Digital Storytelling with Students

Step-by-Step Guide

Are you tired of boring old book reports? Have you been looking for a new way to use cooperative learning in your classroom? Would you like a new way to integrate technology into your curriculum? If so, digital storytelling may just be the thing for you!

Over time, I have tried to build up some student samples of a few projects my students have done (keep in mind, they are only 10-years-old).

Here, I have outlined the steps I take with my students to help them create a digital story.

Choosing a topic

First, as the teacher, you need to choose a topic.Will your students be making a book report, explaining a new science concept, publishing a unique story they have written, or giving a social studies report?

Grouping

• Once you have answered this question, you are ready to put your students into groups. I usually group my students heterogeneously, or in groups with a variety of skills and abilities, because I think they will learn best from one another this way.


• Some teachers choose to let their students choose their own groups.
• Another method for choosing groups is to have the students choose a subtopic they would like to focus on by secret ballot.You can then group the students according to interest.


• A final grouping method would ask students to choose a role they would like to be withing the group (leader, time keeper, design manager, writer, storyboarder, etc.) and then place students in groups with a variety of roles.

Starting the Project

I have learned to follow these steps from years of struggling through the best method to take when using digital storytelling with my students.Of course, you could change the order or any of the specifics to suit your class or teaching style.
In my class, students MUST complete one step before going on to the next one (I have found this makes a HUGE difference in production).

• Now that you have your groups chosen, you are ready to have your students start their projects.
  
• If the project requires any form of research, I require that students begin by taking ample notes on their topic to present a beginning, middle, and end.
• If students are doing a book report, they must read the book first.
• If students are creating a unique story, the text of their story must first be completed.

• Once the background work is done, students are ready to make a storyboard.   This is simply a series of boxes with lines beneath where students can plot out the beginning, middle, and end of their projects.  I have made a , sample storyboardyou may use.

• After the story board has been completed and approved by the teacher, students must write their script. This is what will actually be read, or the voice-over for their project.
  

• Once the script has been approved, students may create their backdrop and props or digital pictures. I have found that a combination of animation sequences and still images makes for the best projects.
• Backdrops can be made out of the tops from paper boxes, scholastic boxes, poster board, or outdoor materials
• Still images can be pictures the students take themselves in a paint program or find on the internet
• Great props can be action figures, LEGO Mini-figs, plastic toy animals, LEGO structures, construction paper cutouts, or basically anything smaller than life.

• Now, students are ready to do voice recording. (I have moved this step up from being one of the final ones because if a group is falling behind, if they only get this done, at least they have a Pod Cast).
  
• We use Audacity, a free audio recording and editing software that is downloadable right off the internet and allows you to record as well as edit audio files.

• Next, students who are using stop motion animation are ready to take their animation pictures.
• For this, students should set up the scene, take a picture, make a very slight movement, take another picture, and repeat.

• Finally, the projects are ready to be put together. If you use a PC with Windows, I suggest using Windows Movie Maker, for Macs, iMovie. In either program, you are able to import all of your audio, video, and picture files, adjust viewing length, and add titles and end credits. Then, your file can be saved as a video extension file, and is ready for your viewing pleasure.
• Sometimes, there is dead air time to fill, or students like to have background music. For this, I use freeplaymusic.com. There are thousands of free songs available there for your downloading pleasure.

Questions or comments about this process?
Feel free to drop me an e-mail!

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Digital Storytelling Tools

Here is a quick-list of the tools/links provided in this tutorial:
Student Samples
Storyboard
Audacity
Freeplay Music