Sure, we all know that Digital Storytelling is great! It helps all students, especially struggling writers, find their authorial voices. But, if we don't know which Digital Storytelling tools to use, we can't help our students unlock their inner Steinbeck. Luckily, Jacqui Murray has come to our rescue. After no doubt sifting through myriad Digital Storytelling resources, she has detailed some of the most useful in her blog entry, "9 Best-in-Class Storytelling Apps." Among the websites and apps detailed is VoiceThread. I have personally used VoiceThread and believe it to be an excellent Digital Storytelling tool for students of all ages. It is quite intuitive; indeed, the VoiceThread learning curve is about as steep as a Kansas plain. While I am not going to launch into a step-by-step how to regarding VoiceThread, I would wholeheartedly recommend it to any teacher just dipping their toes into the Digital Storytelling waters. Best of all, it's free! I am not as familiar with the eight other Digital Storytelling tools that Murray recommends, but based on her wise endorsement of VoiceThread, I have no doubt that they are valuable. Zimmertwins looks especially promising. I love that it is "comic book like" in nature, as that storytelling structure appeals to a wide range of ages. While the other tools that Murray suggests hold great potential, as a high school teacher, I find VoiceThread and Zimmertwins most appropriate for my students. Regardless, teachers of most grade levels can probably find on this list a Digital Storytelling resource that will help their students unlock their....well, I wrote Steinbeck above, but after more careful consideration and though it breaks my heart to do so, I will change it to...Forresst. No offense meant, Bella Forresst. Vampires just ain't my thang. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below, unless they are related to vampires. In that case, don't bother. My vampire coffin is closed until further notice.
1 Comment
What a great list! Some of these are familiar and much-used tools of mine. I like Storybird and Adobe Spark a lot, but I haven’t tried Google’s app or Zooburst before. Adobe Spark can be used at any grade level—I’ve seen ELD students use to for it’s great audio playback, and kindergarters too, because it so easy to use, like Tellagami. Ask-A-Tech-Teacher always has the best advice, love her blog.
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February 2017
AuthorI am a Special Education teacher currently pursuing his Master of Arts in Information & Learning Technologies (Option: K-12) at CU Denver. I work at Boulder High School in Boulder, CO. Here you will find my thoughts on education. Categories |