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Digital Storytelling Developing Multiple Skills and Building Learning Communities

Kay Gregory, Department Head Developmental English and Reading Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC 28602 [email protected] www.cvcc.edu/Digital_Storytelling>

[email protected] www.narratedllc.com Digital Storytelling: An Instructional Enhancement with Multiple Benefits

Student Engagement This project appeals to students on both sides of the digital divide. It meets the “iPod Generation” on its own turf while it offers an exciting new means of expression to those inexperienced with technology.

Improved Communication Skills Digital storytelling requires students to practice the full spectrum of communication skills— written, oral, and visual. In a multi-media format, they must apply fundamental concepts of traditional composition in highly sophisticated ways. For instance, they learn vital lessons about the need for transitions (verbal and visual) and they learn how to communicate with emotional impact through precision of word choice and control of voice inflection and pacing. They learn to coordinate the power of words and images.

Improved Technology Skills With over 700 stories produced to date, we can report with confidence that our students have improved technology skills. Before starting the Digital Storytelling project each semester, we give our students a survey listing 20 technology skills related to Digital Story production. They check the skills they are able to perform before the digital storytelling project begins. Then at the end of the semester, we administer the same 20 question survey where students again check the technology skills they can perform. Students show significant growth in technology skills. (See “Technical Skills Improvement” graphs in the PowerPoint presentation.)

An Affordable Curricular Enhancement With a modest investment in equipment and software, any community college could implement a Digital Storytelling component to selected classes. In 2004 we were able to completely outfit a new lab for approximately $60,000. Today, the cost would actually be less.

A Focus on Quality Performance When our students write scripts for their digital stories, they are writing for an authentic audience. They care deeply about this project. They know that their final product will be viewed on the big screen by the entire class, and they know that their final evaluation will be by people who really matter to them: a close family member or loved one. They care about quality and gain confidence in their ability to tackle challenging material (like learning new software) and in their ability to complete a large project.

Community Building Students build learning networks as collaboration naturally emerges. Students are working on a common goal—creating excellent movies to share. The feeling “We’re all in this movie production process together” develops every semester.

Cross-Curriculum Applications Digital Storytelling is a teaching tool that easily migrates from course to course and crosses discipline boundaries as well. To date, digital stories have been constructed in several English courses – English 090: Developmental Writing, English 111: Expository Writing, English 113: Literature-Based Research, English 114: Professional Research and Reporting, English 231: American Literature I, Reading 090: Improved College Reading, and Spanish 211: Intermediate Spanish.

In addition, several of our digital storytelling students have used their skills to produce stories in subsequent courses. Likewise, faculty members have used digital storytelling to document student learning and to promote programs. Brenda Stepp, named 2007 Nursing Educator of the Year by the National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, has now created two digital stories about her African service learning projects which have gained a wide audience in our community. In addition, Kay Gregory produced a story for a local diabetes education project for underserved populations in our community.

Project-Centered Learning Digital storytelling lends itself well to project-centered learning. Our spring semester 2008 stories moved from the realm of personal stories to community stories as we helped to celebrate CVCC’s Fiftieth Anniversary. Each student enrolled in a digital storytelling section of English 111 was assigned to tell the story of a successful CVCC alumnus. This project resulted in heightened student involvement with the community. Also digital stories have been used to showcase creative student projects created in response to the reading of a common novel in our Coordinated Studies Learning Community.

Relevant Research

Research relevant to digital storytelling will be shared including work by Jason Ohler, Kieran Egan, Daniel Pink, Alan Deutschman, B. S. Bloom, Howard Gardner, William Glasser, plus Janice McDrury and Maxine Alterio.

Samples of Student Work

Conference participants will view digital stories created by students at Catawba Valley Community College that demonstrate the multiple benefits of this powerful teaching and learning strate

Checklist for Digital Story Production ____ Write script.

____ Collect images to support your script; digital images are recommended to save time, but scanners are available to digitize photographs.

____ Record voiceover of instructor-approved script.

____ Size all images to required dimensions in Adobe PhotoShop Elements.

____ Import the raw materials for your movie into the media bin of Adobe Premiere Elements.

___ Voiceover of your script ___ Images ___ Soundtrack music selected for story

____ Carefully match your voiceover and your images.

____ Remove the black bars from the top and bottom of each picture appearing in your Premiere version of your story. This will be demonstrated in class.

____ Add special effects, mainly using the “Cross Dissolve” effect between images. Be very sparing in your use of special effects. Too many detract from rather than enhance your story.

____ Add your music. Adjust the volume of your voice and the music so that they complement each other.

____ Produce a title page and a credits page. Decide if you want still titles or scrolling titles. Decide if you want type only or if you want a picture(s) behind the type.

____ Export your story as a movie file. Your instructor will store a copy of each movie file on an external hard drive. She will compile a class DVD for the final exam premiere showing of the movies.

____ Burn your movie file to DVD. Note: Students are responsible for burning their own copies of their story to DVD. This is not a difficult process, but it does take time.

Purchase “-R” blank recordable DVD’s. Burn as many copies as you like. These stories often make great gifts. English 111 Survey CVCC Digital Storytelling Center

Name: ______Instructor: ______Section #:_____

Your English 111 class is part of a digital story pilot program. Each of you will produce a digital story, a three to four minute movie created with Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements. To help us understand your needs going into this project, please respond to the following survey questions.

Please put a check in the spaces for those activities you have performed.

Have you ever…

1. ______Created computer files and folders as part of a project? 2. ______Named a file or folder? 3. ______Saved to a file or folder? 4. ______Used Adobe Photoshop software? 5. ______Used Adobe Premiere software? 6. ______Used a scanner? 7. ______Saved a scanned picture to a designated file? 8. ______Changed a picture’s format (jpeg to Photoshop, e.g.) 9. ______Sized and cropped a picture with specific dimensions? 10. ______Enhanced a picture (using editing tools such as the eraser or the clone tool or changed the contrast, brightness, or sharpness of an image) 11. ______Made a movie with voiceover, soundtrack, and images? 12. ______Edited images and a soundtrack on a timeline? 13. ______Saved to a DVD? 14. ______Burned a DVD? 15. ______Edited a written assignment for conciseness? 16. ______Edited a written assignment for emotional impact? 17. ______Used composition, oral presentation, and computer skills in a single project? (If so, please explain briefly on the back of this survey.) 18. ______Recorded a script? 19. ______Applied voice timing, inflection, and tone to enhance a recorded presentation? 20. ______Selected images and/or music for personal use with an understanding of applicable copyright laws and licensing?

A Selection of Digital Storytelling Resources Bloom, B. S. Human Characteristics and School Learning. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1977.

Deutschman, Alan. Change or Die. New York: Regan, 2007.

Digital Storytelling Center. (2010). Catawba Valley Community College.

http://www.cvcc.edu/Digital_Storytelling

Egan, Kieran. Teaching as Storytelling: An Alternative Approach to Learning and Curriculum in

the Elementary School. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1989.

Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind. New York: Basic Books, 1983.

Glasser, William. Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom. New

York: Harper, 1999.

Gregory, Kay, and Joyce Steelman. “Cresting the Digital Divide.” Community College Journal

of Research & Practice 32.11 (2008): 880-882. doi: 10.1080/10668920802394438

Gregory, Kay, Joyce Steelman, and David C. Caverly. “Techtalk: Digital Storytelling and

Developmental Education.” Journal of Developmental Education 33.2 (2009): 42-43.

McDrury, Janice, and Maxine Alterio. Learning through Storytelling in Higher Education,

Kogan, London: Page Limited, 2003.

Maguire, Jack. The Power of Personal Storytelling: Spinning Tales to Connect with Others. New

York: Putnam, 1998. narratED. 15 February 2010. 2 March 2010. http://www.narratedllc.com

Ohler, Jason. Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning,

and Creativity. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin Press, 2008.

Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future. New York: Riverhead Books, 2006.

Schank, Robert. Tell Me a Story: Narrative and Intelligence. Evanston, Illinois:

Northwestern U P, 1990. *******

Create Your Own Digital Story!! Learn How to Add Digital Storytelling to Your Teaching

WHAT?? 2011 Digital Storytelling Training Workshops for Educators

WHEN?? March 3 – 5, 2011, May 19 – 21, 2011, or June 9 - 11, 2011 Choose one of these three-day training workshops to enrich your teaching and ignite student enthusiasm.

WHERE?? Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC 28602

HOW?? Bring your script and accompanying photographs. Leave three days later with your own digital story burned to a DVD, and most importantly, leave prepared to use this powerful teaching and learning strategy with students.

HOW MUCH?? The $550 registration fee covers three days of instruction by experienced digital storytelling instructors and includes lunch each day as well as snacks. Two lucky people will receive a full registration scholarship, and four other people will receive partial scholarships in the contest drawing.

For more information, go to the narratEd website: www.narratedllc.com Teaching With Digital Storytelling: Three-Day Training Workshops for Educators

March 3 -5, 2011 *** May 19 - 21, 2011 *** June 9 -- 11, 2011 Catawba Valley Community College, Hickory, NC

Application Form

Name: ______Title: ______

Institution: ______

Primary teaching areas: ______

Mailing Address: ______

______City State Zip

E-mail Address: ______

Day Phone: ______Cell Phone: ______

Please check one option below.

__ March 3 - 5, 2011 $550.00 registration fee

__ May 19 – 21, 2011 $550.00 registration fee

__ June 9 – 11, 2011 $550.00 registration fee

Please make checks payable to narratED.

Mail your completed registration form and registration fee to: narratED P O Box 573 Hickory, NC 28603-0573

Once we receive your registration form, we will send you detailed instructions on composing your story script and collecting the images you will need to construct your own story at the workshop. For more information contact [email protected] or contact me by phone: Kay Gregory, 828-302-7769. over Workshop Leaders

Kay Gregory is an experienced workshop leader, having presented at several regional, national, and international conferences. As co-founder of the Digital Storytelling Center at Catawba Valley Community College, she has successfully led hundreds of students through the digital storytelling process. This workshop is an event sponsored by her educational consulting business, narratED, llc. Through narratED, Gregory anticipates “Enriching Education, One Story At a Time.”

Donna Ross is Department Head for Humanities and a Spanish instructor at Catawba Valley Community College. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation on the affective impact of digital storytelling on developmental students, particularly women students. In addition, she has used digital storytelling as a learning strategy in some of her Spanish classes.

Workshop Location: Workshop sessions will be held daily in the Cuyler A. Dunbar Building on the campus of Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, North Carolina. The campus address is 2550 Hwy 70 SE, Hickory, NC 28602-8302. Sessions will last 8 – 5 on Thursdays and Fridays, and 8 – 3 on Saturdays.

Meals: Workshop fee includes lunch served on site each day. In addition, snacks and drinks are provided at break times and throughout the day.

Transportation: Schedule flights to arrive either in Charlotte, NC or in Greensboro, NC. Charlotte is approximately one hour from our workshop site in Hickory, NC, and the Greensboro, NC Airport is about one and one-half hours from Hickory.

Lodging: Nearby lodging includes the Crown Plaza Hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn and Suites, and Ramada Inn. Local Bed and Breakfast options include Council House Bed & Breakfast and Trot House Inn.

BE SURE TO BRING all materials specified in your workshop materials including

 A 2 GB or larger flash drive for building and saving your digital story (avoid brands that come loaded with their own software)

 Your digital story script

 30 – 40 digital images that support and illustrate the words of your script saved to your flash drive.

View Stories Created by Participants in Past Workshops Go to the narratED Website at www.narratedllc.com and click on “Portfolio.”