When I was a Journalism major at Auburn University I had the chance to take a video production class. The course was extremely popular so it was only open to Communication students and it was only offered at 7:00 a.m. We met in a studio that had massive amounts of cumbersome equipment and for our final assignment we had to write, edit and produce our very own commercial. The video game, Super Mario Brothers for Nintendo, was popular at this time and I had a roommate that was obsessed with playing it. I decided to make my commercial about a fictional recovery center for those struggling with gaming addiction. I spent many hours hand drawing and coloring the graphics which I then carefully glued to black poster board. I also took pictures of my brother-in-law, with the look of a rabid addict, glued to the gaming system. I can actually remember taking the film to the drugstore and dropping it off to get developed. Overall my project turned out pretty well and I remember thinking it was extremely professional even though I had a couple of issues with camera control and some problems with panning. I was awarded an A for my efforts and I got a copy of the commercial on a VHS tape which, of course, I have since lost. I imagine this is just as well because I am now certain that anything that featured pictures developed at the drugstore and hand drawn graphics could only be viewed as amusing at best.
Digital storytelling is today’s version of my video production class. The big difference, of course, is the technology. Where my class was only open to a handful of students, digital storytelling is available to anyone with access to a computer and the internet. And, there are many different ways to utilize digital storytelling in the classroom. I personally love the idea of using it to tell the story of a famous historical figure or event. Ideas for digital storytelling across the curriculum are numerous. Students can tell their personal stories or do a video on the books that have influenced them. They could do a video about the history of their own community or create something about their community leaders. Science classes could make videos on important discoveries and how they have impacted us. Digital storytelling could even be used in math class where students could make a video about how they use math in everyday life or show different ways to solve complex problems. Ideas for digital storytelling are really only limited to our own imaginations. (Ormiston, M., n.d.)
John Orech offers some great advice for creating digital stories in his article, “Tips for Digital Storytelling”, in Educator’s Ezine.
- Encourage students to realize that they do have something to say when they are developing a story topic
- When writing the story remember to show don’t tell.
- When selecting images remember that quality is more important than quantity.
- Make sure that pictures and images are large enough –they should be at least 640x480 pixels.
- Utilize a storyboard when planning.
- Go slowly when speaking any parts for a voice over.
- Choose music carefully – a well selected piece can dramatically alter the feel of the finished product.
- Remember that with visual effects less is sometimes more. Transitions between images help with the telling of the story and slow movement with pans and zooms work best so the audience does not become easily distracted.
- Students work hard on these projects and they should be showcased accordingly. It is a good idea to present the stories so the whole class can view them. (Orech, J., 2007)
There are many different options for producing a digital story. One that many students will have access to is Windows Live Movie Maker. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/how-to/Pages/tell-story.aspx to watch a quick video for using this application. Make sure and scroll down the page as this link also has some great written directions. Finally, Microsoft Education has several guides to for digital storytelling in the classroom including a rubric for grading and a couple of templates for storyboards. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/guides/Pages/digital_storytelling.aspx for these resources.
Good luck and happy story telling!
References
Orech, J. (2007, November 1). Tips for Digital Storytelling. Educator's Ezine.. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from http://www.techlearning.com/article/tips-for-digital-story-telling/44668
Ormiston, M. (n.d.). Digital Storytelling Resources for Teachers. TechTeachers. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from http://techteachers.com/digitalstorytelling.htm
Thanks for the DS resources and sharing your narrative on video production... it's amazing how technology changes! I took a look at the Microsoft guide and it has inspired me to use it with my eighth graders next semester when we study story elements. My tech tip was based on MovieMaker and now I wish I had focused a bit more on DS use with it.
ReplyDeleteMolly,
ReplyDeleteI loved your story. It gives a nice picture of how digital storytelling has progressed, and I always love a good story. It makes me want to read the rest of the blog. I appreciate the great advice you shared from John Orech, especially the last bullet about showcasing the work. Providing the Windows Live Movie Maker link with tips was an added bonus. I especially liked the Microsoft Education tips. The rubric was far too extensive for most situations, but you could certainly pick and choose your points and adapt. Now, the templates and pdf directions were very helpful. I would have never stumbled across these.
Thanks for sharing.
Leigh Anne
Molly,
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that you were a journalism major - that was my minor. I'd love to hear what you've done in the field and what you think of it today. But, I digress.
I fully agree with your connection between video production then and digital storytelling today. I've always tended more toward the print side of journalism as a practitioner and educator, so my analogy is that of newspapers then and web pages/blogs today. The basics of the change are consistent - relatively few people had the opportunity to contribute to and/or participate in the media conversation back in the day and now the field if wide open. Overall, I think that's a good thing, but I also think the change makes it all the more important for educators to teach young people how to responsibly contribute to the dialogue and, equally important, how to filter and understand the wealth of information out there.
Love the links. The two-plus minute video tutorial on Windows Live Movie Maker is great. Also really like the rubric - complete, concise and very adaptable to a variety of assignments. The two links you reference offer a wealth of info - something for everyone. And the link to creating a storyboard in Word - I thought this would be more basic than what I might need, but the model at the end is super. The storyboard includes a place for students to identify the "motion" they plan to include in each frame. Important consideration.
It's clear you put a lot of time into this. Thanks.
Liz
You are so funny! Your opening paragraph about your roommate’s video game addiction and getting your film developed at the drug store had me laughing. It feels like it really wasn’t that long ago that we had to wait to get our photos back from the developer before we could even tell what the photos looked like. Now it only takes an instant to review the photo on our digital screens and snap a new one if needed. I like your idea of using digital storytelling in the classroom for a historical figure or event. The students would really be engaged by such a project. They would get to research first, do some acting, perhaps sew a historically correct costume to wear, and so much more. The tips you list from John Orech are also helpful. And finally, thank you for the Microsoft digital storytelling links. I had not thought to include “design” on my storyboard. They will be helpful for our own upcoming project!
ReplyDeleteMolly,
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny story about your Mario Addiction Center! You gave some great ideas on how to use Digital Storytelling (DS): introducing a historical figure or event, telling personal stories, explaining an influential book, history or the community or leaders, Science discoveries, and Math concepts. These are all great ideas!
I also appreciated the tips on creating Digital Stories. Especially that quality is more important than quantity when considering which pictures to use, pictures should be at least 640 x 480 pixels, use a storyboard, and more. Thanks for the tips and the website to help create our Digital Stories.