Digital Stories

Digital Stories

Since 2009, preservice teachers in the technology integration course at the University of Wyoming have created digital stories to explore message design using age appropriate, content specific ideas. Although students in the course generated videos for several years prior to this time, the assignment was modified to further align message design with instructional planning approaches emphasized during the course. A requirement of the assignment was to create a short (2-5 minute) narrated story as opposed to present information in video format. Preservice teachers were also required to create audience appropriate stories based on their desired subject and grade level and align stories to specified goals and state content standards.

Like most assignments in the course, extensive planning occurred prior to story development. Preservice teachers write a narrative, they take or select pictures, identify appropriate music, and state their rationale for media selection based on their goals and desired outcomes. This exercise allows for many opportunities to discuss message design, media literacy, and writing tasks associated with video production. Once plans were approved by course instructors, preservice teachers selected appropriate tools to develop them—though particular attention was placed on iMovie, PhotoStory III, and Windows Movie Maker.  The entire process lasts two weeks.

During the past two years, this assignment was refined further by asking preservice teachers to use videos, photos, and music they either created themselves or obtained from creative commons and public domain locations.

A few examples of story plans and movies follow:

·      Plan: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5j8xWTYD3UYTU1OUmw4YU5oR28/edit?usp=sharing

·       Movie: Uses copyrighted works so will not be shared.

·       Plan: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5j8xWTYD3UYRGdrN2NZa01aOEE/edit?usp=sharing

·      Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJlUMpJK5tU

·      Plan: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5j8xWTYD3UYWlhUR3N1Z0k1bDA/edit?usp=sharing

·      Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gdY8BMt5xU

Assignment descriptions and grading rubrics are provided in the links below. If you use these resources, please provide attribution back to the University of Wyoming or link directly back to this page.

Planning Document

Digital Story

Dr. Craig Shepherd

AECT Teacher Education Division Communications Officer