Digital Storytelling Across the Curriculum

When thinking about storytelling, many people only think about writing and reading class.  

The question to ask is WHY not tell stories in math, science, and social studies.  Isn't social studies nothing more than a collection of the stories about the formation of our country and other countries.  When learning about bugs and erosion, can't that be told in the format of a story, either through the eyes of the bug or the rain?  Storytelling in math is fundamental, students will understand the concepts of word problems better if they know the reverse by writing a math story.

Student Examples of Digital Storytelling:

Math (Found on Youtube)



Social Studies - my students created Ignite Presentations to tell the life story of a historical person that had a positive impact on the lives of African Americans.  This presentation was made in google slides, and then on a timer.  The students verbally told the story while the slides changed.

Kelsey's Ignite Presentation on Soujourn Truth

According to the article "Digital Storytelling Across the Curriculum" from Creative Educator storytelling is a skill to build on those required in the 21st Century.  Through digital storytelling students develop their ability to be creative and inventive thinkers, it promotes multiple intelligence within learning styles and creates the need for higher-order thinking to complete a task.

Storybird is a digital storytelling web-based application that I used to discuss the need to digital storytelling across the curriculum in today education.

7 Elements of Effective Digital Storytelling

According to the article "Digital Storytelling in the Langauge Arts Classroom" and "The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling," a digital story contains 7 effective elements.

1. Point of View - what is the view of the author

2. Dramatic Questions - an important question that will be answered by the end of the story

3. Emotional Content - a story that speaks to the feelings of the reader/viewer

4. Economy - just enough to tell the story, don't overload the reader/viewer

5. Pacing - how slowly or quickly you share the story

6. Gift of your Voice - the voice of the author to add a personal touch to the story

7. Soundtrack - music that meets the tone and mode of the story

Digital Storytelling includes the following four parts: the text of the story, digital graphics, recorded audio narration, and video/music.

Digital storytelling should be in the foreground while the technology is in the background, this allows the technology to amplify the voice of the writer and maintains the integrity of writing.

2 Digital Storytelling Web-Based Apps used on my Chromebook this week.

1. Storybird is a website with stock photos that allows students to create poetry, picture books, and chapter books.  The finished products produced by the students can be shared through different LMS, email, and a public forum on the website.  I found this site interesting and feel like it is something worth continuing to explore.  I became frustrated with the fact that once I chose the "artwork, I was unable to switch to a different artwork collection.  I was happy to see that my Grammarly app continued to work on the book writing, but I was unable to change the font in my writing.

          POSITIVES: easy to use site, multiple formats, free to use

          NEGATIVES: no collaboration, limited images, and arrangements on the page

2. Make Beliefs Comics is a website that allows students to create comic strips. I really enjoyed using this site and definitely will be using it in the future with my students.  I found that it took some time to entirely navigate the use of the functions within the comic creation, but once determined I found it easy to use.  This website also contains writing prompts for education use.

        POSITIVES: easy to use, free to use, ability to change images, multiple languages

        NEGATIVES: no collaboration, limited photos, only able to email finished product