Digital+Storytelling+in+the+classroom

Use Digital Storytelling as a Classroom Tool

We need to:
 * Learn the skills that use the tools
 * Desire to teach lessons that use the media that many of our students are using
 * Use the creativity to make learning more interesting, stimulating and fun.

When students create digital stories they are involved in all or most of the following skills:
 * Student becomes an active, participatory learner
 * Student participates in an alternative learning style
 * Student assesses information through authentic means
 * Student performs authentic tasks
 * Student participates in peer coaching activities
 * Student participates on projects and works in groups
 * Student uses higher level thinking levels in evaluation, application, and synthesis of ideas
 * Student becomes a communicator of ideas to others
 * Student becomes a communicator of knowledge to others
 * Student becomes a designer of effective and stimulating communication
 * Student masters research skills and information seeking strategies
 * Student utilizes inquiry-based learning
 * Student integrates technology into curriculum projects
 * Student participates in peer review
 * Student uses reflection in a way that improves their skills
 * Student participates in planning, writing, and narrating projects which promotes reading literacy
 * Student uses their own or a foreign language and practices conversation skills.

When the student begins to work on a project such as "Create a digital story about what it is like to be a woman in China today", the student begins to research with a different motive from the typical research project which might be, "Research the culture of China today and present your research in a multimedia project."

When the student begins to research for the first project, they do so with a much different purpose.
 * They must critically evaluate the facts and information they find.
 * They internalize what they read and take notes on the facts and data that will be included in their story.
 * They evaluate the graphics they collect because they need specific images to give their story impact.
 * They cite their sources, but instead of noting the bland facts and data, they will most likely make notes on the material that incorporate their own feelings.
 * They begin to synthesize the material as they collect it.

Here is an example of one such digital story.

Grass born to be stepped on.

Other sites to investigate

Digital Drive-In

**[|Ken Burns] Tech Head Stories - see Broken Sky Types of Digital Stories**

 * Student created short stories
 * Retelling of folk tales and myths
 * Student created poetry
 * Book reports
 * Biographies
 * Persuasive narratives
 * Advertisements
 * Oral histories
 * History Fair projects