Digital Storytelling

a. What is digital story telling?
Digital story telling is a combination of modern media technologies including digital images, video and audio in order to convey a story and message.

b. How would you use it in the classroom?
I think digital story telling could be a very useful way to get to know your students at the beginning of the school year. Teachers should have a general understanding of a student’s home life including family structure, support and by having a student convey that themselves, the teacher would have a good concept of what the child needs academically and socially. Students would enjoy putting together their own digital story and sharing it with the class. Teachers could also put together a digital story when teaching about a topic such as the Oregon Trail or the Civil Rights Movement in order to get students excited about the material. The students could either make their own digital story for the topic or the teacher could make it and present it to the class. Either way, making a digital story helps students to become familiar with technology and break up the monotony of the school day.

c. How would you need to scaffold this activity for the classroom?
Access to a large number of computers would be necessary so access to a computer lab or a classroom set of computers would be essential. If a teacher was to use digital storytelling multiple times throughout the year, it may be helpful to have students make a couple simple stories first so that they do not become overwhelmed with options. Then later in the year they will be able to make more complex stories and really get the most out of making them. Getting peer reviews would be a good way for students to learn what they could do to improve their stories and also teach the entire class how to give and receive constructive criticism. If a student was struggling academically in an area such as math or writing, a teacher could have them make a digital story to help them get more involved. Digital stories could be presented by a few different students every week covering the material they are studying so that the student gets more exposure to the material and the class gets a presentation.

d. What are the challenges of using this technology in a classroom setting with different age groups?
I think there are many pros and cons associated with every age group. However, I think if a teacher is aware of the potential problems that digital story telling can be successful at any age. With young students, providing pictures and a limited set of text and audio for them to use with help limit confusion and frustration. With older students, keeping on task and avoiding negative peer feedback would be important to be aware of. For any age group, having access to digital cameras, voice recorders/microphones and computers is a problem. Schools do not have unlimited funding to provide all of these so teachers may have to be creative with the resources they have.

e. What tools do you need to make available to students so that they can successfully complete a photostory?
Digital cameras, computers, internet access, photo story 3, microphones/voice recorders and a creative imagination are all useful tools.

f. Find five different websites to support your comments.
- A PowerPoint presentation explaining digital story telling:
digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/powerpoint/Educational-uses-of-DS.ppt

-Using Photo Story 3 in the PreK – 2 Classroom:
http://cnx.org/content/m32299/latest/

-Post about using Digital Storytelling in the classroom:
http://www.edutopia.org/power-digital-storytelling-classroom

-A website offering many links to websites and the tools they offer for the classroom (incl Photo Story 3 and examples of digital stories)
http://its.leesummit.k12.mo.us/digitalmedia.htm

-Examples of Photo Story 3 stories created by students
http://udl4all.pbworks.com/Examples+of+Classroom+Uses+of+Photo+Story+3

-Book Reports made using Photo Story 3
http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/34929.aspx