Digital Storytelling

Office of Instructional Technology

Queens

Digital Storytelling

• Digital Storytelling refers to using new digital tools to help ordinary people to tell their own stories

• The product is a 2-5 minute film that combines a narrated piece of writing, photographic images and a musical soundtrack. The philosophy behind this type of digital storytelling is one of using technology to enable those without a technical background to produce works that tell a story using moving images and sound.

What is Digital Storytelling?

• Digital Storytelling is the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling. Digital stories derive their power by weaving images, music, narrative and voice together, thereby giving deep dimension and vivid color to characters, situations, experiences and insights.

A story should be remembered for its soul, not the A story should be remembered for its soul, not the bells and whistles.bells and whistles.

If you don’t have a good or powerful story, script, If you don’t have a good or powerful story, script, and storyboard, then there will never be enough and storyboard, then there will never be enough decorating that technology can do to cover it up. decorating that technology can do to cover it up. On the other hand, demonstrating exemplar On the other hand, demonstrating exemplar craftsmanship with mixing the technical elements craftsmanship with mixing the technical elements in artful ways to unfold your story creates in artful ways to unfold your story creates compelling, insightful, original and memorable compelling, insightful, original and memorable pieces of communication. The richness of a good pieces of communication. The richness of a good story can be diluted when technical elements are story can be diluted when technical elements are over used, distracting, or just plain annoying.over used, distracting, or just plain annoying.

http://www.digitales.us/evaluating/index.php

The 7 Elements of Storytelling• Point of View – What is the main point of the story and what is

the perspective of the author?• A Dramatic Question - A key question that keeps the viewer's

attention and will be answered by the end of the story. • Emotional Content -Serious issues that come alive in a

personal and powerful way and connects the story to the audience.

• The Gift of Your Voice - A way to personalize the story to help the audience understand the context.

• The Power of the Soundtrack - Music or other sounds that support and embellish the storyline.

• Economy - Using just enough content to tell the story without overloading the viewer.

• Pacing - The rhythm of the story and how slowly or quickly it progresses.

Course Outline

• Create accounts VoiceThread, PowerMediaPlus

• Finding Resources

• Copyright Discussion

• Storyboarding

• Podcasting

• MovieMaking

Pixar Mantra

• “First you jump out of an airplane – then you figure out how to build the parachute”

• “Roll Sound” – Cameraman “Rolling Sound” – Director “Action”

• Digital Storytelling is more than words – it empowers students to create and express

• Wide shots set the scene, medium shots what is happening, close ups-emit emotion (especially the eyes)- “Ken Burns effect”

Copyright Discussion• Intellectual property violations are legal concerns and include copyright infringement or trademark

violation. • INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY covers “the properties generated by thought processes, creativity,

and organizational capabilities of individuals and legal entities which are fixed in a tangible form” (Caseiro,2000, p.18). There are four kinds of intellectual property. We are most concerned with Copyrights and Trademarks in entries.

• COPYRIGHT: First, think simply: If you did not write it, draw it, or produce the .gif or applet, etc….then you need to pay close attention to what is OK legally. Copyright means “Original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression “(Caseiro,2000, p.20) “Copyright” means that the author or artist or software developer claims protection for the expression of original work they did. They have the right to have their work used for pay or with permission, and their work cannot be used without permission. You can see this symbol: © on a work protected with a copyright.

• One Frequently Asked Question is worth answering for all of you: “If something I see says “For Educational Use” or “For Personal Use”, can I use it on my site?”

• The answer is NO. When you publish on the web, you publish for the whole world. “Educational use” means IN A CLASSROOM. “Personal Use” means for your private use.These are tough ideas to think about.

• Reference:Caseiro, Chris. Basics of Intellectual Property. GPSOLO, American Bar Association, 17, 3, 18-23 (April/May).

• http://www.benedict.com/Default.aspx

Education Uses Communicating with

Podcasts - School information,

orientation and news Using Podcasts as

supplement for existing curriculum

- Student created book reviews-Interviews with characters and authors-Tour of library, school or settings in literature

Using Podcasts for Professional Development

Creating Podcast Presentations-Audiobooks of works in the public domain (librivox.com)-Oral Histories-Field Trips

How to Integrate Digital Media into Everyday Curriculum

4 P’s of MovieMaking

• Plan (Story Board - mywebspiration.com- The “Blueprint”) - Scripting

• Produce (tools - process) – Making the video

• Present (share, broadcast) - Editing

• Pheedback (peer/self assessment) – Showtime!

What tools do I need to get started?

Why use Digital Media in the Classroom?

Media Literacy

Critical Thinking SkillsBloom’s Taxonomy

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Integrating these concepts into the classroom

• Making your own video focusing on the Making your own video focusing on the aspects you want to teach.aspects you want to teach.

• Virtual field trips.Virtual field trips.

• As a Lesson Hook

• As a Way to Integrate Multimedia into the Curriculum

• As a Way to Make Difficult Content More Understandable

• To Facilitate Classroom Discussion

Benefits for Students

• Research & Writing Skills

• Organization Skills

• Technology Skills

• Presentation Skills

• Interpersonal Skills

• Problem-Solving Skills

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The Holocaust: Then & Now