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.