Thing 4: Digital Storytelling and Presentation Tools

Thing 4:  Digital Storytelling and Presentation Tools

This was the best "Thing" so far.  I would like a whole course just on the tools listed in this "thing."  It was a great reminder for tools that I have learned about before and forgotten and for introducing new tools to explore.  Some of the tools new to me that I looked at were HaikuDeck, Dipity, and the National Archives Digital Vault.  I really liked each of these tools.  Haiku Deck is a great alternative to PowerPoint and Prezi.  I am eager to share the National Archives Digital Vault with our social studies teachers.  I must admit I spent a good deal of time playing their Pathways activities.

I am very grateful for the timeline suggestions.  Probably two or three times per year I am asked by teachers for a good timeline builder.  I did like Dipity very much.  One timeline builder that we have had success with is ReadWriteThink Timeline.  This was also mentioned in the cybraryman's list.

Although not a digital story presentation tool, I did appreciate learning about Photos for Class from the article "6 Reasons You Should be Doing Digital Storytelling with Your Students."  This appears to be a very helpful resource.  The article also mentioned Quick Rubric.  Do you know if these are subscription sites?

I hope you don't mind, but for my activity I chose a new tool I found that is not listed.  With my sixth graders we do an endangered species research project.  Typically we use Glogster as their presentation tool.  Although I like Glogster, I do find that because there are so many amazing choices to make when using this tool, that the students get bogged down making aesthetic choices rather than focusing on how to best present their research.  Admittedly, I have the same issue when I use Glogster, I spend too much time making it pretty and exciting and lose focus on the content of the initial project.  Therefore, I was looking for a new presentation tool for their project.  My criteria for the tool was:
     *that it fit the purpose of the project
     *free
     *easy to use
     *engaging, but not too many choices
     *no emails required for using the tool (our elementary students do not have emails, I find requiring emails for registering to be a downfall of many digital tools)

I feel very lucky because I came across my new tool, when I was looking for a good image source for the sixth graders.  It happens that PBS Learning Media has a great endangered species photograph collection.  In reviewing this collection I also learned that they have a free storyboard tool.  It is working perfectly for the sixth graders.  When I am logged in as a teacher, I am able to create an assignment for the storyboard and then given an assignment code to give the students.  The students can then login and type in the assignment code.  Once they have done this, they can read the assignment and then begin their storyboard.  Below is a link to the example that I made for the students.
Storyboard URL: http://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/tools/storyboard/view/72452bdf-0761-45bb-92e7-e3125793928c/ 

The PBS Learning Media Storyboard is very easy to use and the students are very engaged in the tool.

Thing 2: Photo Fun

Thing 2:  Photo Fun

This "thing" was lots of fun and very informative.  I tried many of the tools that were advised from this module.  I am very appreciative to have learned about Pixabay and Photopin and to have explored the Creative Commons Website.  I am always encouraging my students to use images in an ethical manner by using Google Advanced Image Search and images from our subscription online tools and giving credit for the images.  It will be great now to have other tools for the students to utilize to find images that they can use for their school projects.

I am also very grateful for the information regarding Creative Commons Licensing and the Copyright-Friendly Toolkit from Joyce Valenza.  The toolkit information regarding fair use, public domain, creative commons, and lists of image sources will be invaluable to me as I work with students. I will definitely be using this with my upper level students.  She always has such great resources for librarians!

I already use Shutterfly in my library and Shutterfly and Picasa at home.  One project in which I use Shutterfly is for our Lois Ehlert author/illustrator study in second grade.  After reading many Lois Ehlert books and her biography, the students create their own collage illustrations using found natural materials and everyday materials from school and home.  They choose a piece of paper to put on the table as their background, then they choose objects to place on the paper as a collage.  When they are done, I stand over their illustration and take a photo from above.  The students then write a caption to go with their illustration.  When all is finished we use Shutterfly to make a photo book of their Lois Ehlert inspired illustrations.

For a new tool, I made a magazine cover from Big Huge Labs.  This was a lot of fun.  I am going to try to attach it to this blog, but I'm not sure if I know how.  Right after I used this tool, I told one of the high school English teachers.  For one of the novels that she reads with her class, she does a research project about the 1930s.  This year she decided to have the students do the project in magazine format, including a magazine cover.  This tool will fit perfectly with this project and will allow me to emphasize how to ethically find an image for the magazine cover and demonstrate some of the sources mentioned above.  I did notice that there was a template for a whole magazine.  I think that I will try that next.

Thanks Polly, for all the tools listed in this "thing."  What a valuable resource!

A couple of questions:  My school blocks Pixabay and Photopin. Do you think there is a good reason for this?  Also, am I supposed to be following other Cool Toolers blog posts and if yes, how do I do this?

Thanks again!

Karen Fronhofer