Building Language Learners’ Writing and Speaking Skills

with Digital Stories

Lina Lee University of New Hampshire NHAWLT, November 2, 2012

Meredith, NH

Stories

Writing Speaking

http://stories.umbc.edu/projects.php?movie=SPAN305_Relato_digtal_Elver.mp4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m8yEU4FDuk

5

Video

Voice

Photo

Music

Digital Storytelling

Text

Why Digital Storytelling?

Storytelling – We love to HEAR stories

Digital media – We love to SEE stories

Social media – We love to TELL stories

Web publishing – We love to SHARE stories

Power of Digital Media

Digital Stories for L2 Learners

• Put students at the centre of learning process

• Allow self-expression and creativity

• Enhance language skills; writing and speaking

• Build multi-literacy skills

• Use 21st century skills: digital literacy; self-direction; problem solving

TechnologyIntegration Reflection

Project-Based

Learning

Diagram by Barrett (2006)

Student Engagemen

t

Digital Storytellin

g

About Digital Stories

•From personal tales to historical events

•From individual to collective narratives

•For novice to advanced learners

•From text, audio to video files

•From 2-3 to 10-20 minute long

•From CD to web publishing

How to make digital stories?Five Steps

(1) Write your story after choosing the topic

Drafting, revising and proofreading

(2) Find images, sound, audio/video clips Use of “Creative Commons” site; copyright issues

(3) Create a storyboard

Planning a visual story

http://www.printablepaper.net/category/storyboard

(4) Select a digital tool to record your storyQuality control – ‘art’ of storytelling thought ‘voice’

(5) Share your story

Storyboard

Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3

NarrationSoundMusic

NarrationSoundMusic

NarrationSoundMusic

Sound Music

Storyboard

http://teach.fcps.net/trt18/Digital%20Writing/digitalstorysamples.htm

Visit this site

How to Create Simple Digital Stories:

http://electronicportfolios.com/digistory/howto.html

Software

•PC •Photo Story 3•Movie Maker

•Mac • iMovie

•Other tools: Slideshare, Animoto

•Audacity for audio recordings

•Publishing in YouTube /GoogleVideo /Vimeo

Digital Tools

voicethread.com

1. Upload 2. Comment 3. Share

Three Easy Steps:

Free account: Up to 3 threads

http://voicethread.com/?#q+el+perro+Frederico.b3205219.i16999401

•Elementary Spanish (Spanish 402/2nd semester)

•Final cultural project • Theme-based topics • PowerPoint presentation (10-12 slides)• PDF file to VoiceThread •Cultural knowledge; research, organization and

speaking skills•Comments on each other’s threads •Writing a blog entry for reflection

http://spanish402people.wikispaces.com/VoiceThread+presentations

•Readings in Current Periodicals (Spanish 648)

•Advanced level •Current events online •Weekly news reports in VoiceThread •Teacher vs. student chosen topics •Sharing and commenting threads in blogs.

http://seiscientoscuarentayocho.blogspot.com/

https://voicethread.com/share/181358/

storybird.com

1. Select already-made artwork 2. Drag illustrations to canvas3. Write your story in text boxes 4. Publish your story

Four Easy Steps:

•Digital Media in SLA (Graduate Seminar)

•Writing stories with digital tools •Use of already-made art pieces •Free topics with selective grammar points •Use of the preterit and the imperfect •Stories for reading exercises

\\

http://storybird.com/classes/unh/span997/overview/

French Storybird

http://storybird.com/books/mon-zoo-extraordinaire/?token=pdgg99

Spanish Storybird

http://storybird.com/books/gregorio-el-gato/?token=qz6jxn

littlebirdtales.com

1. Upload your artwork 2. Record your voice/add text 3. Share your story

Three Easy Steps:

http://littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/47704/

http://littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/49455/

audioboo.fm

1. Record your voice (3 mins)2. Preview before publishing 3. Publish and share

Three Easy Steps:

http://audioboo.fm/boos/270466-bloody-circle-lineboo

•Elementary Spanish (Spanish 402- 2nd semester)

•Practice the pronunciation and speaking •Topic-based with specific grammar point•PowerPoint presentations•Teacher recording as model •One-two minute story; twice a week

•Audio feedback from the teacher

\\

http://audioboo.fm/Milana

storyjumper.com

1. Choose a template 2. Write a story 3. Publish and share

Three Easy Steps:

\\

http://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/109902/-Tengo-mucha-hambre-

http://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/112252/Noé-et-les-animaux

zooburst.com

1. Upload your pictures 2. Write a 3D pop-up story3. Publish and share

Three Easy Steps:

http://www.zooburst.com/zb_books-viewer.php?book=zb02_4fdad90781ce0

http://www.zooburst.com/zb_books-viewer.php?book=zb04_4f2d2a55b7a6a

Challenges

•Time consuming

•Story before technology

•Technology skills

•Accessibility

•Assessment

•Copyright

Rubric: Elements • Story (engaging –beginning, problem, solution and ending)

• Detail (enough information, coherent)

• Narration (clear voice –matching story line)

• Pacing (Keep audience engaged)

• Grammar/Language use (appropriate/correct)

• Images/music (high quality)

• Professionalism (title, credits page)

(Stanley and Dillingham, 2009, p. 109)

Rubric for VoiceThread(Tufts University – Intermediate Italian)

•Storyboard

•Script

•Pronunciation

•Grammar

•Vocabulary

• Images

•Voice consistency

•Feedback to other stories

•Overall originality

9-10 = exceeds expectations 7-8 = meets expectations5-6 = needs improvement 0-4 = does not meet expecations

Resouces

My Scoop.it

•http://www.scoop.it/t/digital-storytelling-in-the-world-language-classroom

Today’s PowerPoint

“Building Learners’ Writing and Speaking Skills through Digital Stories”

•http://lleeunh.wordpress.com/my-blogs/