Digital Storytelling

Digital storytelling is the use of multimedias to deliver stories using images, sound, music and voice. Digital stories combine mediums such as drawings, photos, text, music and voice into a learning tool. This is an exciting as it adds an extra dimension to the students learning. There are many ways in which a digital storytelling can be presented and displayed, this relates to the Relate, Create and Donate theory.

This technology could be used in a variety of ways across all KLAs and year levels. In lower primary ebooks could be used to display and read. The middle to upper grades could create their books using scanned drawings and images, and make a powerpoint slideshow,photostory, PDF or digital scrapbooking . Another twist could be to create a hard copy book, a photobook. Those of you that go to uni with me have seen my hardcopy book, My art journey and matching photostory. You download the website and follow the prompts to create your own book, prices range from $29.00 upwards and the get delivered to your door. I'm currently putting one together for my eldest sons 21st, something he can keep. This would be a great learning experience, they could then donate it to the library at the end of the year. You can access Officeworks Photobooks from, http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/promo/photobooksintro?left=menu_photobooks

Smilebox is another great tool, its a free scrapbooking website that lets you create slideshows, scrapbooks, photoalbums and email them. You can access smilebox from, http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=google&campaign=smilebox&gclid=CPmXxeb9sZwCFdgtpAodH3ZHtw

All of the above digital storytelling lessons could be intergrated into any KLA. This would promote creativity, enhance and accelerate the learning and engage all the multiple intelligences (Lubbock Independent Schools District, 2009). For all learners, research points to the importance of learning environments which are active, social, and learner-centered. These environments might be described as interactive (Oblinger, D. & Oblinger, J., 2005). Digital storytelling supports at least four major categories of interactivity.

References

Lubbock Independent Schools District. (2009) Digital storytelling. Retrieved 18 August 2009 from, http://www.lubbockisd.org/sfireza/storytelling/

Oblinger, D., & Oblinger, J. (2005) Educating the net generation: the real versus the possible; closing the gaps in engagement and learning. Retrieved 18 August 2009 from, http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/pub7101h.pdf