(Eisner, 2002, p. 44)
Digital Storytelling opens a new window to communication as digital tools intertwine and an individual's story is unveiled. What is created are real stories told through images, video, audio and the written word. Art is truly integrated, and "... multimedia technology has opened up the world of the artist. Today, anyone who can move a mouse can jump in and give it a go" (Ohler, 2000, n.p.). 
Through Digital Storytelling, all students can share lifestyles, beliefs, life lessons, and significant life moments. The world of literacy becomes open to everyone as stories are illustrated, visualized and told. 
Before there was the written word, there was storytelling. There were pictures in caves, on walls and on pottery. People danced, sang and chanted life. Digital Storytelling goes beyond the written word. It is a way for all students to understand the power of literacy.
Digital storytelling provides a process for the individual to shape a story through multi-media art projects. Digital storytelling becomes digital literacy as tools of technology are used to create, organize and evaluate.
The Process:
(jasonohler.com)
A digital lesson unit integrates the literacies of writing, speech, artistic design and technology. Students engage in activities that encourage collaboration by the entire educational community as they read and write media. The digital lesson unit is scaffolded as students are guided through a process that is: brainstormed, mapped, scripted, spoken, technologically designed and presented.
- Students collaborate and share through brainstormed ideas
- Teachers enter the process as they provide input to the story map.
- Students engage in shared ideas as the mapped story evolves into a script
- Technology is integrated as the words, pictures, and video are embedded to enhance the script.
- Community becomes an audience as the finished product is published.
Communication Is For All Through Digital Storytelling
Digital storytelling knows no language or learning ability barriers. Because it integrates four forms of known communication, all students are given the ability to tell their stories. Students narrate what is written. They hear the voice as it interprets the words chosen to define a digital image. Likewise, the digital image defines the chosen words through visualization. Students both hear and see their stories beyond the reading of the written words on a page. Creation and interpretation is owned by the students as they evolve from story maker to storyteller.
Digital Storytelling is Authentic Learning
A digital story tells a story through the perspective of what the student deems relevant and worth learning.
- The final product is student centered as they uniquely create their own project.
- Students take ownership as the story is personalized.
- Critical learning is engaged as basic facts become concept based and result in projects that engage higher-order thought.
Digital stories promote collaboration.
- Students are encouraged to share knowledge and initial ideas
- Students work together to create a meaningful end.
- Students provide feedback that is constructive and leads to a means for improvement.
The digital story lesson plan involves the entire educational community.
- Teachers interact with students as learning facilitators, guiding students at all levels of production through scaffolding
- Parents, teachers and community become involved as available resources and audience.
- Community professionals provide information to both students and educators.
The digital storytelling outcome is a project founded in an environment of active learners that goes beyond the traditional classroom.The result is a learning experience that combines personal relevance in the "real world" with individual educational needs.
- Students are actively engaged at all stages of the digital story.
- The story goes from the page to an audience who can become involved beyond the classroom.
- What is learned is knowledge relevant in today's ever evolving technological society.
- Students produce an end result that is based on knowledge that is read, written, technologically understood, critically analyzed and meaningfully presented.
Assessment
The objective of a digital story needs to be clearly realized by the teacher. The goal of digital storytelling is objectified by the individuality and uniqueness of educators. Suggestions for assessment include, but in no way are limited to the following. The student(s) will:
- Present a story that is effectively researched and documented.
- Present a story that integrates communication that is written, oral, digital and artistic.
- Present a story that is logically sequenced through written story mapping and digital storyboarding.
- Present a story that meets the academic requirements of the assigned project.
- Present a story that the intended audience can relate to and interact with in a way that contributes to the academic importance of the project.
Digital Open Source Tool For Digital Storytelling
There are a number of tools that are open source, trial based and available as software. Whatever the tool, ability to sequentially organize images through a storyboard and synchronize scripted narration is important. After experimenting with several, I chose Photo Story 3 to demonstrate in a video tutorial. It is easy, doesn't confuse and produces a quality product.
Photo Story Tutorial Video: An Alternative to Youtube
To view my tutorial go to an alternative to Youtube, http://www.screentoaster.com/ and via the "videos tab" click "e-learning." I am Melojill and the video is "Photo Story 3 for Windows." This doesn't require downloading and is an extremely user friendly alternative to other open source screen capture tools.
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