This session was about using digital storytelling as an instructional strategy. The presenter showed how to use PowerPoint, Photostory and Movie Maker to create relatively short (1-3 minutes is about right in his opinion) digital stories. There wasn't a whole lot new here - either in terms of the concept or the tools - but it was a good reminder about some of the resources on the web to work with this.
It was also a good reminder that video projects don't have to be a massive undertaking, or have to be feature length. For example, Rob's 20th century video projects are amazing, but wouldn't work in most classes (or it would be hard to justify the time students spent on it). But the presenter reminded me that students can do fairly short, emotionally powerful and curricularly relevant movies in a fairly short period of time. I'm including both Photostory and Movie Maker on the images I'm creating this summer for all of our computers, so it would be fairly easy for teachers to utilize the computers at school for this, or have students do it at home (using those tools on the Windows side or, if they have Macs, then they have the even better iMovie and iPhoto). While students can certainly incorporate video if they want, if they limit it to still images, music and narration, it become a much simpler and faster process.
Karl,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds intriguing for use in a language arts classroom. I still want to get to the point where my students are creating video products that will be viewed by others outside the classroom. Do you think that 10 minute video presentations of short stories is one of those massive undertakings that you would shy away from?