and References
Barrett, Helen “How to Create Simple Digital Stories” retrieved from http://electronicportfolios.com/digistory/howto.html
Center for Digital Storytelling retrieved from http://www.storycenter.org/index1.html
Educause/ELI: 7 Things You Should Know about Digital Storytelling, retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7021.pdf
Integrating Digital Storytelling in your Classroom, retrieved from http://its.ksbe.edu/dst
Lankes, David Ereaders, the iPad—Is That All There Is? Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/ca6723753.html
Rubistar, retrieved from http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
The University of Houston, The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, retrieved from http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/alignment.html
The University of Houston, The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, Getting Started, retrieved from http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/getting_started.html
The University of Houston, The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, Rubrics, retrieved from http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/rubrics.html
I’m with you, Gem. The first I heard about digital stories was from a media specialist who just finished this class. She showed me examples and told how she agonized over the assignment. I just emailed back and sympathized with her. It seems a daunting project. I like your list of steps. I think teachers would like to use digital stories, but honestly, I don’t know how many would go to the trouble of making their own. The time needed is immense. I can already see this consuming my upcoming spring break. The copyright issue is the clincher for me. Teachers are generally rule followers by nature. I don’t want to work so hard on something only to find I can’t use it. I did like reading that you can use music which is copyrighted as long as it is appropriate and limited to education. I saw the example using the entire JFK speech on the race to the moon. Still, I might just sing the song I want to include myself, so I will apologize now. My students are used to my voice so they won’t mind.
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t thinking of these as emotional stories until I read the links about what is expected in a digital story. It made me think of Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary. His work always invokes emotion and pulls you into the lives of those involved when he reads letters of people long ago and tells stories of individuals. His haunting music and hypnotic narrative really get me interested in a topic that otherwise I would have ignored. I think this is the beauty of digital stories. As I started to research my chosen topic, I was amazed at how many standards I could cover using a story. I think it will make a lot of connections for students if done well. Let’s hope.
We have no ebooks at my school. We don’t have any online encyclopedias preset for student use. If students go online for information, it is of their own volition. I have encouraged my students to use online resources provided by the textbook publishers, but few make the attempt. Only additional games and resources are available, not the book itself. It would be very handy to access the book at home. Since my county hasn’t purchased new social studies books in over ten years, it is not recommended that students take books home. My county is talking about buying readers down the road instead of paper textbooks. I will be more than shocked if they follow through any time soon.
I too have just been introduced to digital storytelling. I think that it is a great way to compile a lot of different types of media to produce one great "movie". My students and I do ALOT of powerpoint presentations in my class. I am so excited to get to try this out on them. I think that they will really enjoy it. The get to research and apply all at the same time. It will be really cool for them to go home and tell their parents that they are making a "movie" in class!
ReplyDeleteI really like e-books too. Dr. Goldberg introduced them to me last semester as well. I have yet to use them in my classroom but I do use them with my 5 year old daughter who is still a non reader. She loves being able to find a book that I have read to her or one that she thinks is interesting and "read" it. I think that the annimation is a plesant bonus as well. Media specialist can increase their collection and parents and students have access from home to more books. It is a win win for all involved.
I too would hate to see the loss of kids actually picking up a book and turning the pages. Technology is a wonderful thing but sometimes there is no replacement for good old standbys like a good book.
The first I had heard of digital story telling was in this course as well. I have read the description of what we will be creating when we develop our digital stories and I looked at the different “pieces” of examples provided. With that being said, I still wasn’t clear on what a digital story books should really look like. Your description and step-by-step approach you listed is great! I now have an understanding of what I’m doing, even if I haven’t selected a topic yet. Digital stories sound a lot like a pathfinder but with more animation. I really like the way you have the four different parts listed explaining how to create and develop a digital story.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been skeptical of ebooks myself. I like holding a book in my hands, turning the pages, and being able to easy flip around to different sections. But, I had not really thought about ebooks for students such as the ones with the ball bouncing over the words for younger students. I can remember watching The Electric Company as a child and they would play songs that had the bouncing ball to help you follow along. I can see how this could really be a great way to get the students attention and interest. I guess ebooks are like anything else, there are positives and negatives to using them.
I am glad to see that I am not the only one that didn't know about digital storytelling before taking this class. Anything that I've seen that resembles digital storytelling has been produced by a software company and was not personal. I did not think about using digital storytelling within the classroom. I think it sounds great. I do agree that it will take time to create and produce these. However I do think that if a teacher and/or media specialist teamed up with someone else they could share the responsibility of creating these and also in teaching students how to make these. I also think the idea of presenting information in a visual and audio format would really work well with students who typically prefer one way over the other.
ReplyDeleteMy school does not use ebooks at this time. My principal is wanting to purchase some tablets to use within the school. I don't know enough about using them in a school yet to know if they would be effective. I have an iPad that I use to read books on. However, I haven't used it to read textbooks. I would want to know if the pages and pictures appear quickly or do they take time to load. If students could only use these in the media center or classroom how would they get a printable copy if needed. To me there are still questions and I would prefer to actually use a iPad or tablet to view a textbook or encyclopedia before making a final decision on their effectiveness. I think the idea of having the ball bounce over words for lower grades is fun and would keep the students interested and following along. I think that ebooks have a lot of potential in the school setting but I would like more information and data on their effectiveness. I would just be careful because so many times schools jump on the technology bandwagon and purchase things that are going to make major changes,...only to find out later that they didn't make the impact that they initially thought.
Thank you for providing a list of steps to the digital storytelling assignment. I also have to admit that this class is the first I have heard about digital storytelling and even my mentor (though I am sure she is not going to be happy that I am sharing this) was not exactly sure of how she could offer guidance with the digital story project, as she had never created a digital storytelling kit nor was sure she had ever seen one before (she just thought ebooks were the same thing). She does a lesson plan where students create a persuasive argument using PhotoStory, but I don't think that project is considered a digital story. Your step-by-step guidance will be of great use as we create our final assignment.
ReplyDeleteUpon explaining to my mentor about digital storytelling, she was very eager to see my digital story kit and hopefully implement it in her media program. However, she also has some hesitation about creating digital storytelling kits for student use. Unlike high school, she is the only media specialist at the school and is basically the "jack of all trades". She constantly gets pulled away to assist with variety of tasks, often ones that include helping the principal with special projects. When not teaching lessons, helping students locate materials, or fixing equipment/books, she is often working on the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl or upcoming Book Fair. She is overwhelmed at the thought of creating a variety of “kits” for students to use to create digital stories. She also mentioned that part of the research process is to give students the opportunity to locate their own audio and visual elements for projects. She feels that by providing a kit of them, they are having a lot of the work handed over to them. I see her point in that the media specialist should help guide students to where they can find good audio, video and graphic materials to create a documentary rather than find the materials for them. However, searching for these elements can take time that could be better utilized for other educational purposes. Either way, I am excited to see the end result of our digital story telling project and find ways to implement it in the media program.
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ReplyDeleteI agree. I did not know about digital stories, but I think that your summary provides comprehensive techniques that can be used to create these activities. I suggest that the media specialist could provide teachers with a worksheet of potential websites that include free music, audio, written text, and other information that is not protected by copyright and could be used to create digital stories for their students.
ReplyDeleteI also like your interpretations about ebooks. I think that the networking opportunities provided by these resources could also improve students' ability to learn curriculum subjects. I do think that teachers would need to regulate how students use these networking abilities. I also imply that the media specialist could ask about the teachers' preferences for ebook resources and learn which ebooks that they would like to have included in the media center. I agree that these library tools can improve the reading opportunities of teachers and students. I also think that your writing includes innovative activities for using these resources in the subject areas.
I love your step-by-step approach to how to create a digital story! You highlight every step of the digital story-making process - from planning, selecting materials, and executing the process of bringing the resources together to create the digital story. I think you give a thorough outline showing more than adequate steps to creating a great digital story.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to e-book readers, I agree that it is hard to change from the traditional book that allows you to actually flip through pages. It seems to me like digital readers are still finding their way when it comes to purpose and use within the K-12 school system. I think the best thing about e-readers is the fact that they can hold so much information. Today, we live in an information-rich society, and space is invaluable when it comes to housing materials. With e-readers, students can access hundreds of books from one device, and I think this is a benefit to the students and their media center.