Denise, Doug, Krisztina, Susan 2010

Origins In An Oral Tradition

STORY ELEMENTS  Engaging Tales  Often Interactive  Music/Songs  Theatrics:  Costumes/Props  Acted Out By Tellers

"Digital storytelling begins with the notion that in the not too distant future, sharing one's story through multiple medium of imagery, text, voice, sound, music, video and animation will be the principal hobby of the world's people." Joe Lambert, co-founder of the Center for Digital Story Telling “Digital Storytelling is a process that blends media to enrich and enhance the written or spoken word. Leaders in the field have called digital storytelling a new twist to storytelling – multimedia tales are the modern expression of an ancient art. Digital storytelling can encompass many topics beyond the classic story, take many forms, and employ an ever-expanding array of software applications. A digital story may have a narration overlay and sometimes a music background; it may combine, in any number of ways, images, audio, and video to tell a story or to make a factual presentation. In many cases, sound, music, and images surround the written or narrated content. Midge Frazell, Digital Storytelling: A Guide for Educators, page 9

Many online sources acknowledge the first digital stories to be the creative constructions of Dana Atchley in the early 1990s. He later collaborated with others including Joe Lambert to expand the form. The “King” and “Queen” of Digital Storytelling, Joe Lambert and Bernajean Porter, in addition to coining the term, have written many books and established many resources to aid prospective storytellers join in. Lambert’s Site – Center for Digital Storytelling Porter’s Site – DigiTales: The Art of Telling digital Stories Other Notables include: Gail Matthews-DeNatale at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts Carole McCulloch of the Digital Storytelling Network in Australia

 Digital Scrapbook/Scrapblog – this is a visual and/or multimedia format for sharing and preserving content.  ePortfolio – this is often tied to education and can be used to demonstrate, through journals and/or photographic elements, a student’s grasp of curricular competencies and educational experience.  Digital Photo Essays – this style focuses on enhancing the delivery and impact of stories through the usage of photographs, video, music, and other media; it helps to develop students’ audio-visual literacy, which is vital in the modern world.

Timelines Concept mapping Storyboards/storymaps

Useful to begin story Sequencing events Xtimeline ( ) Dipity ( )

Inspiration/Kidspiration-licensed to schools Gliffy (

PowerPoint Templates available from Google Storyboard Pro Software

Script Writing Shared Media Resources Copyright and Citation

“ There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you.”- Maya Angelou ~Identify a story to tell. The written narrative script telling the story in the author’s own voice is the heart and soul of digital storytelling. The script is tightly crafted (not text messaging style!) to tell a memorable story of understanding while using various media that can help show rather than tell, the information or ideas with words. ~Research the background and details of topic. ~A great deal of thinking, planning and synthesizing takes place during the creation of a script. ~Processes include drafting, teacher conferencing, peer review, & rewriting.

~Word processor is the tool of choice. ~Google Docs allows individuals to collaborate on a single document. ~Google Gears can be used if you want to work with the products you create with Google Docs when you are not online, you will install a small plug-in called Google Gears. It’s free and easy. ~Google Maps is an online tool for displaying maps of locations local or far. This is a useful classroom tool. All stories whether fiction or non-fiction have locations to be explored. Great tool for developing geography skills.

Shared Media Resources Photo/Free and copyright Photos are grouped by subject. is an example of working together to make it easier to view historical photographs. Video/Free and copyright Holds only video clips but is education friendly Audio/Free and copyright is a community music site that features music remixes licensed under Creative Commons is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds (not music) to be used for audio tracks and podcasts

Most restricted ~ Royalty Free means images are available for a one-time purchase Rights-Managed images are purchased for a certain purpose for a short time period. Royalty free and rights managed mean that you must pay for them. Noncommercial allows others to copy, display, and perform the work, as long as it is not for monetary gain. Student-created digital stories can be covered by a noncommercial agreement. No Derivative Works means the the original cannot be altered. Fair Use~ Fair use allows, in certain situations, educators and students to use a single image, a sound clip or a very short music clip without paying for it, but only within the classroom walls. Public Domain~ Photograp hs are often the most popular media element in student – created digital stories. Images that are public domain are the least restrictive for student use.

Advantages Supports multiple intelligences theories Supports differentiated learning environment Spans curriculum Active process of learning Creates interest Helps to meet all of the National Educational Technology Standards No extra cost or low cost Some webpage use advertisements (teachers have to make sure the website is ok for the students) Not everybody has access to the computer Have to make sure about the proper citation and/or copyright Teachers need to reduce the chance for bullying Disadvantages