What exactly is digital storytelling?
Digital storytelling is sharing a story but incorporating some sort of computer-based tool to enhance the telling of the story. Voice may be added to pictures, text could be added to illustrations, or animation could be added to words. The options are endless for digital storytelling, and there are many great resources out there–either in the form of software or free online sites–to improve storytelling. Below are a few favorites:
The Center for Digital Storytelling offers assistance in creating stories with media. There are many articles, sample stories, as well as workshops from this non-profit organization.
Storybird.org is a wonderful place for elementary students to tell a digital story. Talented artists offer their illustrations while students add the textual story to the images. Stories may be created individually or with others. What’s interesting are the different interpretations to be told according to each author.
VoiceThread offers a place for people to create slide shows and then speak about the images or videos found on the slide. The neat thing about VoiceThread is the collaborative aspect of this site. People from around the world may contribute to a story being told.
There are many things one can do on Kerpoof–make a drawing, spell a picture, or write a storybook just to name a few. It’s an easy place for kids to go have some literacy fun. When writing a digital story, a theme is chosen; then templates are offered for the setting, characters, props, and text.
Hi Ann,
Thanks for sharing these great tools. I am using StoryBird as a way for kids to have some fun and just play with the idea of carving a story out of images.
At the moment we are looking deeply at why we tell stories in the first place, and how oral stories are different than written ones. I think it is important that students understand the nature and purpose of storytelling before they begin. It doesn’t matter whether a story is written, told, or shown digitally, the basic components of a story are the same. Ira Glass has some great videos on Youtube about story telling for older kids.
I am now exploring Kerpoof and seeing if it adds an extra element of fun. I want students to have many tools that will help them generate ideas before committing to a format or a plot.