Digital Storytelling

UDL allows for students to use alternative ways to "write" stories and explain what they know. Using technology to write digital stories, using pictures or voice to text functionality, allows students with reading and writing difficulties to tell their stories.  Plus it's more fun!

Here are some web and iPad apps that I have used, or at least played with:

Web apps:

Meograph – Uses a timeline and maps to create a 4 dimensional story.

Storybird – The site provides beautiful artistic images submitted by artists which you can use to illustrate and spark ideas for a story.  Free for up to 35 students.

Scratch – A simple programming tool that uses blocks that snap together to form scripts (programs) that let you move characters around a stage, import sounds, use speech bubbles or voice recordings to create a story or project, even video games, while learning basic programming lingo. Free.

Simple Booklet – Lets you create digital books by inserting photos, images, videos, and adding text.  You can format the pages like you do a word document. Can be shared with anyone via the internet. Teacher account is $10/yr for 30 students.

simplebooklet.com simplebooklet.com
Click the arrow to change the page, or go to this link:
 http://simplebooklet.com/kenya for a larger view



StoryboardThat lets you customize  cartoon characters by changing physical attributes and then use speech bubbles to create dialog. Can upload or create vector images with paid versions. Up to 15 blocks for paid versions, or 6 for free version.

More Web Apps:

Powtoons Allows you to create animated slideshows by dragging and dropping characters, props and text plus record your voice to narrate the story.

GoAnimate – Another cartoon creation tool which you choose from a cast of characters, scenes, sound effects, and allows recording of speech starting at $99 per year, based on # students.

VoiceThread – A presentation tool that allows you to collaborate, create and share digital stories using imported drawings or presentation slides.

Bitstrips – A comic strip creation tool that allows you to create fully customized characters and add dialog bubbles to create a story.

iPad apps:

Toontastic – Allows you to create animated cartoons on the iPad. $9.99 for school addition, contains all the in-app additions from the free version.

Pictello – An iPad app that lets you import images and text or voice to create a digital talking story. $18.99

Educreations A presentation or storytelling app, allows you to narrate while drawing or inserting images.  This app is free.

iMovie Trailer – Allows you to create a movie trailer type of story using photos taken with your iPad or imported images. Add text and music and create a dramatic “preview” story. iMovie is an app on iPad or Mac.

BookCreator (iPad)  Lets you create iBooks for your iPad by importing pictures, video, sound, and use text, handwriting or voice recording.  Can export and share as well.

30hands – Is an iPad app that lets you easily create narrated stories and presentations using photos, images, and drawings and recording your voice to tell a story.

Do Ink Animation – An iPad app that allows you to create animation paths using your finger, draw your own illustrations or use stock illustrations in the app. 

Sources:

Hughes, A. (2013) Causes of the civil war. Meograph. [Slideshow]. Retrieved from:             http://www.meograph.com/ahughes17/15303/causes-of-the-civil-war

Ray, R. (2013). A midsummer night's dream. StoryboardThat.com. [Storyboard]. Retrieved      from: http://www.storyboardthat.com/userboards/rebeccaray/a-midsummer-nights-dream

Medeiros, C., Koren, N. and Peb08.  (2013). Pass it on, Halloween tale remix. Scratch  Community. [Scratch  programming project]. Retrieved  from:   http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/13875740/

Rueppel, L. (2011). Becasue of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea . [Youtube video]. Retrieved  from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hLAuVHAo8M