Digital Storytelling and the Common Core

"Learning environments aren't revolutionized by installing a few cool gadgets here and there. Far more important is the educator's role in employing today's technology to make material accessible and engaging -- in other words, encouraging students to CREATE, COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE in ways never before possible."- Mark Stevens, in the NEA Today journal

What is Digital Storytelling anyway?

“I know only one thing about the technologies that awaits us in the future: We will find ways to tell stories with them.”

-- Jason Ohler

"Students employ technology thoughtfully to enhance

their reading, writing, speaking, listening and language

use ... they are familiar with the strengths and

limitations of various technological tools and mediums

and can select and use those best suited to their

communication goals."

-- from "portraits of students" in ELA Framework,

page 9

Other resources:

• The Creating Digital Storytelling Site
• http://digistories.yolasite.com/
• Digital Writing Workshop (by Troy Hicks)
• http://digitalwritingworkshop.wikispaces.com/
• Digital Storytelling in the Classroom
• http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/guides/Pages/digital_storytelling.aspx
• Digital Storyteller
• http://www.digitalstoryteller.org/

The power of storytelling

Digital Storytelling and

The Common Core

By Kevin Hodgson

And one more thing...

There are plenty of ways to connect Digital Storytelling across the curriculum:

* Math (explain a concept)

* Science (show an experiment)

* History (take on an alternative perpective of historical figure)

And more .....

Potential Ideas

• video book trailers
• Media companion to narrative writing
• Persuasive "how to" video project
• Family history project
• Tell the story of a community

Digital Storytelling

• Uses images, voice narration, music and (sometimes) motion to tell a story
• Incorporates storyboarding, writing a script, revision and production (and elements of the Writing Process)
• Creates a video project that can be shared in a variety of formats
• Encourages exploration of an idea with technology

Curriculum Connections

(Massachusetts: Writing)

Anchor Standard Three: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences and events ...

Anchor Standard Six: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Anchor Standard Seven: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects ....

Anchor Standard Eight: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources ...

Anchor Standard Ten: Write routinely over extended time frames ... and shorter time frames ... for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences.

from Joe Wood at the Digital Is site

http://digitalis.nwp.org/resource/3201

Rationale

• Integrated use of technology into the writing curriculum
• Multimedia aspect of learning
• Use of audience to shape writing
• Use of voice
• Potential for narrative writing but also for presenting informational/expository/persuasive writing
• Connections to digital/media literacy
• Engagement of learners

Classroom Examples

Dream Scenes

Personal Narrative

Google Search Story

Virtual Art Museum