Digital Storytelling Handout (4th FL FORUM)

Digital Storytelling, G. Drivas, Ch. Sotiriou

4th FL Forum - March 2014

An attempt at examining the What, the Why and the
How of using Digital Stories in EFL Education.

Slide 1
DIGITAL STORYTELLING
IN 10 EASY STEPS

Digital Storytelling is the modern
version of the age-old art of
storytelling

George Drivas - Chryssanthe Sotiriou

Storytelling is also an ancient form
of teaching.

Slide 2
From oral storytelling to
CNN and the Internet…

Storytelling, no matter in what form or media, is a powerful method to communicate knowledge,
culture, perspectives and points of view. Before reading and writing, oral storytelling was the only
means wisdom and knowledge were communicated.

Slide 3

Nowadays, technology provides us
with new possibilities to exploit
this ancient teaching method

We use storytelling in order to teach others about our knowledge, culture and beliefs.
Digital storytelling gives us the ability to reach and disseminate our stories further than ever before.
We tell stories to organize experience into a meaningful whole that can be shared with others.
Digital Storytelling gives students confidence while it develops fundamental intellectual skills.

Sponsored by www.allthingspresentations.eu



What Is Digital Storytelling?
Telling a story by bringing together some

Slide 4

mixture of digital graphics, text, recorded
audio narration, video and music to present

Many different definitions of
Digital Storytelling exist

information on a specific topic

Common core: the art of telling stories with a variety of digital media, such as audio, and video.
Similarities with traditional storytelling: a chosen theme and a particular viewpoint.
Differences from traditional storytelling: just a few minutes long and have a variety of uses and
methods of broadcast.

Slide 5

Stories that have been passed
down through generations, allow
voices from the past to interact
with voices from the present.
Slide 6
The Virus

Rehashing and remaking old
stories by adding new twists and
perspectives allow for multiple
interpretations of storylines.
Digital Storytelling is a tool that
can support teaching and learning
in any subject area.



Artifacts #1: Knowledge
Write

Slide 7

Visualize
Create
Communicate


Our experiences, our knowledge
and our thinking are quite often
organized in story form.
Knowledge: Write, Revise,
Visualize, Create, Locate,
Communicate, Extend

Artifacts #2: Competences
Take Risks

Slide 8

Collaborate
Manage

A competency is a set of defined
behaviors when tackling a
Learning task.

Prioritize

Artifacts #3: Skills
Communicate in new ways

Slide 9
Use real world tools

Digital Stories create a conduit
between teaching and integrating
technology.

Create personal meaning

ICT tools allow us to connect, communicate and collaborate easily with others around the world.
1. We connect emotionally with people and events in stories and we relate them to experiences in
our own lives.
2. Stories let us communicate our perspective and perception as well as our understanding of the
world around us.
3. Stories are usually a collaborative effort tales, characters, their actions and points of view

The Seven Elements of Digital
Storytelling (adapted from
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.e
du/page.cfm?id=27&cid=27)

Slide 10

The Protection




Center for Digital Storytelling’s Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling
1. Point of view What is the main point of the story and what is the perspective of the author?
2. A dramatic question A key question that keeps the viewer’s attention and will be answered by the
end of the story.
3. Emotional content Serious issues that come alive in a personal and powerful way and connects the
story to the audience.
4. The gift of your voice A way to personalize the story to help the audience understand the context.
5. The power of the soundtrack Music or other sounds that support and embellish the storyline.
6. Economy Using just enough content to tell the story without overloading the viewer.
7. Pacing The rhythm of the story and how slowly or quickly it progresses.

Inside Your Story

The perspective: Identity, Culture,
Emotions, Opinions, Facts, Experiences,
Meaning

Identity

Slide 11

Emotions
Opinions





Experiences



Lessons Learned
Expectations

Slide 12

Meaning
Impact

Understanding
Connection

Told in first person
Using own voice to narrate the tale
You share who you are, what you
felt, and what the event or situation
means to you
The story is shared through the
heart NOT the head.

Key words: Expectations, Meaning,
Impact, Understanding, Connection




Each story expresses a personal
meaning or insight.
Each story has a point to make.
Each story engages and involves the
listener

Developing Craftsmanship

Slide 13

Think communication
not decoration

A good Digital Story incorporates
technology in meaningful ways, not for
the sake of technology.
It demonstrates expertise in sharing and
creating meaning with images, sound,
voice, color, and special effects

All digital elements are selected to enhance the meaning of the tale rather than provide an interesting
package that distracts from what is being presented.
Good craftsmanship combines media elements creatively to convey significant meaning rather than
decoration of the story.




Creative Tension
Intrigue

Slide 14

Twist

Surprise
Resolve

Whenever we are told a story we
enjoy a surprise turn-of-events as
long as the storyline is coherent.

The tension of an unresolved or curious situation engages and holds the viewer until the story reaches
a memorable ending.
Pacing is an invisible part of sustaining story tension. It uses starts, stops and pauses letting us wonder
what will happen next and how will it be resolved.
Economizing
Clear goal

Slide 15

Minimum steps
Effective tools

One point to make
Length: 3-5 minutes
Script: no more than one (1) page
No of Words: Maximum five
hundred (500) words.

Showing, Not Telling
context

Slide 16

information
emotions






Show context,
Create setting,
Provide information,
Create emotions

Both images and sound, not just words, are used to provide vivid details, to reveal feelings, to offer
information
Both words and media are needed to reveal details rather than simply naming or stating what already
exists or the viewer knows about.




Slide 17

The Cure

1: What do you want to share?

Memorial stories

Slide 18

Travel stories
Accomplishment stories






Think small.
Focus.
Tell a personal tale.
Reveal a small truth.

Discovery stories.

Character stories center on a person who's touched you in a deep way.
Memorial stories center o a person who left a lasting impression.
Travel stories — stories about a personal journey or passage
Accomplishment stories about achieving a goal,
The story about a place in your life.
The story about what I do. People find value in their work, hobbies, or social commitments
Recovery stories. Sharing the experience challenge, or personal obstacle
Love stories.
Discovery stories. Stories about how we uncovered a truth or learned how to do something.
2: What do I need?
Memories.
photos,

Slide 19

film,
flyers

Start collecting memories.
The most powerful materials are
often discovered during a search
in forgotten files or boxes.

Use what you have!

Start gathering anything that holds emotional value: photos, video, flyers, etc.
Don't think you have to create a story from scratch. You can always add to it if needed.
Older materials usually carry more of an emotional impact than new custom made materials.




3: What is your story?
Write your script

Slide 20

Be concise.
Be real.
Be original.

The story must be told from your
point of view.

Get feedback.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Get the main elements of your story down on paper.
See how much you can convey with a few words and some key images.
You need to reach an emotional depth.
All stories have a structure: a beginning, middle and end.
The rhythm and tempo of a story is what maintains the audience interest.
All storytellers have their own characteristic style of storytelling. Find yours.
Read your script to a friend and ask for comments, observe their reactions.
4: What hardware do I need?
A tablet or laptop.
Software

Slide 21

A scanner

A recorder

You may need certain pieces of
equipment depending on your
goal.

A microphone
Headphones

A desktop computer or laptop. Video software. A scanner, if you want to include traditional photos in
your story. A recording device: for video, for audio, a portable digital recorder.
A handheld microphone for interviews. Headphones.

5: How do I plan my story
Use a storyboard.

Slide 22

Use index cards

Professional movie makers use
storyboards to plan out the
sequences of events that they
would like to tell.

15 images & 2’ of video.
6’’ on each image

This is where you'll place your
visual materials and your
narrative.









Arrange your visuals in sequence.
Use an index card beneath each visual to write a comment about the picture.
You do not need to write the full narrative yet.
Make certain that the segments (image and narrative) are equally proportioned to each other.
Do not rush through segments. Give them time to make an impact.

You may want to look for examples of digital stories at video sharing sites. i.e., YouTube. Look for
different styles and approaches. Which one suits your style or your goal best?
6: How do I use images?
Scan in the same format
Save into a single folder

Slide 23

Crop accordingly

Use actual size

Prepare your material as best as
you can. Time spent now is time
saved later.

Use proper dimensions.

Prepare your images in a format that is compatible with your software.
Pay attention to size and resolution.
Practice with cropping images for maximum effect.
Avoid distorting the pictures or video because they may look strange in the final product.
Save the original files separately to avoid any accidents.
7: How do I record the narration
Speak slowly

Slide 24

Your laptop, tablet or phone is
probably good enough for
recording your narration.

Use a conversational voice
Practice before recording
Present live

Speak slowly and clearly in a
conversational voice.
Don't read from a script.

8: What music do I use?
Consider
• rhythm

Slide 25

Most of us have our favourite
music running in our heads.

• pace
• instrumental pieces
• snippets of shows

• copyright

Choose the one that reflects the
mood of the story you want to
convey.

Pay special attention to copyright, especially if you want to publish your work on the web. It makes no
difference that you are not making money out of your story. Consult your source for copyright
restrictions on a particular audio or video file.




9: When is my story ready?

Slide 26










Folder
Storyboard
Software
Timeline
Transitions
Visuals
Narration
Music










Make sure you have all the
elements of your story in the right
place and the right format.

This means images, video, audio, and music file.
Check the format and check that they are copies: the originals are safely away.
Next, import all your material into your software.
This is your first draft. It gives you an overview of your project.
Next, add text (opening and closing titles, comments, descriptions) as planned.
Use a font that's easy to read in a colour that contrasts well with the background.
Add transitions the narrative and music making certain that they are synchronized.
10: How do I Share my Story?
• SlideShare
• Dropbox

Slide 27

• You Tube

• Facebook

There are a number of public sites
that you may want to use to share
your story.

• Pinterest
• E-mail

10: What content?

Slide 28



Slide 29

The Side-effects


Why?
 Encourages research
 Fosters critical thinking skills
 Encourages students become
better writers.
 Gives students a voice.
 Tells a personal narrative.
 Helps students retain
knowledge longer.
 Enhances learning by
encouraging effective
communication.
 Encourages creativity.

“Below are brief definition excerpts from Chapter 4 — "Storying Around for 21st Century Skills" — of
DigiTales: the Art of Telling Digital Stories. The following skills have been identified and crossst
referenced with National Standards, NETS-S, and 21 Century Skills.
https://wwwimages2.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/education/pdfs/digital-storytelling.pdf
Educational Implications

practice
Slide 30

real-world digital
communication

1. Cognitive Apprenticeship —
practicing real-world work of
digital communication


Slide 31

create
multi-sensory
experiences
for others

2. Creativity and Inventive
Thinking — creating multi-sensory
experiences for others





add personal
Slide 32

meaning and
understanding to

3. Higher Order Thinking Skills—
going beyond existing information
to add personal meaning and
understanding

information


tell a story to
Slide 33

deepen own
understanding

4. Enduring Understanding — by
telling the story of what you know
and understand for others,
authors deepen their own selfmeaning of the topic


use images to show,
Slide 34

the narrative &
enhance implied

5. Visual Literacy — using images
to show, not tell, the narrative
story

meaning


master skill of applying
Slide 35

technology to create
powerful

6. Technical Literacy — mastering
the craftsmanship of applying the
technology to create powerful
communication

communication





think, read, write,
Slide 36

and design effective
media information

7. Information Literacy —
thinking, reading, writing, and
designing effective media
information


read and write
Slide 37

information
beyond words


address the
Slide 38

opportunity to use
the preferred mode
of learning

8. Effective Communication —
reading and writing information
beyond words

9. Multiple Intelligences and
Learning Styles — addressing not
only the opportunity for students
to use their preferred mode of
learning and thinking, but also
enabling them to practice the
effective use of all modalities


Slide 39

practice skills
through
opportunities
to produce
group projects

10. Teaming and Collaboration —
growing skills through practiced
opportunities to co-produce
group projects





practice time
Slide 40

management of
complex tasks to
meet deadlines

11. Project Management
Mentality —practice time
management of complex, involved
tasks to successfully meet
deadlines modeling real-world
tasks


create meaningful,
Slide 41

engagement and
discover successful

12. Exploring Affinity —when
students create meaningful,
engaged work, they discover
themselves as successful learners.

learning

Research Skills

Writing Skills

Interview Skills

Organization Skills

Problem-Solving Skills

Technology Skills

Slide 42

Presentation Skills

Assessment Skills

When students participate in the
multiple steps of designing,
creating and presenting their own
digital stories, they increase a full
complement of literacy skills

• Research Skills: Documenting the story, finding and analyzing pertinent information;
• Writing Skills: Formulating a point of view and developing a script;
• Organization Skills: Managing the scope of the project, the materials used and the time it takes to
complete the task;
• Technology Skills: learning to use a variety of tools, such as digital cameras, scanners, microphones
and multimedia authoring software;
• Presentation Skills: Deciding how to best present the story to an audience;
• Interview Skills: Finding sources to interview and determining questions to ask;
• Interpersonal Skills: Working within a group and determining individual roles for group members;
• Problem-Solving Skills: Learning to make decisions and overcome obstacles at all stages of the
project, from inception to completion; and
• Assessment Skills: Gaining expertise critiquing their own and others’ work.
http://digitalliteracyintheclassroom.pbworks.com/f/Educ-Uses-DS.pdf




DIGITAL STORYTELLING
IN 10 EASY STEPS
George Drivas - Chryssanthe Sotiriou

Slide 43-44

For additional information:





http://storycenter.org/
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/
http://www.slideshare.net/TeachTec/digital-storytelling-ebook

References:
• Robin, Bernard R., The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, Curriculum and Instruction,
•
•
•
•
•
•

University of Houston, USA, from http://digitalliteracyintheclassroom.pbworks.com/f/Educ-UsesDS.pdf
Robin, Bernard R., & McNeil, Sara G., What Educators Should Know about Teaching Digital
Storytelling, Digital Education Review - Number 22, December 2012- http://greav.ub.edu/der/
Lasica, J.D., Digital Storytelling: A Tutorial in 10 Easy Steps, October 2, 2006, from
http://www2.bgsu.edu/departments/english/cconline/winter2013/digital_s/digistory_tutorial.pdf
Gregori Signes, Carmen, PRACTICAL USES OF DIGITAL STORYTELLING, Universitat de València,
València, Spain, from
http://www.uv.es/gregoric/DIGITALSTORYTELLING/DS_files/DST_15_ene_08_final.pdf
Take Six: Elements of a Good Digital Story, Adapted from The Center for Digital Storytelling
Cookbook, from http://www.digitales.us/files/Take%20Six.pdf
Lambert, Joe, DIGITAL STORYTELLING COOKBOOK , 2010, Joe Lambert, Digital Diner Press, ISBN:
978-0-9726440-1-3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6E8jpFasR0


Digital Storytelling Handout (4th FL FORUM)

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