Exploring Digital Storytelling - Week 7

Like many tools, digital storytelling is a double edged sword.  At times it can be amazing, offering creative opportunities which do not exist with pen and paper alone.  Other times, it can be restricting, offering photos and pictures that limit our creativity.  Through the process of creating my own digital stories, I was keenly aware of this.  In fact, I was reminded of watching movies which were first books.  Once I have seen the movie, I can never get those images out of my head, no matter how hard I try.  Someone else's pictures and ideas take over my own.  Visual images can be strangely powerful.

In my limited experience, I realize that some apps and websites are perfect for certain learning situations while others are not.  Each app or website has a particular fit.  While some offer great amounts of creative opportunity, others are more regimented with little flexibility.  It is up to us as teachers to understand the needs of our students and lessons and to plan accordingly.  This is where research becomes essential.

We must understand both the benefits and challenges of digital storytelling.  While some of these benefits and challenges are debatable, some aspects remain clear.  Success in multi-media requires basic skills of reading and comprehension.  Without it, digital storytelling is only a mess.  So, for those who worry that dusty books, pen, and paper will fall into oblivion, you can rest a little easier.

If anything, we should be encouraged.  Despite being immersed in the Internet and Netflix bingewatching, people still have a strong desire to tell their own stories.  More and more, we have tools to help any individual produce their own creations.  Digital storytelling tools of today support diverse learning styles and foster engagement and reflection.  I find great comfort in this idea.  When I was a kid, we were identified by our so called "talents". So-and-So had a great head for numbers while So-and-So's sister was the artistic one and So-and-So's brother wasn't very smart and was going to drop out of school as soon as legally possible.  More and more, as we create more tools like digital storytelling, we create opportunities for everyone to demonstrate their abilities and discard these labels. Now we can all be the artistic one or the one with a mind for math.

While exploring digital storytelling tools, I found two of particular interest.  First, I found Domo Animate to be a refreshing, crisp experience, especially after using Animoto. Using Domo Animate, writers can write a story in an anime format, using speech bubbles, a-la-carte art, and a wide menu of music.  In particular, the ability to use different short music segments to create mood is a much more creative experience with Domo Animate. The Domo Animate provides a more authentic storytelling experience with multiple moods possible.

The other digital storytelling tool I explored was Idea Sketch.  While this app may not be as flashy as others, it has a unique capability to help in the pre-writing phases.  Here is an example of how it can help:

This app offers what many apps cannot: the ability to organize your ideas.  Not only does it give a visual representation of your ideas, but it is flexible in the format.  And as you work, there is a collaborative element where you can share your work.  Depending upon what you want, the format can be outline or more of a mind mapping format.  Over-all I loved this idea.  Anytime we can find tools which help organize the bonanza of information and ideas we have, they are more than welcome.

Animoto:

So...now for the moment of truth.  To be honest, I did not particularly like using Animoto to "show what you know".  It reminded me too much of iMovie with fewer options to edit.  I was also disappointed by the lack of music options.  I understand that it is free, however I still felt that somehow they could have done better.

To prepare for my Animoto, I explored various lesson plans pertaining to learning about trees and the effect they have on us and our environment.  If I were to implement some of the lessons plans, the culmination or "show-what-you-know" might look a little like this:




Standards fulfilled by completing the Animoto are as follows:


NH State Assessments
Describe ways plants and animals depend on each other.

ISTE NETS Standards:
1. Creativity and innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression

3. Research and information fluency
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media


Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.9
Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.