Teaching with Technology

As Kim and I come from musical backgrounds, we wanted to team up and figure out a way to collaborate together for this project.  I am currently in a digital storytelling class as well this semester and wanted to see if there was a way we could combine music with digital storytelling.  It seems the perfect fit considering both revolve around the art of storytelling!

We have been brainstorming a few ideas and have come up with a few below. 

1.  “What’s Your Story?

In this option, we considered teaching the class how to turn images from the Internet into a short (15 – 30 seconds) video that tell a story.   This type of exercise reflects a form of digital media called digital storytelling.  While it can mean many things, essentially digital storytelling is a way for people to tell their stories in a digital format.  You don’t’ have to be a skilled video technician; you just have to have a story to tell.  Through the use of images, videos, narration, and music you can bring your story to life.  Some good reference points are: http://www.storycenter.org/index1.html , and http://digitales.us/ .  As a creative outlet for self-exploration, digital storytelling lends itself to a wealth of educational benefits.  The in-class exercise would walk students through the steps of thinking about the story they wish to tell, how to search images that reflect this story, and how to create a video from these images.  A final discussion question might explore how this process can help students cultivate a sense of individuality by using their stories to enhance their educational experiences.

 2. “Tell a Story in 5 Photographs”

For this option, we would use more class time to discuss the components of storytelling, such as the story arc, tension and release, compelling introductions and other similar topics.  Students would then take a few minutes to brainstorm some ideas or themes that might help generate a story.  We would introduce students to Flickr http://www.flickr.com/groups/fivephotos/ which features a section called “Tell a Story in 5 Photographs” and search its database for images that reflect the components of everyone’s individual stories.  A final sharing and discussion would generate a conversation on how these types of visual stories might help students start to process information  sequentially, or as a series of meaningful connections similar to a storytelling format, rather than just isolated events and facts. 

 3.  “Musical Stories”Or most viable option yet has to do with taking the element of storytelling and weaving into a musical setting.  For this option, we are considering playing a musical selection for the class and discussing with the students the various components of the music, including rhythm, melody, etc and how these components translate into a story.  Students will then restructure the musical story into a visual one.  Using examples from Flickr’s “Tell a Story in 5 Pictures” as a starting point, students can search Google images to create a story reflective of the musical selection.  Using Microsoft Word, students can easily paste the photos directly into a document for sharing with the class.  A final discussion might center on ways in which teachers can combine different disciplines in the classroom to enhance the teaching and learning in ways that engage students on many levels, including creative, critical and practical.