Telling a story is a powerful experience!

We are fascinated by stories…

They remind us of our childhood and stimulate our imagination.

Stories can be exploited for a variety of reasons

also at school!

Digital Storytelling

can be a good way

for learning content &

school subject matter

in a playful way

Storytelling can help our students:

• Build knowledge in a way that is meaningful to them ==>> ACTIVE LEARNING

• Reflect and interiorise content  ==>> DEEP LEARNING

• Give sense to reality and one’s own identity ==>> AUTHENTIC LEARNING

• Acquire cultural identity & awareness

• Memorize notions and information

• Acquire language

• Trasmit values

• Plan the future

• Communicate ideas and projects

• Present theories, concepts and problems

• Develop transversal skills

• Stories can involve more than one subject

What really makes a good story?

The point is:

• What feelings and sensations am I able to convey to the reader or spectator through my story?

• It’s not just about trasmitting a message crammed with ideas and notions

• The aim is that of creating a story that can have emotional impact on the viewer

This is the reason why storytelling is also used in Advertising! There is also “Corporate Storytelling”.

Check out this great Infographic: Seven Steps to create a really good story

What is Digital Storytelling?

It is not merely a digital presentation. It contains a story based on a combination of:

• text,

• images,

• sounds and

• voice narrative

  to create a story with the help of a web 2.0 digital tool

Storytelling requires good planning:

The main ingredients of a story are:

The script ==>> subjective: personal or fictional

                             objective:  created or curated

                             mixed:       aggregated

The storyboard ==>> to combine text with images and soundtrack

The recording ==>> Narrative voice – podcasting or video

The editing ==>> to syncronize images, sound and video

The Production & Sharing ==>> A digital platform, an eLearning system, a channel                                        (uTube, Vimeo, etc)

DIGITAL STORYTELLING requires accurate planning:

It’s not about the Tool!

It’s about the Skills!

A good story and a good Storyboard are the first ingredients!

8 STEPS

1. What kind of story are you going to write?

   Fiction? Reportage? Biography? Imaginary interview? Science fiction? TV news? Advertising?

2. Write down a first draft of your story:brainstorm your ideas on a sheet of paper or use Sticky Notes.

3. Create a storyboard – Divide the story in various frames (use a chart or a template like Storyboard That http://www.storyboardthat.com/

4. Find images: Use a camera to take your own pictures; draw your own pictures or use comic strip tools; serch for Public Domain (Pixabay) or Creative Commons Images (PhotosforClass, Google Images for non Commercial Use with Modifications)

5. Record your voice: If you want to use music, look for Creative Commons licensed music (if it is ND= Non Derivatives you are not allowed to mix it in videos)

6. Check, revise, edit, remake

7. Produce, Publish and share

8. Reflect, Debrief

Here are a few examples created by my students:

A horror story created using Buncee: Alessia’s Creepy Story

A film review with embedded podcast: Alessandro’s review on MadMax

Fotobabbles on Thinglink: Why study languages by Class 4EU   –    Our favourite sports by Class 4LCO

A virtual tour of London on Thinglink: Tellagami tour guides by 3LCO

A life reportage with VoiceThread: from my Blog by Class 2C

Unreal interviews to celebrities: Video Storytelling by 3LCO

Daily routines with Powtoon: from my Blog by Class 1G

Groupwork with Powtoon: Why study languages? by Class 4DU

Groupwork on Theatres at the Times of Shakespeare: Video on Elisabethan Theatres by Class 4LCO

Audio & video:

• Voicethread: http://voicethread.com/

• Adobe Voice (only iPad): https://standout.adobe.com/voice/

• Meograph: http://www.meograph.com/education

• Utellastory: http://www.utellstory.com/

• Powtoon: Animated videos

• Animoto: https://animoto.com

Video editing tools:

• WeVideo: https://www.wevideo.com/

• Kizoa: http://www.kizoa.it/

• iMovie (only Mac & IOS)

• MovieMaker (Windows)

Thank you for you attention!

I can’t wait to read / watch / listen to your stories:

Please share them with us!

SHARING IS CARING!

Booklet created by Anna Laghigna 2016

Sources

Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling by University of Houston

“Fifty Ways to tell a story” – http://50ways.wikispaces.com/