Introduction to Digital Story Telling

Everyone has a story. We are born with a place for story in our heart and the story has been handed down to us from our life experience. However, there was a time when story was the way tradition, history and culture were passed from generation to generation. Oral tradition is largely lost in today’s rapid world of information flow and general pace of life. However, the power of story is undeniable and the ability to “weave a yarn” is a gift that we can all develop. As you might recall from a past issue, I suggested Dan Pink’s book A Whole New Mind where he speaks of the power of story as one of the six senses we need to develop for life in today’s world.

One form of story telling that we can all participate in as well as introduce to our students is that of digital story telling. This is an extension of the traditional story process we teach today with the added advantage of author’s voice and authentic audiences. Digital story telling opens the door to sharing a story with the world.

I have recently finished listening to an audio book of the Kite Runner as read by the author. It was a touching experience as Khaled Hosseini read his story with the feeling I can only imagine he felt when he first penned this collection of words.

Digital story telling can occur an many different level of complexity. From the simple written or audio blog, students can share their creativity with others in the community and beyond. Taken to another level, images can be added to the story to create a visual representation of the authors work. There are too many ways to do this to be able to effectively share them with you here. I have a small collection of resources below that will help you enter the world if digital story telling. Future issues might include some simple tips to help you along the way. However, you can always drop me a line and I can work with you individually on digital story telling for your student, your stories.

Enjoy the links below and remember you can share your stories with the world.

		Center for Studies in Oral Tradition An interesting site that looks to maintain the tradition of the story. www.oraltradition.org/
		StoryCorps A wonderful site which has become a repository for the american story. Listen to past stories or submit your own. www.storycorps.net/
		Story Center This is a great starting place for entering the world of digital story telling. A collection of resources, how-to's and examples as well as schedules for future workshops on digital story telling. www.storycenter.org
		City Story Project Have a story about a city you have visited or the one you call home? Post it on City Story Project. There are some interesting stories out there as well. www.citystories.com/
		Photo Story 3 This is a wonderful little program by Microsoft which is FREE. Simply download for site and install. This program will allow you to take a collections of pictures and record a narration to create a complete illustrated digital story. The finished story can then be uploaded to the Internet for others to experience. The program is simple to use and allows for creative expression. I highly recommend this program for producing your illustrated digital stories. Download Photo Story here. You will also need to install Windows Media Player 10 or higher if not currently installed.
		Wikispaces This is a free wiki tool which is very easy to use. Students and teachers alike can publish their work to the wiki for others to review or edit. You can also use the wiki to work on collaborative stories. Check it out. You will not be disappointed. www.wikispaces.com
		Blogger There are many different blog tools available. Blogger is very stable and should be around for a while as it is owned by Google. A blog is a wonderful way to self-publish on the web and solicit comments on your stories. Accounts are free and easy to set up. www.blogger.com
		Gabcast Gabcast is a simple way to podcast using any phone. Getting your story on the web could not be any easier. Simply set up an account and use your phone to capture your voice as you read your story. When you are finished, it is posted on the web for others to hear and comment. www.gabcast.com
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