Tech2Learn - Digital Storytelling Digital Storytelling has many definitions, but usually involves the telling of our personal stories combining digital technology to integrate text, sound, graphics and sometimes film. It is a great way for students to begin working with multimedia projects because they tell their own story, learning the techniques and technical tools of this kind of creative expression, but within a familiar context. Technology and Digital Stories Digital stories involve some or all of these components:an engaging and well written storyslides or clipsbackgroundsgraphics or imagestextsounds, narration and/or musica transition to move from slide to slide or clip to clipa title slide and an ending slide that lists credits 7 Elements of Digital Stories Audience - Stories have a particular audience in mind.Purpose - Stories are trying to accomplish a task (inform, educate, entertain, scare, etc.)Content - Content must be meaningful. Adapted from the Center for Digital Storytelling Other Sites... Helpful Handouts
Mindmapping April 30, 2014 There is nothing that beats mind maps when it comes to increasing one's retention rates. Mind maps enable our minds to visually process information creating thus strong neural pathways to hold the learned information for an extended period of time. I have always used the power of mind mapping both in my personal studies and also with my students in class. With the proliferation of web 2.0 technologies, you no longer have to depend on pen and paper to draw your mind minds, there are now a number of great web tools and iPad apps that you can use to create mind maps. Also the benefits of using mind maps are multifarious. Here is a great mind map which highlights 6 benefits of mind maps. OrganizeBrainstormUnderstandRecallNote-takeCommunicate Here is another similar visual but this time on the Laws of Mind Maps Thank to Edudemic for the heads up
7 Tips To Integrate Storytelling Into Your Next eLearning Course This article will help you integrate storytelling in your eLearning design and development process in order to create a highly effective and engaging eLearning experiences for your learners. There are a number of reasons why storytelling is so effective in eLearning. Not only does it help to motivate learners and create a more immersive experience, but it also allows them to feel more emotionally connected to the subject matter. The trouble is that converting your content and topics using a storytelling strategy can be challenging, especially if you want to get maximum results from your efforts. Fortunately, there are several storytelling in eLearning tips and tricks that can help you to entertain and to educate your eLearning audiences with carefully crafted stories. 7 Storytelling Tips and Tricks for eLearning Professionals Make the storyline and characters relatable and relevant. Why not give these tips for storytelling in eLearning a try in your next eLearning deliverable.
Printing Press The interactive Printing Press is designed to assist students in creating newspapers, brochures, and flyers. Teachers and students can choose from several templates to publish class newspapers, informational brochures, and flyers announcing class events. Text added to the templates can be modified using a simple WYSIWYG editor, which allows students to choose text features, such as font size and color. Documentation for the Printing Press includes instructions for using the tool. Customized versions of the tool, which include additional instructions and more focused choices, are included with some lessons. Grades 3 – 12 | Student Interactive | Writing & Publishing Prose Flip Book The Flip Book is designed to allow users to type and illustrate tabbed flip books up to ten pages long. Grades K – 12 | Student Interactive | Writing & Publishing Prose Stapleless Book Grades 1 – 12 | Calendar Activity | October 1 Get ready for National Bullying Prevention Month! Grades K – 12 | Strategy Guide
5 Steps To Successful Storytelling Photographs taken by J.C. Burrow show Cornish miners digging for tin in 1890s | Daily Mail Online Photographs taken by J.C. Burrow use early flash techniques to capture life undergroundMr Burrow was commissioned by mine owners to capture the once-thriving industryBut the frank photographs show the precarious constructions of the mines - which were prone to collapseThe collection of photographs will go on sale at auction this weekend and could fetch £2,000 By Kieran Corcoran Published: 11:05 GMT, 20 May 2014 | Updated: 14:33 GMT, 20 May 2014 These rare photographs show the hard labour of Victorian miners digging for tin deep below the earth in extremely dangerous conditions. The images, taken in the darkness of four separate mines in Cornwall, were captured with the help of very early flash technology, which allowed photographer J.C. Published in 1893, Mr Burrow's photographs show the miners clambering through the warren of tunnels, held up by precarious wooden beams, as they dug out tin and copper and to fuel industrial Britain. Illuminated: Photographer J.C. Technology: J.C.
MyStorybook - A Good Platform for Creating Picture Books MyStorybook is a nice online tool for creating short storybooks. MyStorybook provides blank pages on which you can type, draw, and place clipart. Your storybook pages can also include pictures that you upload. To get started on MyStorybook you do need to create an account (you can test it without an account, but your work won't be saved). When you have completed your MyStorybook story, click the publish button. Applications for Education One way that teachers might use MyStorybook is by creating a story template and publishing it for their students to follow in the construction of their own stories. There are a couple of drawbacks to MyStorybook. Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo for sharing MyStorybook last week.
Creative Writing Prompts Write a scene that includes a character speaking a different language, speaking in a thick accent, or otherwise speaking in a way that is unintelligibe to the other characters. (Note: You don't necessarily need to know the language the character is speaking—be creative with it!) Describe a character's reaction to something without explaining what it is. See if your fellow prompt responders can guess what it is. Write a story or a scene about one character playing a prank on another. Describe the scene from both characters' points of view. Writing Prompt: Write a story that involves confusion over homonyms (words that have the same spelling but different meanings) or homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently). For World Storytelling Day, share the best story you've ever heard or told by word of mouth, or have a fictional character recount their favorite story. You're making your way down a cobbled street when a stocky, red-bearded man beckons you into an alley.