Jakes Online Website: http://www.jakesonline.org/websearching2.htm
Royalty Free Music Website: http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/
Soundzabound Website: http://www.soundzabound.com/
When you begin a digital story, music and images are two things that you are going to need to go with your recorded story that you wrote. I wanted to share some great image and sound sites that would be useful for a search for pictures and music.
If you aren’t using your own personal pictures, there are a lot of great databases that have pictures you can use, however keep in mind to give credit where credit is due. Among many good places to find images are Flickr, Google, Snap, and All the Web.
Finding music is tricky because of copyright laws. It’s always important to know what music you can and cannot use. Some of the places I’ve found are useful because they offer free music such as Soundzabound and Royalty Free Music.
Annette
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A Great Storyboard Organizer
Jakes Online Website: http://www.jakesonline.org/storyboard_side.pdf
Jake’s Online website has been a place I have been visiting lately to learn more about digital storytelling. I have found a pdf that gives a template for creating a storyboard for your digital story. A storyboard is simply a graphic organizer to outline your digital story before going to the computer and getting started. It gives the learner a way to organize all of their thoughts for images, voice, and transitions before they sit at the computer for hours and hours trying to figure out what they want to do.
It’s pretty much like a rough draft for the computer. This storyboard above is definitely a great layout of what a digital story should look like. However, it must be taught and modeled to make it work.
Annette
Jake’s Online website has been a place I have been visiting lately to learn more about digital storytelling. I have found a pdf that gives a template for creating a storyboard for your digital story. A storyboard is simply a graphic organizer to outline your digital story before going to the computer and getting started. It gives the learner a way to organize all of their thoughts for images, voice, and transitions before they sit at the computer for hours and hours trying to figure out what they want to do.
It’s pretty much like a rough draft for the computer. This storyboard above is definitely a great layout of what a digital story should look like. However, it must be taught and modeled to make it work.
Annette
10 Steps to a Digital Story
Lasica, J.D. (October 2, 2006). Digital Storytelling: A Tutorial in 10 Easy Steps. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from the Tech Soup Web site: http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/training/page5897.cfm
Hi fellow readers. I have found a great article to share today that has 10 sequenced steps to creating a digital story. Here is a brief overview of those steps:
1) Choose the story you want to share
2) Gather materials by collecting photos that would bring about writing ideas
3) Write your script
4) Prep your equipment making sure you have a computer, scanner if needed, microphone, etc.
5) Create a storyboard on paper where you connect what writing goes with what pictures for your presentation
6) Digitize your media by scanning pictures if needed or save all of your images into a folder on your computer
7) Record a voice over by reading your story onto your computer
8) Add your music to your story
9) Edit your story in whichever program you are using to do your digital story
10) Share your story
These steps are the basic guidelines for creating a digital story. In a classroom setting, you can follow these steps much the same way, just keep in mind time and management while going through these steps. I still continue to search for a good system in a large classroom; however, I think some of the tips in my last post could be used as a trial and error to create a system that works for you.
Annette
Hi fellow readers. I have found a great article to share today that has 10 sequenced steps to creating a digital story. Here is a brief overview of those steps:
1) Choose the story you want to share
2) Gather materials by collecting photos that would bring about writing ideas
3) Write your script
4) Prep your equipment making sure you have a computer, scanner if needed, microphone, etc.
5) Create a storyboard on paper where you connect what writing goes with what pictures for your presentation
6) Digitize your media by scanning pictures if needed or save all of your images into a folder on your computer
7) Record a voice over by reading your story onto your computer
8) Add your music to your story
9) Edit your story in whichever program you are using to do your digital story
10) Share your story
These steps are the basic guidelines for creating a digital story. In a classroom setting, you can follow these steps much the same way, just keep in mind time and management while going through these steps. I still continue to search for a good system in a large classroom; however, I think some of the tips in my last post could be used as a trial and error to create a system that works for you.
Annette
Friday, April 11, 2008
Examples of Digital Stories
Jeong, Silvia (n.d.). My Potato Story. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from the KQED Digital Storytelling Initative Web site: http://dsi.kqed.org/index.php/contest/story_big/49/
Making Apple Crumble. Available online at: http://story.e2bn.org/movie.php?id=5&wm=11.0&qt=6.0&browser=ie&ismac=false
Digital Storytelling has continued to be an interesting place to learn about a form of visual literacy. I have worked on this post to find examples about DS to share with my students to intrigue their interests and give them ideas about how they will be able to use DS in the classroom to develop their writing. Above are a couple of examples of how digital stories are composed into the final product.
This post simply gives some ideas to use and ways to go about using digital storytelling.
Annette
Making Apple Crumble. Available online at: http://story.e2bn.org/movie.php?id=5&wm=11.0&qt=6.0&browser=ie&ismac=false
Digital Storytelling has continued to be an interesting place to learn about a form of visual literacy. I have worked on this post to find examples about DS to share with my students to intrigue their interests and give them ideas about how they will be able to use DS in the classroom to develop their writing. Above are a couple of examples of how digital stories are composed into the final product.
This post simply gives some ideas to use and ways to go about using digital storytelling.
Annette
The Media Equation
Reeves, Byron, and Clifford Nass. 1996. "The Media Equation," pp. 3-24 in The Media Equation. Cambridge University Press.
I was very humored by this article, The Media Equation. In summary, this article did a study that said humans interact with computers as if they were humans. Although it was very funny to think that way, the study proved its theory to be true. Humans treat computers as comparable humans.
Through the humor I had reading this article, I have to agree! I think we find a relationship to our machines because most of us spend so much time communicating with others through them. I couldn’t tell you how much time I spend in front of my computer…emailing friends and family, doing educational things, surfing the Internet to find the latest information. My machine connects me to the world in more ways than I can count. It’s sort of like a life line to things that are not within my grasp.
When I think of how this article could relate to my topic about digital storytelling, I consider the many possibilities that digital storytelling can bring to my students. Media can give students a voice, a way to connect to others. I think just that thought alone can prove to be a pathway for students to learn to be better writers and communicators. The visuals of media can help students develop comprehension and critical thinking because media allows them to ‘see’ what they are learning. The changes that our society has been going through since computers have become so integral in daily functioning is providing our students with a new way to connect with media and computers.
Annette
I was very humored by this article, The Media Equation. In summary, this article did a study that said humans interact with computers as if they were humans. Although it was very funny to think that way, the study proved its theory to be true. Humans treat computers as comparable humans.
Through the humor I had reading this article, I have to agree! I think we find a relationship to our machines because most of us spend so much time communicating with others through them. I couldn’t tell you how much time I spend in front of my computer…emailing friends and family, doing educational things, surfing the Internet to find the latest information. My machine connects me to the world in more ways than I can count. It’s sort of like a life line to things that are not within my grasp.
When I think of how this article could relate to my topic about digital storytelling, I consider the many possibilities that digital storytelling can bring to my students. Media can give students a voice, a way to connect to others. I think just that thought alone can prove to be a pathway for students to learn to be better writers and communicators. The visuals of media can help students develop comprehension and critical thinking because media allows them to ‘see’ what they are learning. The changes that our society has been going through since computers have become so integral in daily functioning is providing our students with a new way to connect with media and computers.
Annette
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Management Tips for Digital Storytelling
Classroom Tips or Keeping Exciting Digital Storytelling Projects on Track. Available online at: http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/storytelling/classtips.html
As I have been dabbling into learning more about Digital Storytelling as a form of visual literacy, I have began to wonder about how effective it can be in a classroom of 21 students. A great resource I have used in the past for other things, Adobe Digital Kids Club, had a section to offer up some good management ideas to be able to incorporate digital storytelling effectively by planning out the management first. The article I read offered up some key ideas:
• Give students roles such as the storyboard manager, recording voiceover manager, graphics coordinator, etc. Giving a student a role simply means they are the ‘lead’ person for that area to ensure it gets done and everyone is on board.
• Create a type of process or checklist that students would follow through their project. Have students review their process ahead of time to ensure they know what to do next.
• For those students that need a question answered, set up a management process called ‘Three Before Me’ where the student should ask 3 of their peers the question to find the answer before they go to the teacher (whom might be working with another group). The article notes that this management helps to create independence and peer support on each other.
• To keep on a time schedule, have students create their entire project on paper (storyboard) before they head to the computer. The computer can sometimes lead the students to sit and play without getting busy.
• Create deadlines and expect things to be done in a somewhat timely manner. For students who are not focused and contributing, give them an alternative assignment that is non-technology related. This will hopefully encourage their next technology opportunity to be more driven.
Going through these tips gave me some good things to think about in response to wanting to help my students tackle writing in a more involved way. It has led me to focus more on getting their motivation going about this type of activity and how to introduce the idea of using digital storytelling in their writing. My thoughts after synthesizing this article are: 1) behavior management isn’t as much a problem for me, my concerns are the time and focus of my students, and 2) what exemplifies a good, quality project…what do I want them to give me?
Annette
As I have been dabbling into learning more about Digital Storytelling as a form of visual literacy, I have began to wonder about how effective it can be in a classroom of 21 students. A great resource I have used in the past for other things, Adobe Digital Kids Club, had a section to offer up some good management ideas to be able to incorporate digital storytelling effectively by planning out the management first. The article I read offered up some key ideas:
• Give students roles such as the storyboard manager, recording voiceover manager, graphics coordinator, etc. Giving a student a role simply means they are the ‘lead’ person for that area to ensure it gets done and everyone is on board.
• Create a type of process or checklist that students would follow through their project. Have students review their process ahead of time to ensure they know what to do next.
• For those students that need a question answered, set up a management process called ‘Three Before Me’ where the student should ask 3 of their peers the question to find the answer before they go to the teacher (whom might be working with another group). The article notes that this management helps to create independence and peer support on each other.
• To keep on a time schedule, have students create their entire project on paper (storyboard) before they head to the computer. The computer can sometimes lead the students to sit and play without getting busy.
• Create deadlines and expect things to be done in a somewhat timely manner. For students who are not focused and contributing, give them an alternative assignment that is non-technology related. This will hopefully encourage their next technology opportunity to be more driven.
Going through these tips gave me some good things to think about in response to wanting to help my students tackle writing in a more involved way. It has led me to focus more on getting their motivation going about this type of activity and how to introduce the idea of using digital storytelling in their writing. My thoughts after synthesizing this article are: 1) behavior management isn’t as much a problem for me, my concerns are the time and focus of my students, and 2) what exemplifies a good, quality project…what do I want them to give me?
Annette
Friday, April 4, 2008
The Process of Making and Teaching Digital Storytelling
Porter, Bernajean (2007). Seven Steps for Digital Storytelling. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from the 21st Century Connections Web site: http://21centuryconnections.com/node/234
Digital Storytelling (DS) has been a neat way to tailor my interests in visual literacy, especially in the form of developing productive writers. My neat find today is a place that gets me started on my quest to learn more about DS. I have been looking for a set of steps or guidelines to walk through the process of making DS in the classroom effectively. This site showed a 7-step process including time frames and tasks to create a DS in the educational environment. An overview of the 7 steps are:
1)Writing a script-creating a memorable story, brainstorming, editing, conferencing with student about writing (6-8 hrs over a week)
2)Planning the project-a handwritten storyboard of the students outline for the project…this step involves almost making a ‘comic strip’ of their project BEFORE they get on the computer to plan out pictures, voice, music, etc. This requires conferencing also along with about 2-3 hours during a week.
3)Organizing folders-Creating a folder on a computer before starting the project ensures all of the media (pictures, video, music clips) are located in one place to make the process of the DS easier. Students should collect all of their materials and store in a folder. (15+ minutes)
4)Recording voiceovers-It is wise to record students voiceovers before they begin. Ensure they are using good fluency and expression to gain their purpose for the story. Voice can be recorded in many programs such as Audacity (which is free) and saved for later use. (30min to 1 hour during a week)
5)Gather, create, and edit media resources-Students should now put their materials into their software utilizing tools to edit photos, add media sounds, and recognize the power of the way things are laid out to tell their story. (5-6 hours over a week)
6)Finalizing project-This 6th step is geared for students to tweak their projects to edit timing and effects. This involves paying attention to titles (words on their slides), the effects of how the music accompanies the pictures and voice, and how everything works together to tell their story. (3-4 hours over a week)
7)Finale-The story is now ready to share and be discussed. Students should observe others’ stories and discuss the key components of what makes it effective and how it can be improved.
The author of the article did mention that 7 steps are not always the best way to work through the DS process because it ‘should be a creative process that may take turns unpredicted’ (Porter, 2007). DS is a creature that can be created a million different ways and is purposefully supposed to be a creative outlet of sharing a story. However, I still found these 7 steps as a great tool to begin figuring out how to go about starting to use DS in the classroom.
As I continue to search about DS, I would like to find examples to use to share thoughts with students to guide their creations of their own DS.
Annette
Digital Storytelling (DS) has been a neat way to tailor my interests in visual literacy, especially in the form of developing productive writers. My neat find today is a place that gets me started on my quest to learn more about DS. I have been looking for a set of steps or guidelines to walk through the process of making DS in the classroom effectively. This site showed a 7-step process including time frames and tasks to create a DS in the educational environment. An overview of the 7 steps are:
1)Writing a script-creating a memorable story, brainstorming, editing, conferencing with student about writing (6-8 hrs over a week)
2)Planning the project-a handwritten storyboard of the students outline for the project…this step involves almost making a ‘comic strip’ of their project BEFORE they get on the computer to plan out pictures, voice, music, etc. This requires conferencing also along with about 2-3 hours during a week.
3)Organizing folders-Creating a folder on a computer before starting the project ensures all of the media (pictures, video, music clips) are located in one place to make the process of the DS easier. Students should collect all of their materials and store in a folder. (15+ minutes)
4)Recording voiceovers-It is wise to record students voiceovers before they begin. Ensure they are using good fluency and expression to gain their purpose for the story. Voice can be recorded in many programs such as Audacity (which is free) and saved for later use. (30min to 1 hour during a week)
5)Gather, create, and edit media resources-Students should now put their materials into their software utilizing tools to edit photos, add media sounds, and recognize the power of the way things are laid out to tell their story. (5-6 hours over a week)
6)Finalizing project-This 6th step is geared for students to tweak their projects to edit timing and effects. This involves paying attention to titles (words on their slides), the effects of how the music accompanies the pictures and voice, and how everything works together to tell their story. (3-4 hours over a week)
7)Finale-The story is now ready to share and be discussed. Students should observe others’ stories and discuss the key components of what makes it effective and how it can be improved.
The author of the article did mention that 7 steps are not always the best way to work through the DS process because it ‘should be a creative process that may take turns unpredicted’ (Porter, 2007). DS is a creature that can be created a million different ways and is purposefully supposed to be a creative outlet of sharing a story. However, I still found these 7 steps as a great tool to begin figuring out how to go about starting to use DS in the classroom.
As I continue to search about DS, I would like to find examples to use to share thoughts with students to guide their creations of their own DS.
Annette
Narrowing it Down…Digital Storytelling & Becoming a Better Writer
Warren, Stewart S. (n.d.). Digital Storytelling with Stewart S. Warren. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from the Mercury Heartlink Web site: http://www.heartlink.com/pdf/DSnarrative.pdf
Since I have been exploring visual literacy, I have come to the conclusion that I have a better grasp of what visual literacy is all about. I am working towards narrowing down my vast topic of visual literacy to a more detailed area of focus. I think I am looking at focusing more on digital storytelling and how it can be beneficial to create better writers.
As I have been exploring the Internet for new resources to share, I have come across a site called Visual Literacy: Websites compiled by Sue BeLeau. This site reminded me that visual literacy encompasses so many different areas. So far, I’ve looked at visual literacy as a whole and what types of things makes it up. I’ve discussed the concept of using multimedia and still images. I’ve analyzed importance of meaning in images and how students can develop into critical thinkers and gain understanding. I’ve even delved into image interpretation. These ideas are great lessons for me, but when I thought of how I could use these images with technology software, the idea of digital storytelling seemed perfect! Put that together with trying to create better 3rd grade writers sold me completely!
One of my biggest struggles in my classroom is trying to get my students to write effectively, on topic, using main ideas and details, and having a ‘voice’ in their stories. I started searching to find out more about digital storytelling…what it is, how to do it, etc. My first encounter with the topic was this website and video. ‘Are You Sittin’ There?’ is a video that gives examples of using a digital format to tell a story. That’s basically the entire idea of what digital storytelling is. The website where I found this video also gave a lot of good details about digital storytelling (DS).
A very interesting statement Mr. Warren made regarding DS was that it was a process of ‘putting together scraps of music, photos, and movie clips and combining those with our own words to create a digitally unique story’. As I continue my quest to learn more about digital storytelling, I hope to find more examples of DS, guides to begin using DS in the classroom (management, of course with 21 students), and some basic lesson ideas to guide my process.
Annette
Since I have been exploring visual literacy, I have come to the conclusion that I have a better grasp of what visual literacy is all about. I am working towards narrowing down my vast topic of visual literacy to a more detailed area of focus. I think I am looking at focusing more on digital storytelling and how it can be beneficial to create better writers.
As I have been exploring the Internet for new resources to share, I have come across a site called Visual Literacy: Websites compiled by Sue BeLeau. This site reminded me that visual literacy encompasses so many different areas. So far, I’ve looked at visual literacy as a whole and what types of things makes it up. I’ve discussed the concept of using multimedia and still images. I’ve analyzed importance of meaning in images and how students can develop into critical thinkers and gain understanding. I’ve even delved into image interpretation. These ideas are great lessons for me, but when I thought of how I could use these images with technology software, the idea of digital storytelling seemed perfect! Put that together with trying to create better 3rd grade writers sold me completely!
One of my biggest struggles in my classroom is trying to get my students to write effectively, on topic, using main ideas and details, and having a ‘voice’ in their stories. I started searching to find out more about digital storytelling…what it is, how to do it, etc. My first encounter with the topic was this website and video. ‘Are You Sittin’ There?’ is a video that gives examples of using a digital format to tell a story. That’s basically the entire idea of what digital storytelling is. The website where I found this video also gave a lot of good details about digital storytelling (DS).
A very interesting statement Mr. Warren made regarding DS was that it was a process of ‘putting together scraps of music, photos, and movie clips and combining those with our own words to create a digitally unique story’. As I continue my quest to learn more about digital storytelling, I hope to find more examples of DS, guides to begin using DS in the classroom (management, of course with 21 students), and some basic lesson ideas to guide my process.
Annette
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