Video+Production

=Digital Storytelling offers students an opportunity to explore:=

> > > > ~based on the work of Glen Bull and Sara Kajder (2004)
 * **Point of View**: The goal of digital storytelling is to allow a student writer to experience the power of personal expression. Therefore, students' digital stories need to be constructed from their own experience and understanding. Using the first-person pronoun "I" rather than the more distant third-person point of view is essential.
 * **A Dramatic Question:** A story that holds the attention of the audience has a dramatic question that is resolved by the end of the story. This is the distinguishing characteristic of the digital story.
 * **Emotional Content:** The most effective digital stories evoke an emotion from the audience.
 * ** The Gift of Their Voice: ** The pitch, inflection, and pace of the student's voice convey meaning and intent in a very personal way in digital stories.
 * **The Power of Audio:** When appropriately employed music or audi can enhance and underscore the accompanying story, adding complexity and depth to the narrative.
 * **Economy of Presentation**: Most digital stories have a few images, a few words, and limited special effects.
 * **Pacing**: For student writers, pacing means pulling back or racing forward when the story calls for it, as opposed to when the time limit approaches.

=Equipment:=
 * Access to personal computers with Movie Maker (comes with Windows XP) or iMovie (comes with Macs)
 * Digital or FLIP cameras
 * Access to the Internet
 * Built-in or external microphones
 * Computer Video Projector (for presenting final projects)
 * Classroom Website, Blog or Wiki to house videos for perusal (or TeacherTube)
 * Scanner (optional)

=Web 2.0 Tools and Resources:= Voicethread--students can weave uploaded digital images into a media presentation with multiple voices. Record audio, video, or add text or drawn annotations. Other students can add video, audio, and text comments as well.

Prezi--A most unique presentation tool that provides dramatic levels of pan, rotation, and zoom. Sequencing allows for a unique way to connect pieces of a story.

Photo Story -- students can create slideshows using digital photos. They can special effects, soundtracks, and their own voice narration. Free with Microsoft XP. To download Photo Story 3, click [|here] Tutorial for Photo Story 3 for Windows computers, click here. Microsoft also has a [|tutorial].

Animoto--this tool analyzes an uploaded set of images and creates a "professional" music video based on a secret artificial intelligence logic. Very easy to create elegant picture shows.

Audacity--Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. It is an easy to learn and use for recording narration for digital photos.

=**Copyright Free Resources:**= Images: Audio: =Educator Resources:= The Center for Digital Storytelling has been providing training on and sharing information about this art form for more than a decade, both in the United States and internationally. Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling offers a range of resources and tutorials for educators, including a discussion about research and evaluation.
 * Creative Commons -- this site provides important information about what CC licenses are AND links to a host of sites and organizations that have agreed to some leniency of copyright protection.
 * [|Pics4Learning.com]this site is loaded with free images that are can be search for by topic.
 * Flickr -- makes it easy to get photos of whatever way they want and MOST are licensed under creative commons
 * [|Free Stock Photos]
 * Podsafe Audio-- this site provides access to songs that are legal to use in educational settings, but may need to be purchased or have royalties paid for over-the-air radio use, television use. Students can search by genre, artist or theme.
 * Free Kids Music -- this site has children's music available from artists who have agreed to share their work for free for children and educators.
 * CCMixter

Edutopia: How to Use Digital Storytelling in Your Classroom--Read this article to understand how to empower student creativity with affordable and accessible technology.