“Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone knows how to communicate it”

-Author Unknown

Digital Storytelling

What is digital storytelling?

Digital storytelling consists of a series of still images or video images, combined with a narrated sound track to tell a story. Many times an additional music track is added to invoke emotion.

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Benefits

• Allows students to explore their world and communicate their discoveries

• Allows students to have an original way to demonstrate their knowledge

• Takes students through the writing process in an engaging way

• Sparks an emotional response in both the creator and the audience

• Reinforces both communication and literacy skills

• Supports 21st century skills

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

According to The Center for Digital Storytelling, there are 7 key elements of digital storytelling.

• Point of View• Dramatic Question• Emotional Content• Voice and Images• Sound Track• Economy• Pacing

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Point of View Explained

Point of View

The goal of digital storytelling is to allow the writer to experience the power of personal expression. Students construct stories from their own experiences and understanding. The story is often told in first-person.

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Dramatic Question Explained

Dramatic Question

A digital story holds the attention of the audience by having a dramatic question that is resolved at the end of the story. This leads the reader to be invested until the very end. The payoff is at the end of the story.

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Emotional Content Explained

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Emotional Content

The most effective digital story evokes an emotion from the audience. These emotions from the audience can be tremendously rewarding to student writers…it validates their efforts and creativity.

Voice and Images Explained

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Voice and Images

Digital storytelling allows students to be heard. Students record themselves narrating their owns scripts. This is one of the most essential elements that contribute to the effectiveness of digital storytelling.

Sound Track Explained

A picture is worth a thousand words…

This saying holds true in digital storytelling. The use of still images or video not only help tell the story, but also engage the audience. The power of narration and great images was made popular by Ken Burns in his popular PBS documentaries.

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Sound Track

Properly used, music can enhance and underscore the accompanying story.

Economy Explained

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Economy

Digital stories are powerful, but short. This is the most difficult part for the creators. The author must express their ideas in two to three minutes. This sharpens the focus of the story while at the same time creating a manageable process for a school project.

Pacing Explained

Pacing

This is the art of storytelling. Rhythm and voice punctuation cause the audience to “get into” the story. For the narrator, it is not merely speeding up or slowing down, but adding emotion to the content where appropriate.

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

All student projects/products should begin with two basic questions, so that student work adds intellectual value rather than being created for fun/motivation or to practice technical skills:

• What knowledge, skills, and deep understandings do you want students to have with this unit of study?

• How will students demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and deep understandings of this unit of study?

See Understanding by Design ( Wiggins), Baker’s Dozen Storytelling Skills for more information on essential standards and skills, NCTE Statement on Composing with Nonprint Media as well as NETS-S: Technology Foundation Standards for Students.

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

So Where Do I Start?

Find an area of interest to you and your students. Start with a single small project for the first time. Here are some ideas:

• Personal Narratives• Historical Event Personal Interviews• Accomplishment Celebrations• Subject or Theme Specific Stories

INTRO BENIFITS ELEMENTS SKILLS SUMMARY

Click Esc to Exit