Using Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

In our digital story telling project we chose a quote and pictures that expressed the meaning of the quote. We then used photostory to make a movie with the quote and pictures that we had chosen. We added music that coincided with our pictures. When the project was finished eveyone in the class had created a movie based on a quote. This process taught us how to use a new form of technology but we also got to use creativity and critical thinking to put together our project.
According to the article " The World of Digital Storytelling" students benefit from digital storytelling programs because they learn how to use various types of media, how to write a report, and use critical thinking skills. They learn how media is used to get the attention of viewers and how it influences them. They use critical thinking skills while creating the idea for their story, They have to have a written form of their idea in order to create their story. By writing this story they learn how to write a report because they have to chronologically order their story and express their ideas through this format (Ohler, 2006).
Last year in one of my classes I had to create a lesson plan and go teach that lesson at a school.  The lesson plan was based on asian folktales. I read a folktale and played  a song based on folktales; then had them to create an original folktale based on the song. I could have adapted the lesson and  had the children use a digital story telling program. I could have had them create their folktale story and then chose music appropriate for their story. After they had chosen their music they could find pictures to illustrate their story and by using the digital storytelling program they could have created a movie based on their story instead of writing a story. They could have learned how to use a new form of technology as well as acomplishing an assignment that would be easily evaluated.
Digital storytelling covers many standards such   as 2.a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity; 3.d. model and facilitate effective use of current or emerging digital tools to locate, anylyze, evaluate, and use informtion resources to support research and learning; 1.a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
Referances-
Iste Nets.2008.http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Ohler, J. (2006). The world of digital storytelling. Retrieved from http://www.jasonohler.com/pdfs/digitalStorytellingArticle1-2006.pdf