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Using Digital Technologies: Storytelling
This support material is incorporated into critical challenges at grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12; however, it can be adapted for use at all grade levels.
"Stories provide a vital opportunity to bring history to life. Through stories, people share information, values and attitudes about history, culture and heritage. Stories are communicated through legends, myths, creation stories, narratives, oral traditions, songs, music, dance, literature, visual and dramatic arts, traditions, and celebrations. They can include or be supported by biographies, autobiographies, archives, news items, novels or short stories."
––Alberta Social Studies Grade 4 Program of Studies, 2006
Digital technologies provide opportunities to interpret or create stories using various formats, including images, text, audio, video and music. Students can use word processing tools and various applications to create stories or they can access storytelling tools online. You may wish to adapt the organizers from Planning a Documentary (Support Material) to assist students with planning and using specific techniques and strategies to create desired effects and tell their stories effectively.
To help students select appropriate images, consider using the Social
Studies Images Collection in LearnAlberta.ca.
For links and demonstrations of digital storytelling tools, including place-based storytelling tools, see References.
References
| Title: | 50 Web 2.0 Ways To Tell a Story |
| Host: | Alan Levine's wikispace |
| Description: | This wiki presents the same story using 50+ tools that are available online at no cost. The planning storyboard for the story and possible sources for images are also provided. Levine also includes an annotated list of tools that were tested and did not meet his criteria, which were tools that are free of charge, easy to use and offer a save feature. |
| URL: | http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/Dominoe+50+Ways |
| Title: | iMovie Tutorial |
| Host: | Apple |
| Description: | iMovie allows users to create, edit and add special effects to movies. Caution: (Requires a Mac. An upgrade download may be required. Access to a video camera is required.) |
| URL: | http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/ |
| Title: | Hidden Stories: A Digital Historical Narrative Project |
| Host: | Brenda Dyck |
| Description: | This resource provides an example of a digital storytelling assignment with a number of teacher support components. |
| URL: | http://www.wired-and-inspired.ca/hidden-stories/directory/index.html |
| Title: | How to Use CommunityWalk |
| Host: | CommunityWalk: Mapping Made Easy |
| Description: | CommunityWalk provides an interface for creating informational, interactive maps that could be used for digital storytelling. Icons or markers can be used to tag specific locations. Text and images can be attached to locations or pathways. Maps can be designated as private, shared or published. Caution: (Users must register. Fees are charged to remove advertisements and access additional security.) |
| URL: | http://www.communitywalk.com/about/tutorials |
| Title: | Google Earth Tutorials |
| Host: | |
| Description: | Google maps and Google Earth can be used for digital storytelling. Locations can be marked and images and text can be added. Caution: (Google Earth must be downloaded.) |
| URL: | http://earth.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=176576 |
| Title: | Welcome to Google Lit Trips! |
| Host: | Jerome Burg (Google Certified Teachers Program) |
| Description: | Google Lit Trips combine journeys described in literature with Google Earth features. This site includes numerous examples and provides links to a series of Webinar tutorials. |
| URL: | http://www.googlelittrips.org/ |
| Title: | Mixbook Education Program |
| Host: | Mixbook |
| Description: | Mixbook Education Program is a free, secure online environment that allows users to create and share personalized Mixbooks. This site includes numerous examples and provides links to tutorials. |
| URL: | http://www.mixbook.com/edu |
| Title: | Zoho Notebook |
| Host: | Zoho |
| Description: | Zoho Notebook is a free Web application that allows users to create, aggregate and collaborate personalized notebooks. This site includes numerous examples. |
| URL: | http://notebook.zoho.com/nb/login.do?serviceurl=%2Fnb%2Findex.do |
Credits
Adapted from Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum series. Permission granted by The Critical Thinking Consortium for use by Alberta teachers.
