Digital Storytelling

Digital Storytelling This course covers the following topics:

 In the workshop, participants will learn about the process of creating digital stories, including:

 Finding the story  Writing the story:

drafting, storyboarding

 Finding images and audio  Recording audio  Using Windows Movie Maker  Publishing and evaluating students’ digital stories  Practice with Windows Movie Maker

November 2008

OTAN activities are funded by contract CN088109 from the Adult Education Office, Secondary, Postsecondary, and Adult Leadership Division, California Department of Education, with funds provided through Federal P.L., 105220, Section 223. However, the content does not necessarily reflect the position of that department or the U.S. Department of Education

OTAN Online Training

Digital Storytelling

Handout Conventions First let’s cover a few things about this instruction handout. Since each section builds on the previous section, we recommend you complete each section before moving to the next one. In each section, you will be guided through step-by-step instructions. Instructions that you should follow will look like this: ()1Instructions for you to follow will look like this (use the “outlined numbered” format under Format>Bullets & Numbering. Choose the “Outline” tab.) If we want you to type something, we will set it in bold like this: ()1Type POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS in the box If you are to press a key on your keyboard, the key will be in brackets like this: ()2Press [CTRL] Unless otherwise stated, all “clicks” will be with the left mouse button. Whenever we say “Place your cursor…” we want you to put your cursor in the place you need it to be and click so it blinks there.

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What are digital stories? • •

Digital stories are multi-media projects that combine images and/or video with audio recordings (voice-over narration) and/or music and sound effects and can be used across the curriculum. Some common types of digital stories: personal stories of recovery, loss, accomplishment, immigration; adventure stories; tribute/memorial stories; character stories; work stories; stories about a place; love stories; discovery stories (adapted from the following source: http://www.storycenter.org/memvoice/pages/cookbook.html)

Why have students do digital story projects? • • • •

Digital stories have several educational benefits. They provide opportunties for students to practice and enhance their skills in writing, viusal and media literacy, and technology. Digital story projects are motivational and engaging, sometimes therapeutic The projects give students chances to express themselves creatively (telling their own stories, creating or selecting images and music). Students learn 21st Century Skills: time management, self-direction, teamwork/collaboration, problem solving. (adapted from The Art of Digital Storytelling ebook http://www.ebookhost.net/tldmc2/ebook.html)

Ten Steps of Making Digital Stories Step 1. Choose a topic •

It is helpful for students to understand what digital stories are by exploring online digital stories. Instructors can find and show in class a variety of different types. – Some sites with digital stories online are the following: • Stories for Change http://storiesforchange.net/ • National Storytelling Network http://www.storynet.org/ • DigiTales http://www.digitales.us/ • Power of Word Digital Stories http://www.davarts.org/art_storiesB.html • KQED Digital Storytelling Initiative http://www.dsi.kqed.org/ • One World Journeys http://www.oneworldjourneys.com/ • Center for Digital Storytelling http://www.storycenter.org/ • Creative Narrations Projects http://www.creativenarrations.net/site/projects.html • The Art of Digital Storytelling ebook http://www.ebookhost.net/tldmc2/ebook.html

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Instructors can assign a topic or let students choose their own. The best digital stories are typically written in 1st person (I, me) point of view. – For an extensive list of potential topics, see http://mccdigitalstory.blogspot.com/2007/12/ideas-for-digital-stories.html or http://snipurl.com/digistoryideas 2

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Step 2. Write a script • • •

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First, instructors may need to point out the differences between a paragraph (at lower language levels) or essay (for adult / higher level students) and a script (which is meant to be read aloud) If possible, show a digital story with its transcribed script. Most scripts are only one page typed double-spaced, and most digital stories are only a maximum of three minutes long when narrated (it is a good idea to set these limitations in order to keep the project manageable and ensure students finish within the term, but of course it will depend on the course and time available). Teach the writing process: provide feedback on content first, and then mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation) in subsequent drafts of thre script. To save time, it is often helpful to use a checklist (student self-checklist or for instructor feedback checklist) or rubric or peer review (for higher levels), especially for commenting on the initial drafts of the script. Sample script feedback checklist for peer or instructor review:

Script Feedback: 1. The point of the story •

What is the problem/conflict/tension?

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How does the writer feel about this story? Why is this story important to him / her?

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What part do you like?

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Is there anything you don’t understand?

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What is not clear to you?

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What do you want to know more about?

2. Story Flow / Organization •

Does the story have a beginning?

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Does it have a middle?

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Does it have an end?

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Does it move along?

3. Economy •

Is the story 1 – 1/12 pages?

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What can be said with images instead of with words?

4. Visuals: What are 3 – 5 images that come to mind as you read the script? 5. Audio / Soundtrack: What music or sound effects came to mind as you read the

script? Step 3. Practice read-alouds (with instructor, in pairs, or in small groups) 3

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The instructor should provide feedback on pronunciation, intonation, stress, volume, the need for pauses, etc. The instructor should stress that the “art” of storytelling is to use one’s voice effectively. This can be accomplished by showing or reading good and bad samples (for example, reading a script about an emotional topic in a monotone voice and then re-reading it with pauses, stress, volume, pitch that suits the treatment of the topic).

Step 4. Make a storyboard •

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A storyboard is an initial plan for the digital story that helps digital storytellers save time when searching for / creating images and soundtrack (audio sound effects, music) and helps to visualize the story elements. At this point, instructors may want to discuss symbolism and how certain images can symbolize the emotions, moods, and atmospheres in stories. For example, an image of a dark, cloudy day can symbolize sadness or gloom. See sample storyboard form downloaded during workshop (modified from the original, courtesy of Penny Pearson, OTAN).

Step 5. Record voice-over narration • •

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Programs such as Windows Movie Maker and PhotoStory have built-in recording functions, as does PowerPoint. Audacity (www.audacity.sourcforege.net) is a free, useful option that can be downloaded. This is an example of a program that should be used if the soundtrack will be complex (with voice-over combined with multiple music and sound effects tracks). The tracks can be edited, saved, and exported into a single audio file (.wav) that can be inserted into PowerPoint slides and imported into programs often used for digital storytelling, such as Movie Maker. – Audacity manuals and online video tutorials:  Audacity Manual: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/  Audacity Tutorial: http://www.edhsonline.org/other/audacity/  Teacher Tube Videos Related to Audacity and Sound Recording/Editing: http://www.teachertube.com/search_result.php?search_id=audacity If Audacity or a similar audio editing program is used, music and sound effects can be added in. See handout for how to rip music from a CD. Sources for music and sound effects downloads (many are free and copyright free): –

A1 Free Sound Effects http://www.a1freesoundeffects.com/

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Absolute Sound Effects Archive http://www.grsites.com/sounds/ ArtistServer http://www.artistserver.com/music.cfm CC Hits http://cchits.ning.com/hits/ ccMixter http://ccmixter.org/ ccMixter http://www.ccmixter.org/ Findsounds http://www.findsounds.com/ Foxtunes http://www.foxtunes.com/

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Free Loops http://free-loops.com/free-loops.php Free Music http://freemusic.com/ 4

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Free Music Project http://freemusic.freeculture.org/

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Free Sound Project http://www.freesound.org/searchText.php Freeplay Music http://freeplaymusic.com/ Funky Remixes http://funkyremixes.com/

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iBeat http://ibeat.org/ incompetech http://incompetech.com/ Internet Archive http://www.archive.org/details/audio Jamendo http://www.jamendo.com/ JamStudio - make your own music online http://www.jamstudio.com/Studio/index.htm Kitzu www.kitzu.org Many .wav Sound Files http://www.externalharddrive.com/waves/waves.html Mp3.com http://www.mp3.com/free-music/free-mp3s Mutopia http://www.ibiblio.org/mutopia Open Music Archive http://www.openmusicarchive.org/index.php Opsound http://www.opsound.org/opsound.html Partners in Rhyme Free Sound Effects http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/PIRsfx.shtml Partners in Rhyme http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/ Podsafe Audio http://www.podsafeaudio.com/ Public Domain Music http://www.pdinfo.com/ Sample Net http://www.samplenet.co.uk/ SimplytheBest Free Sounds http://simplythebest.net/sounds/ Soundsnap http://www.soundsnap.com/ Soungle http://www.soungle.com/ TheFreeSite http://www.thefreesite.com/Free_Sounds/Free_WAVs/ WavCentral http://freeplaymusic.com/ WebPlaces www.webplaces.com/html/sounds.htm

Step 6. Compile images • •

Students should be encouraged to use original artwork (paintings, drawings, sketches). If possible, students can take digital photos and download to a computer. – Images can be edited with photo editing programs, such as the following: • Photoshop, if available and if digital storytellers have experience using the program. • PowerPoint has very basic tools for editing (cropping, increasing brightness) images and adding effects (see 2007 version) • Picasa is a free Google download for photo editing.To download Picasa, go to http://picasa.google.com/download/. See the Picasa video tutorial can be viewed at http://www.ewiza.com/misc/picasa-video-tutorial.html • There are several online photo editing and altering (special effects) sites with no download required, but registration is required with some sites. Some of these are the following: – Adobe Photoshop Express – – –

https://www.photoshop.com/express/landing.html Be Funky http://www.befunky.com/ FotoFlexer http://fotoflexer.com/ Graphita http://www.graphita.com/ 5

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– Phixr http://www.phixr.com/ – Picnik http://www.picnik.com/ – Pixenate http://pixenate.com/ Students can scan old (not digital) photos. Or the Internet can be used to find images. – Sources (many are free and copyright free; if not designated as copyright-free, students can use images only for classroom presentation – permission should be obtained when using copyright images in digital stories that will be posted online, in order to avoid copyright infringement): • Animation Station http://animationstation.com/ • Art Images for College Teaching (Royalty Free) http://www.arthist.umn.edu/aict/html/ • Background City http://backgroundcity.com/ • Copyrightfreephotos.com http://www.copyrightfreephotos.com/ • Flickr http://www.flickr.com/ • Flickr Storm http://www.zoo-m.com/flickr-storm/ • Free Digital Photos http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ • Free Graphics http://freegraphics.com/ • Free Range Stock Photos http://www.freerangestock.com/ • FreeFoto http://www.freefoto.com/ • FreeStockPhotos http://freestockphotos.com/ • Fresher Image http://fresherimage.com/ • Google Images http://images.google.com/ • More Free Photos http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/ • Morguefile http://www.morguefile.com • Nations Illustrated http://www.nationsillustrated.com/ • Open Photo Project http://openphoto.net/ • PD Photo http://pdphoto.org/ • Photogen free photos http://www.photogen.com/ • Pics4Learning http://www.pics4learning.com/ • Pixel Perfect Digital http://www.pixelperfectdigital.com/free_stock_photos/ • Public Domain Photos http://www.public-domain-photos.com/ • Public Domain Pictures http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/ • Smithsonian Images • • • • • •

http://smithsonianimages.si.edu/siphoto/siphoto.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=home Snap-shot.com http://snap-shot.com/ stock.xchnge free stock photos http://www.sxc.hu/ The Royalty Free Clip Art Collection For Foreign/Second Language Instruction http://tell.fll.purdue.edu/JapanProj/FLClipart/ The University of Victoria Teaching Clipart Gallery http://hcmc.uvic.ca/clipart/ World Images http://worldart.sjsu.edu/ YotoPhoto http://yotophoto.com/

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Step 7. Use a computer program to digitize the project •

There are several free programs for making digital stories. The following is a list of options: – – – – –

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PowerPoint presentation with slides narrated (choose the record narration option) Windows Movie Maker (comes standard on PCs with Windows operating systems) http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx Microsoft PhotoStory (download for PCs) http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/PhotoStory/default.mspx Apple iLife (includes iMovie and GarageBand, comes standard on Apple computers) http://www.apple.com/ilife/ Online tools such as Jumpcut http://www.jumpcut.com/ , VoiceThread http://voicethread.com/ , Bubbleshare slideshows http://www.bubbleshare.com/ , Slide http://www.slide.com/ , Bubblr http://www.pimpampum.net/bubblr/, Glogster http://www.glogster.com/ , and many more. See CogDogRoo Wiki on “50+ Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story” at http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/50+Ways for a list of numerous tools for making digital stories.

Some other options (not free): – – –

Adobe Premiere http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/index.html Final Cut Pro (Apple) http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/ Pinnacle Studio (PCs) http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ProductPage_n.asp?Product_ID=1501&Langue_ID=7

Step 8. Add titles, credits, special effects, and transitions (as the program used allows) and synchronize audio with images * In Windows Movie Maker as well as other video editing software programs, this is the most time-consuming step, if audio is imported.

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Step 9. View “rough cuts” and provide feedback •

Use a checklist or form to provide feedback as a whole class, for peer feedback, or oneon-one instructor to student feedback. Sample:

Team Rough-Cut Feedback Form 1. Does the story grab and keep your attention? If so, how?

2. What is the message or theme of the story?

3. What is the best part of the story? (the story itself, images, voice-over, soundtrack, special effects such as transitions and video effects)

4. What is something that could be better or that is missing? Be specific about images, colors, titles and credits, effects, voice-over, sound track…

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Feedback sessions should be followed with further revisions, editing.

Step 10: Final saving, rendering, publishing (burning digital story to a CD or DVD or posting online with students’ permission), viewing, celebrating (voting for best digital stories in such categories as best technical, best story, best overall digital story, etc.), and evaluating projects

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Digital Storytelling

Sample rubric for evaluating student digital story projects:

Rubric for Digital Story Assessment Digital Story Element Story

1 point

2 points

3 points

Relevance

Not an interesting story or incomplete story or not student’s own story; confusing

Compelling, dramatic story

Vocabulary

Much repetition of words or use of inappropriate vocabulary

Length

Too short or too long

Revision / editing

No or few revisions; story shows no change or improvement from first draft

Not completely clear how the story is personal or has importance to the storyteller; some parts unclear Some repetition of words and some inappropriate vocabulary Just a little shorter or longer than it should be Some revisions; some errors corrected; story improved somewhat

Choice and number of images is adequate but some images are inappropriate, of poor quality, or do not enhance the story Most titles and credits are accurate but there is one mistake

Images effectively support and enhance the story

Uses voice somewhat well to tell the story; pacing OK

Effective use of voicing enhances the story; pacing enhances the tone of the story Good pronunciation and

Appropriate and varied vocabulary Treatment of the topic is the right length Story revised; errors in grammar, spelling were corrected; story improved significantly

Visuals Images

Choice and number of images is inadequate or inappropriate; images of too poor quality

Titles and Credits

Two or more mistakes or serious spelling and grammar errors

All titles and credits are accurate, appropriate, and enhance the digital story

Audio Voice-Over Narration: Use of voice (pacing, intonation, stress) Voice-Over Narration:

Does not use voice effectively to tell the story; pacing too fast or too slow Frequent pronunciation

A few pronunciation

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OTAN Online Training Fluency, pronunciation Soundtrack

Digital Storytelling errors that affect comprehension; influent speaking No soundtrack or completely inappropriate

errors, some hesitations that make it sound as if reading Soundtrack OK but may not fit the story

fluent speaking, no hesitations

No transitions or special effects; most of the story is text; images and audio out of synch; story not finished

A few transitions and special effects; images and audio out of synch in some places

Mix and transitions and special effects enhance the story; images and audio meld together seamlessly

Soundtrack reflects the story and enhances it

Production Transitions, effects, synchronizing audio and images/titles

Points: _______/ 30 points possible = ______ % Comments:

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If digital stories are burned to a CD, they can be viewed on most computers. If they are burned to a DVD, they may also be viewed on televisions when played in a DVD player. Another option for publishing and sharing students’ work is to upload the digital stories to a class blog or website. There are also many sites that allow free video uploading. Some allow registered users to choose private or publish postings. Of course, students should fill out release forms if the instructor uploads their work to the Internet. –

This is a list of some of the most popular (free) video sharing sites: Blip.tv http://blip.tv/ Crackle http://crackle.com/index.aspx Daily Motion http://www.dailymotion.com DropShots http://www.dropshots.com/ Freevlog http://www.freevlog.org/index.php/category/tutorial/ (set up a video blog) Google Video http://video.google.com/ Internet Archive http://www.archive.org MetaTube http://www.metatube.com/ Odeo http://odeo.com OurMedia http://www.ourmedia.com Photobucket http://photobucket.com/ Revver http://revver.com/ School tube http://www.schooltube.com/ TeacherTube http://www.teachertube.com/ TinyPic http://tinypic.com/ Viddler http://www.viddler.com/ Yahoo! Video http://video.yahoo.com/ YouTube http://www.schooltube.com/ ZippyVideos http://www.zippyvideos.com/

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If PowerPoint is used for digital stories, PowerPoint slideshows can be uploaded to the web for sharing with these sites (registration required). With these sites, users are provided an embed (html) code, so that the PowerPoint slideshow can be embedded on a class Web site or blog. AuthorStream http://www.authorstream.com/ 10

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Myplick http://www.myplick.com/ Scribd http://www.pdfcoke.com/

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PowerPoint slideshows can also be uploaded to YouTube. See the following tutorials: Video tutorial on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUcZG38_hoI Slideshare video tutorial http://www.slideshare.net/gaochuhan/how-to-uploadpowerpoint-to-you-tube/

Homework Assignment Due: in one week • Create a short (1 – 2 minutes max.) digital story about any topic of your choice (a self introduction – see sample at http://snipurl.com/selfintro -- your job, your school, your students, a hobby/interest) • Use Windows Movie Maker or any other program listed on the handout • Email the digital story to me as an attachment, or upload to a class or personal blog or Web page, or upload to a video sharing site and email the URL to [email protected]. In your email message, please indicate if you will need a certificate for this workshop. Other Useful Resources: PhotoStory Tutorial http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/tips/firststory.mspx Kodak Photo Tips http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=39&pq-locale=en_US&_requestid=856 Microsoft Digital Photography Tips http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/learnmore/composition.mspx Photography Tips http://www.photographytips.com/ Windows Movie Maker Tutorials Windows Tutorial http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsxp/default.mspx Atomic Learning Tutorials http://www.atomiclearning.com/moviemaker2 Adobe Premiere Elements Tutorials http://www.mediacollege.com/adobe/premiere/pro/ , http://www.techtutorials.info/adpremier.html , http://www.wrigleyvideo.com/videotutorial/tutorials.htm Everyone Has a Story to Tell http://visalia.k12.ca.us/teachers/mblanton/techcoach/photostory/ Techlearning article on Digital Storytelling http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196605451&page=1 11

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The Art of Digital Storytelling ebook http://www.ebookhost.net/tldmc2/ebook.html Edutupia Article: “How to Use Digital Storytelling in the Classroom” http://www.edutopia.org/use-digitalstorytelling-classroom Tech Head Digital Storytelling Links http://tech-head.com/dstory.htm Digital Storytelling Resources for Teachers http://www.techteachers.com/digitalstorytelling.htm Electronic Portfolios (many useful links) http://electronicportfolios.org/digistory/

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