Creating Lifelong Learners

The April edition of the digital storytelling carnival has arrived. Thanks for visiting and contributing articles. The next edition arrives in June.

Submit to the next carnival.

Latest News

The American Film Institute rolls out its Screen Nation site which allows students to upload their own videos.

Film Techniques

3 Styles of Acting

Apple Computer presents Baz Lurhman’s podcasts on all aspects of film production.

Digital Cameras in the Classroom by Craig Nansen

Movie Maker

Mark Wagner’s MovieMaker Wiki

iMovie ’08

Flickschool presents this movie on how to create a documentary using iMovie ’08.

Ken Pendergrass explains how to use your Flip Video Camera with iMovie ’08.

Collaboration

Larry Ferlazzo talks about a VoiceThread collaboration, the ESL/EFL Sister Classess Project between seven countries.

Copyright

Soundzabound which offers royalty free music that I’ve used in a couple of projects, offers this podcast on copyright and digital music.

Carol Simpson’s copyright page with downloadable guides.

Theory

Paul Allison asks whether digital storytelling has changed writing?

Gaping Void presents, “How to Be Creative”

Wes Fryer explains the power of digital storytelling

Movie Making Examples

Ann Mirtschin presents some examples of digital storytelling from her students in Austrailia, including a seven year old’s impressive animated depiction of dogfights.

Springfield Public School’s page of moviemaking examples across the curriculum (there are many here though some of them are dead links).

My latest project, and a chance to learn Apple’s Motion, Mr. Winkle Wakes.

Viral Video Corner

Nicolas Pernisco of Understand Media tells us Why Viral Videos Become Popular.

The Awareness Test, a simple yet clever short film that’s gone viral.

Viral videos for use in professional development.

Links

Frank offers the perfect moment to jump into digital storytelling as well as tons more links on digital storytelling.

Also See Previous Digital Storytelling Carnivals

At the CUE Conference I presented two sessions, my favorite was “Digital CPR: Bringing Your Reading Series to Life with Digital Video Podcasting.”

I opened the session with “Camouflage Jones, Private Investigator” which is one of my more successful classroom movies in terms of balancing curricular demands and cinematic concerns. I must say it was the best audience the movie ever had as they laughed in all the right places.

I then gave nine ideas for video podcast projects which you can find on the hand out.

Rather than just giving a list, I provided examples of each kind of project and interspersed the ideas with information on how to plan projects given the restraints of a standardized curriculum, namely time management, classroom management, and effective planning. You can see a PDF version of my Keynote Presentation here though the movie examples can only be seen at http://www.videointheclassroom.com

I placed barriers to using the technology early in the presentation to address what I believed teachers concerns were before they came up. I like telling people that I’ve worked in a one computer classroom to show that technology can be still be integrated even with limited resources and equipment.

Audience response was good. I know a few participants wanted more technical information on how to create a podcast and I think I will include that next time. However, I believe that is the easy part and can be found through a simple Google search. My goal of the workshop was to show how the video production could directly be applied to the classroom instruction already going on rather than simply be another tool that we’d use if only we had time.

I’m thankful that a few people blogged about the session. (Incidentally, being blogged about is a new experience for me. As a literacy coach, you never have your session on vocabulary development written about and reflected on). I think their posts about the session are more meaningful than anything I can say about it.

Please see these posts:

• Alice Mercer (who posted about every session she visited and single handedly doubled my conference experience)
• Jose Rodriguez (who live-blogged the session, kinda cool)
  
• Gail Desler very succinctly got at the essence of the presentation as well as others she visited
• Messier (who I don’t know, but I like)

It’s that time of the month again for a round-up of the latest articles, examples, and theory behind digital storytelling and video production in the classroom brought to you by Video in the Classroom.com

Thank you to everyone who contributed articles. And thank you for visiting.

It’s not too early to submit an article to next month’s carnival. Enjoy!

Assessment

Jess Laccetti addresses the issues of grading and assessment digital storytelling in a search for digital storytelling rubrics.

Examples from Classrooms

John Woody shares some of the work of his college students from the around the world. These are quite polished and award-winning. They are all created using Apple software that is affordable to public schools.

Tons of digital storytelling examples by content area from the Digital Directors Guild.

Star Wars Episode XXIV from Video in the Classroom.com

VoiceThread wiki with examples from elementary classrooms.

Ejourneys with 6th Grade TechnoKids.

Making Connections for Kids from the MST Portal shares a fourth grade project for students to reflect on winter shipping on the St. Lawrence River.

The Quick Chill by Kekoa expores the atmosphere of a nearby dam, accelerating a 7 minute walk to 7 seconds.

How To

Kevin Hodgson shares this YouTube film on How to Stop Motion Animate. For a professional example, see Peter and the Wolf in clay.

Queen Elizabeth Public Schools shares a Marco Torres video on how to storyboard scenes from a screenplay.

Marco Torres shares how to use iMovie ’08.

Professional Photography

Sometimes digital storytelling is synonymous with sloppy film making. Let’s avoid that.

Here’s some inspiration in the professional photography of Chris Jordan and Vincent LaForet.

For more about composition, see this page on the Rule of Thirds.

Educational Theory

Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling by Bernard Robin from the University of Houston.

Langwitches posts this study on Digital Storytelling as a Literacy Tool.

Anne Davis shares how to use iMovie/MovieMaker as a visual timeline tool.

Copyrights and Royalty Free

The Springfield Township Virtual Library provides these resources for copyright and fair use guidelines.

Kate Olson posts these royalty-free music resources.

Presentations on Digital Storytelling

Video in the Classroom interview with yours truly on the EdTech Talk show It’s Elementary hosted by Alice Mercer, Jose Rodriguez, and Lisa Durff.

Digital Storytelling by David Jakes at Cue Conference 2008 live-blogged by Jose Rodriguez.

Notes from Presentation on Digital Storytelling and Another Two SITE Sessions: Digital Storytelling in Using Technology to Tell Stories.

Ted Lai posts his powerpoint from his CUE 08 presentation on everything you ever wanted to know about podcasting (but were afraid to ask).

Contests

Film Your Issue contest by way of Dangerously Irrelevant.

Reflections

Thinking About Ed Tech reflects on learning MovieMaker and other Microsoft Movie Making tools.

Jeff Utecht learns iMovie by posting A Day in the Life.

Links

JakesOnline, David Jakes’s digital storytelling links.

Jason Ohler’s Digital Storytelling Cookbook, most of which is available free online.

More links about digital storytelling by Chris Smith.

Submit an article to next month’s carnival here.

Related Posts:

• Digital Storytelling Carnival #1
• Digital Storytelling Carnival #2

I was a guest Tuesday on the It’s Elementary show with Jose Rodriguez, Alice Mercer, and Lisa Durff to discuss using video production/podcasting in the elementary classroom. They were terrific hosts and I had fun being on the show.
I particularly enjoyed brainstorming productions gone wrong. It forced me to think more about how you start out doing video production in your classroom. Similar to other subjects, scaffolding is key but more about that later.

You can hear the audio, view the archived chatroom, and even post a new comment here.

Welcome to the second installment of the Digital Storytelling Blog Carnival. Some have correctly noted that I’m using the terms digital storytelling here synonymously with digital filmmaking. Whatever you want to call it, the technology gets cheaper and easier to use everyday.

Here’s another assortment of articles for beginners and pros alike. Enjoy!

Getting Started

What is Digital Storytelling Film? from Joe Dale.

A Podcast from Educase about the potential for Web 2.0 and Digital Storytelling and how to relate it to assessment.

My Head is Spinning…But I’m Loving It (on the process of beginning to integrate digital storytelling in the classroom) by Greg Oz.

Film Techniques

Marco Torres’s Flickschool offers this film on wide, medium, and close-up shots. Make sure you’re varying your shots.

The Door Scene, a fantastic way of teaching filmmaking to teachers and students from the American Film Institute’s Screen Ed Series. See my own doors scene here.

Teaching Techniques

Wes Fryer looks at Digital Storytelling from the Eyes of a Child.

The Making Of

Clay Animation Podcast from Video in the Classroom.com interviews with Greg Paulsen, Kevin Hodgson, and Carolyn Daly.

Kevin Hodgson looks at using powerpoint as a digital storytelling tool in Powerpoint As Movie.

Examples
Storytelling with a SmartBoard from Ms. Taylor’s Classroom.

Monster projects from Terry Smith’s 4th grade classroom.

Podcasts on famous explorers from David Kaupler’s 5th graders and a 3rd grade animated project on the life cycle of a butterfly (made using Garageband and iMovie).

Lucy Gray’s Robomance Clay Animation Project.

Kenya Escape Through Digital Storytelling by Scott Floyd.

Tools

Collaborative VoiceThread: What Could It Mean? from Langwitches.

Animoto, who would’ve thought it would be so controversial? A critical look at Animoto by Dan Meyer.

Larry Ferlazzo expands digital storytelling even further to include online Comic Book Maker, Pixton.  Here’s his review. 

Technically Speaking

Digital Cameras: Quality and Options from Learn Digital Photography Now.

How to use a Greenscreen presented in Cool Cat Teacher’s Blog using a video by Dean Shareski.

Camera Stabilization on the Cheap (thanks to Steven Katz for link).Clay Burrel’s film, “Cutting the Crap from Student Movies” shows how to donwload Youtube clips and creative commons licensed materials.

Music is Not for Insects presents this article resolving issues using Flip Video with iMovie ’08.

Contest Alert

The Generation Yes Blog shares the TechLearning Moviemaking contest.

Links

Stories for Change, a site to join and share films about social justice.

Elona Hartjes, an inspiring Canadian educator, submits this link to F.I.L.M. (Finding Inspiration in Film) and explains how it has helped her students.

Network

If you’re a member of Classroom 2.0, please join the Video in the Classroom group to network with other educators using video in their classrooms.

That’s All Folks

Join us again next month.

Submit your articles for the next carnival here.

See Digital Storytelling Carnival #1 here.

And see you at CUE (Computer Using Educators) Conference if you’re going.

Welcome to the first edition of the Digital Storytelling Carnival and for visiting the newly relaunched Video in the Classroom.com

Thank you for visiting and a special thank you to everyone who submitted an article. There’s a lot here to enjoy and learn from.

As long as interest keeps up I’d like to make this a monthly feature of the site. If you’d like to submit an article to next month’s carnival, please use this form. Enjoy!

Rationale for Video Production in the Classroom

Why Integrate Digital Video in the Classroom? my own entry to the carnival. If you’re reading this, you probably don’t need convincing but it may be helpful to have a common rationale for classroom video making adventures.

Paul Hardt reflects on providing audience for student work through video production which traditional paper and pencil classroom activities don’t always provide.

Film Theory and Techniques

PodPiper, Ted Lai, shares his preso for teaching cinema techniques based on AFI’s Screen Education Series.

Marco Torres, of Flickschool, presents this film on using storyboards to plan projects.

15 Lessons Learned in 2007 is Lee LeFever’s reflection on the power of video and keeping communication simple.

Dean Shareski asks the question, What Is Video? and explains different video types.

Design and Storytelling

Anthony of Students 2.0, reflects on a desire to see design in student video projects.

Tom of Bionic Teaching looked at storytelling as it relates to powerpoint slides.

Dan Meyer related storytelling to math, language, music and designed a storytelling class he’d like to teach. (I’d enroll if I could).

And I tried to explain some basic film language and how I “design” shots to assist the storytelling of a film.

Tech Tips

Tips for Shooting Decent Home Video from the Tip Diva.

Tools for becoming a better digital storyteller by Gail Desler.

Digital filmmaking with teens by Nick Pernisco of Understand Media.

Encoding and Streaming Flash in Kevin Hodgson’s Long Day’s Journey Into Video Streaming in which he manages to bypass commercial streaming sites and stream his own flash video from his school’s server. Kevin’s also great with clay animation.

How to choose a classroom camera from AFI’s Screen Education blog.

Microsoft PhotoStory tutorials are available at Anne Mirtschin’s Wild Garden.

Classroom Management and Podcasting

Alice Mercer writes about how she plans and produces weekly podcasts with her ELD students with specific time management tips for the busy teacher.

Resources

Larry Ferlazzo, who rivals David Letterman for his use of top ten lists, highlights the digital storytelling tool Scribd and explains its use for English Language Learners and shows us an example.

Alan Levine presents 50 different online tools to make the same movie.

Video Conferencing

Brian Crosby of Learning is Messy shares how his classroom used videoconferencing to include a home-bound student with leukemia in class lessons.

Examples

Tales from the Yard, First Grade Horror Film

A reading of What a Terrible Noise becomes an engaging film project for Kathy Epp’s Class 2i.

JoNelle Gardner’s iSurffers take you on a tour of their school.

Fred Mindlin makes a connection between string games and keyboarding in this film for his students.

That’s all for now. Until next time…Happy Filmmaking! -Mathew

Submit an article to next month’s carnival

An interesting conversation began in Students 2.0, where Anthony, a high school student, wrote,

“…like home movies, most…student videos are lacking a thesis and a design to support them. As technology allows us to integrate creative projects…we need to give students the tools to funnel their creative efforts into an effective and cohesive whole.”

I made the point that teachers need to be showing students basic elements of film language if they’re going to ask students to make films. We would never teach writing without teaching students how to read text. How can we teach film without pointing out how to read film language?

Anthony felt that this was out of reach of most teachers. He’s probably right since most teachers don’t have this knowledge themselves. However, I don’t think it’s hard for a teacher with an ounce of motivation to learn how to analyze film nor does it take a lot of time to teach because most of us are already subconsciously aware of what goes into the “design” of films.

Tom of Bionic Teaching picked up on this thread and posted an excellent Before and After Powerpoint example of how a powerpoint slide could be improved through better storytelling and by linking design to the storytelling of the slide.

I’d like to try to illustrate the point from a film making perspective and demonstrate how this relates to film. Specifically, let’s look at framing from high and low angles and at varying distances.

These shots come from our film “The City Mouse and the Country Mouse” which was made almost entirely with still images in my first grade class. In this scene, a mouse party is interrupted by the entrance of a cat in the room. The mice flee and a chase ensues.

Most of the teacher and student films I see look worse than the above shot in that they’re taken from even farther away and the camera never moves from that position. The cat might enter, turn her back to the camera and the mice would quickly run off-frame.

So we looked at at least three things in this brief example:

Shooting from different angles can make characters more or less powerful.We can show character’s point of view by cutting to what they are looking at.Shooting from different distances conveys different information about a scene.

Naturally there are technical names for these shots and techniques but I’m trying to simplify things so that a teacher who knows nothing else could teach this.If teachers would teach just these basic film elements by analyzing any popular media, students would be able to produce better video and be better able to analyze all types of media.

Related:

Reflection on AFI’s Screen Education Series

The City Mouse and the Country Mouse (See Entire Film)

Digital Storytelling Blog Carnival