Photo Story: Telling digital stories

Photo Story is "a free application [created by Microsoft] that allows users to create a show-and-tell presentation from their digital photos” (Wikipedia). The latest version (3.1) was released in 2006.

Users can create movement on their story with transitions between pictures or panning and zooming the screen, much the way Ken Burns has done in many of his documentaries. The story can also include your recorded narration or uploaded background music.

Photo Story is a simple download available from Microsoft or tech site CNET.

Advantages:

• Great for communicating more visual information to students, perhaps in art or photography classes.
• Wizard makes projects very easy to complete using Windows Movie Maker. Then upload to YouTube.
• Good alternative for telling a "story" rather than delivering a lecture.
• 200 photos can be uploaded at once for each project.

Disadvantages:

• Not available for Mac.
• Can't be viewed on a DVD player unless file converted from .wmv to .avi (sites like Zamzar will do this for you for free).
• Information-heavy lectures might be difficult for students to follow with limited text options.

Works Cited:

"Photo Story." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Aug. 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.

Further information:

Robin, Bernard. Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling. University of Houston, 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

"Seven Things You Should Know about Digital Storytelling." Educause Learning Initiative. Educause, Jan. 2007. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

Glogster: Interactive online posters

Glogster is “a social network that allows users to create free interactive posters, or glogs. The glog, short for graphical blog, is an interactive multimedia image” (Wikipedia). It has potential for both students as a medium for projects and instructors as a means of sharing information.













It is free to join and has educator accounts available (site was down Sunday due to a redesign, so I can't confirm any other details).

Glogster allows you to incorporate text, audio, video, photos and other graphics into one horizontal or vertical graphical blog. Flash animation is also an option for users to add to their designs. Linking to external websites or online activities is another prominent feature.

The site is fairly easy to use for anyone who has experience with Facebook or online gaming. You upload items you have, or link to versions found online. Many graphics are available like clip art that can be pulled onto the page and moved or resized at will.

Finished products are posted on the Glogster site, or can be embedded in blogs or shared using social media platforms such as Facebook.

Advantages:

• Display assignment information in a unique and interactive way.
• Allow students with limited computer skills to create something online.
• Easily shared via Facebook or embedded in blogs or Blackboard.
• Use as student alternative to a presentation or research paper.
• Online user community for exchange of ideas and materials: http://edu.glogster.com/glogpedia/

Disadvantages:

• Does require some computer familiarity.
• May not appeal to older students.
• Slight website unpredictability.

Works Cited:

"Glogster." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.

Further information:

Danner-Kuhn, Cyndi. "Glogster-Great Tool for the Classroom and Info for Block B." Technology Bits Bytes & Nibbles. N.p., 4 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

"Glogster: Creative Learning Tool in Classroom." YouTube. YouTube, 10 June 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

Animoto: Melding video, music and images

Animoto is "a web application that produces videos from user-selected photos, video clips and music” (Wikipedia).

Basically you upload videos -- and it makes it easy to grab from other online accounts like Facebook and Picasa -- pick a song from the ones they have on file or upload your own mp3, add some text and tell it to make your video. A 30-second video took less than 5 minutes to render.

Videos can be watched on the Animoto site, posted to YouTube or shared through a variety of social media platforms. An embed code is also provided for posting on websites or blogs.

There are a variety of accounts available, but educators can sign up for free accounts.

A Lite plan is free but videos are limited to 30 seconds and can't be downloaded. The Plus plan is $5 a month or $30 a year, but you can make videos up to 10 minutes and you can download them to your computer or mobile device and watch offline. DVDs are available for an additional fee with some account types. Neither account has a limit on how many videos can be created.

The first video is my experimental version, although it has no connection to my class. The other videos were created by educators, students, or institutions. As you can see, Animoto has been used a variety of ways: to create promotional videos, to review for an exam, to preview a curriculum unit, and to tell a story.

Advantages:

• Another alternative to the traditional slideshow or handout
• Very easy to create -- instructions are clear
• Easy to embed in Blackboard, YouTube or Facebook
• A different kind of assignment option for more video-savvy students
• Free version is available -- although limited.
• Could record your own sound using Audacity or Garage Band and upload your spoken words or music to site.
• No templates, so each video is unique.

Disadvantages:

• Monthly or annual fee to create videos longer than 30 seconds and to download videos to your computer.
• Text space is very limited -- do not expect to replicate a 40-slide lecture here. 

Works Cited:

"Animoto." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Oct. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
Further information:

"Animoto." Teachinghistory.org. U.S. Department of Education, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

"Animoto, a Web 2.0 Tool Supporting 21st Century Learning Skills." Web 2.0 Teaching Tools. N.p., 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

"Web 2.0 Tools - New Possibilities for Teaching and Learning: Animoto." Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP). Purdue University, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.