Group+B+Digital+Stories

Group B's Digital Stories


 * __Viki's Digital Storytelling Examples

[|M.S.K. Running]__** Thirteen-year-old Morne Solomon shares bits of his life story - being bitten by a snake; moving away from his parents; a desire to make his country safe for the next generation - in this example from a pilot project working with learners in schools throughout Western Cape Province, South Africa. At the workshop, Morne learned how to put a story script on the computer, made new friends with the other kids, and made peace with sadness by telling his story to other children. He hopes this story will teach other children to respect themselves and to appreciate what they have (http://www.storycenter.org/stories/index.php?cat=3). This would be excellent in a middle school setting, perhaps a Social Studies class about other cultures. I believe Morne used Moviemaker to make the video. He combines personal photographs with his own drawings and illustrations to create a poignant story about his life thus far. He narrates his life story without any background music. I believe this is his first experience at digital storytelling, and what a great job he has done!

__[|**Victoria's Autobiography**]__ This is Victoria's autobiography (2nd Grade). This is an interesting and poignant look at a second grader's life. This is narrated completely by Victoria. I really enjoyed listening to the child's voice while she narrated her journey through her short life. What a wonderful treasure for her parents! If they can keep this on the Internet, it will even prove to be a nice video history for Victoria's own children. What was really special about this was that a second grader created and narrated the story; what a great project for students of all ages, but this shows that digital storytelling is not just for older students. The video was created using images in iPhoto with audio added using QuickTime Player Pro.

[|**Victoria's Portfolio**] This is Victoria's portfolio. This is the same little girl that was in the autobiography, but she (or mom) had created portfolios for Kindergarten and first grade. Both of the videos are on this page. Watching and listening to Victoria's experiences in Kindergarten and first grade made me wish this technology had been available when my own kids were growing up; what I would give to have their school portfolios now that they have all left the nest! I think teachers could even do this as an end-of-the-year project with their classes. I used to have students create "Memory" books of the year, but they got torn up easily. Putting the year's activities into a digital storytelling format would be something they could keep and their parents would treasure it forever. What a great way for the teacher to remember the class, as well; the teacher could create a digital story about his/her own experiences during the year; what a great portfolio addition! "Victoria's Portfolio" was created using images in iPhoto with audio added using QuickTime Player Pro.

Ethan discusses health and exercise as related to heart health. He learned a valuable lesson because his grandfather had a heart attack and had to have bypass surgery. This was especially touching, as my dad just had to have bypass surgery as well. This story was told by using still pictures of Ethan’s Grandpa, the location of the heart attack, and diagrams of the heart. It was put together using Windows Movie Maker. This is an excellent example for secondary students for several reasons. First, high school students are old enough to begin to understand the ramifications of poor diet and a sedentary life style. Also, high school students are in a position to make some decisions about their food choices and exercise level. Given this example, I believe HS students will be more aware of their lifestyle choices.
 * __Susan's Digital Storytelling Examples__**
 * [|Grandpa's Heart Attack] **

[|It’s a Hard Knock Life] The story of a girl whose parents made it to the United States of America from their homeland. It wasn’t easy, but with hard work and perseverance, the family found success. This story reminds me that we all come from somewhere...and if we choose, we can make happiness around us. This project was made with Windows Movie Maker, incorporating family photos and other pictures to help define each issue. High school students would relate to this story. The focus is on family history and learning more about where your parents came from. At some point in everyone’s life, they wonder where they came from. This project would allow students to research that aspect of their history.

[|One More Step for Women] The first woman architect designs a women’s building that showcased the emancipation of women. This was just a poignant story of the evolution of women's roles in society. A great look back in history. Windows Movie Maker was used in creating this project. Historical pictures, maps, and diagrams were also utilized. This is a great example for secondary students. The topic is important to our history. It shows progress of women both in the workplace and socially. I think all High School students could benefit from seeing history through a different perspective.


 * __Lesley's Elementary Digital Storytelling Examples__**

[|**My Aunt Marilyn**] This is a story written and told by a 3rd grader. She is telling a story about her aunt and her aunt's love of painting. She used Microsoft's Photo Story 3 to complete her story. This is a good example of what a 3rd grader can do. She is showing the skills she has to put together a simple digital story. She used photos of her aunt and her aunt's artwork to enhance her story. I was impressed with how well written and presented this story was by a 3rd grader. Elementary students could do a project similar to this about a favorite family member or adult. They could tell how that person inspired them.

[|September 11th (high speed connection)]

[|September 11th (Dial-up connection)] This is a poem written by a 4th grader about September 11th. He uses photos and music to enhance the poem he is reading. I believe he used Photo Story to complete his project. This poem serves as a good grade-level specific example because it showcases the skills a 4th grade can use in storytelling. This is a very moving poem dealing with the tragedy of September 11th. The poem and images took me back to that day. All students regardless of age could write a poem and use pictures to highlight the poem. They could write a poem about a significant event that happened in their lifetime. Students need an outlet for their feelings. A project such as this one could help students with that outlet.

[|Turning Tables - (high speed connection)]

[|Turning Tables (dail-up connection)] This is a story written by a 4th grader about a life changing decision she made. The girl used photos, drawings she created, and music to enhance her story. I believe she used Photo Story to complete her project. I was very impressed with the skill level of the story. I was also impressed with the content of the story. She is describing being baptized and how it changed her life. I very well written and presented story by a 4th grade student. Elementary students could do a similar project. They could pick an event in their life that impacted their life and describe it. They could draw their own pictures to add to the story if they don't have actual pictures of the event. Students love to tell about things that happen in their life. This would be a great project for them to focus an event that happened to them.