This document provides guidance for teachers on introducing digital storytelling projects to students. It recommends that teachers first create their own digital story, plan all aspects of the project including timeline and resources, and introduce the concept and process to students. The document outlines the steps for students to develop their stories, find images, and create digital stories. It notes that the most challenging aspects can be equipment access, copyright, and teaching software skills, and suggests allowing over a month to complete the project.

2. First steps:
 Create your own digital story
 Learn how to use the equipment and tools that your students will
be using
 Get a feel for the processes and steps involved in digital
storytelling
 Plan the project: objectives, timeline, equipment, resources
(volunteer support, equipment, internet access)
 Create a unit plan, gather materials (handouts, models)
 The more volunteer support you can have in the class, the better!
 Plan for students finishing at different times – must be flexible and
prepared with other learning activities for Ss who complete the
task quickly (or insist on working on it on their home computer)

3. In the classroom
 Take time to introduce students to digital storytelling:
concept, purpose, project goal, steps (see my sample PPT
presentations)
 story  photos + images + oral narration  digital story: Ensure
Ss are focused on creating a good written story before moving on
to the digital part of the project
 don’t rush the process of story creation and oral storytelling
practice – lots of opportunities for peer editing/feedback, self-
editing, pronunciation work
 The two times I have done digital storytelling with ESL classes, I
have spread the project out over a month. Students worked in-
class and at home on different tasks.

4. Steps to Making a Digital Story
1) Think about
2) Choose a story
ideas: ‘What’s my 3) Write a first draft
idea & focus
story?’
5) Find
6) Make a
(take, collect, draw) 4) Edit and rewrite
storyboard (an
pictures to go with story
example on paper)
the story
8) Make digital story
on a computer: 9) Save or post
7) Record your story
photos + recorded digital story
story

5. The most challenging parts:
 The equipment: one laptop per student, reliable and fast internet
access, scanner, is the software same or different?
 Copyright issues – think this through and do work with the
students on this before you get students gathering images and
music for their story
 Putting all of the elements together into a digital story: for
students who are new to iMovie, MovieMaker, Voicethread, or
whatever tool you’re using to create the story, they will need to
learn how to use it. Some students will need a lot of time and
support, while others don’t need any
 Moving students through the project on the same timeline

6. A few tips: Make sure…
 you have enough support in the classroom depending on
your Ss’ levels of digital literacy
 shorter stories = an easier (to make) digital story (see
KirstyMcGeoch’s ‘1-minute stories)
 the equipment you need is available and plentiful, and
that you’re comfortable using it.
create a digital
story as a
make your whole class
own digital
story
use your tech-
savvy Ss as
helpers/resourc
es

7. How else can digital storytelling be
used with ESL learners?
 narrow the focus/topic: an end of term project (‘what
I’ve learned this term’)
 whole class or small groups: create a digital story based
on a common experience (party/celebration, field trip)
 students can create a ‘commercial’ to advertise a
product, or their class…(see the VCC ELSA Youth coffee
commercial!)
 using written journal entries as a springboard to a digital
story