Language Symposium 2012: Connecting to the World through Digital Story Telling

DIGITAL STORYTELLINGDANIELA BARTALESI-GRAF, Department of Italian Studies, Wellesley College CRISTINA PAUSINI, Department of Romance Languages, Tufts University Language Symposium 2012, University of Illinois at Chicago April 13-14, 2012

Objectives of my presentation• Define digital storytelling (DST) and show you two samples of DST;• discuss how the project can be organized in several step in the course of one academic semester;• show how to use Voicethread, a software (free online) that allows for the productions of DST;• discuss how a DST can be evaluated and present the results of a students’ survey.

Objectives of my presentation• Define digital storytelling (DST) and show you two samples of DST;• discuss how the project can be organized in several step in the course of one academic semester;• show how to use Voicethread, a software (free online) that allows for the productions of DST• discuss how a DST can be evaluated and present the results of a students’ survey.

WHAT IS DST?• A story entirely created by the student, illustrated and told in the voice of the student;• Always includes images and a narrating voice; may include video, music, sound;• Created and published using Voicethread.com, a free software available online;• Consists of a file that can be saved and shared on a Learning Management System (LMS) and/or on Voicethread.com;• When a DST is “published” on Voicethread.com, anyone in the class may record or write a comment(collaborative learning)

• Example 2: Il mito di Demetra e Persefone (The Myth of Demeter and Persephone)

• Example 3: Il Testimone (The Witness)

DST VS. OTHER FORMS OF WRITING• The use of images helps students identify, visualize and integrate all of the elements that make up a story: • characters • setting • conflict • resolution• The voice narration is a powerful motivator to improve pronunciation and intonation.• Images, narrative, and sound are integrated in one final project that can be easily shared and that other students will watch, listen, and comment on.

DST VS. OTHER FORMS OF WRITING• A DST project is complex and lasts one semester (includes two feed backs from teacher and other students, two revisions).• Students must follow a very tight schedule that includes several steps.• Result: they understand that writing is the result of a long process (it’s not just one chore completed in one session). http://www.essaywriting.tk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Tips-to-Improve-the-Essay-Writing-Process.jpg

FLEXIBILITY OF DST• DST supports different genres including: • personal narrative • travel • fantasy • fairy tale • essay • science fiction• The story can be in the… • present tense • past tense • future tense

STEPS IN THE DST PROJECT1. Teacher shows an example of a DST.2. Students submit the subject of their story.3. Students submit their storyboard.4. Students submit a first version of the story script. Instructor highlights mistakes, writes comments and returns it.5. Revision: students correct their script; load images on Voicethread and record their story. Then they “publis” their story, i.e. they make it available to their classmates and teacher.

STEPS IN THE DST PROJECT6. Students watch 3 to 5 DSTs produced by classmates and leave their comments directly on Voicethread (they may record or write their comments).7. Students modify their DST according to feedback received from classmates and teacher; they hand in an improved version of their scripts to the instructor.8. Students meet with instructor to go over pronunciation and proper intonation (“pronunciation clinic”).9. When students receive a corrected version of their script, they record the final version on Voicethread and place a link on the LMS.10. Final presentation: each DST is presented in class, and students vote for two or three winners.

HOW TO USE VOICETHREAD• Voicethread is free! There is no need to install new software.• Go directly to the site, sign up, create a three to six minute story.• Three major steps:• Upload your images or video• Comment (to record your voice)• Share (to “publish” your DST)

• Upload your images (or a video) from “My Computer”, Media Source (direct link to New York Public Library: photos are uploaded with credit line), or Webcam to take a picture of a drawing (works like a mini-scanner).

• Add narration (your voice) using “Comment”.• You need a microphone on your computer.• “Comment” will also be used by other students to leave their audio or written feedbacks on any DST.

• Students enter names and e-mail addresses of classmates and instructor.• Students then copy the link to their DST into the LSM (blog or wiki)

SURVEY What did you like the most about DST?• Creating my own story (20)• Improving my pronunciation (13)• Avoiding a final oral presentation (8)• Viewing and commenting other DSTs (7)• The recording phase (6)• Drawing and/or choosing the images/photos (5)• The variety of DST’s stages (4)• The oral and written components of the project (2)

SURVEY What did you like the least about DST?• Technical difficulties with Voicethread (19)• Too many steps (12)• Commenting on other DST projects (6)• DST is very time consuming (4)• It’s extra work on top of studying, homework, etc. (3)

SURVEY What would you change about DST?• Eliminate a few steps (10)• Nothing, I liked it the way it was (7)• Nothing, it’s still better than an oral presentation (7)• Assign a specific subject (4)• Use different software other than Voicethread (3)• A better distribution of the phases in the course of the semester (3)• Devote more time in class to DST (2)• More technical help with Voicethead (2)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION DANIELA BARTALESI-GRAF dbartale@wellesley.edu

Language Symposium 2012: Connecting to the World through Digital Story Telling

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