Teaching Digital Story Telling

1. Teaching Digital Story Telling Margaret Chasan The Jewish Day School Seattle, Washington

2. The Jewish Day School

3. The Jewish Day School • Pre-K to 8 • 30 years old • Small but technically sophisticated • Laptop program (10 years) • Wired classroom Homework Web

4. The Project - We Remember • 8th graders each create a digital story • About an ancestor • Goal – multi-media film of about 3 – 5 minutes • Viewed at Story Festival • Before an audience – Middle School and families We Remember

5. Why Teach This? • A challenging “real life” task • Meaningful • Kids engaged • Multi –disciplinary, integrative, conceptual • Creative • Develops emotional intelligence • Learning 21st Century skills

6. A Whole New Mind – Daniel Pink “The era of “left brain” dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which “right brain” qualities-inventiveness, empathy, meaning-predominate. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind. What does it take to excel? Daniel Pink reveals the six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend.” From Daniel Pink’s website.

7. Six Essential Aptitudes • Design – not just product, but also creating something that is also beautiful • Story – How do you craft a compelling narrative? How do you craft facts into an engaging story that your audience wants to hear? • Symphony – being able to see the big picture – crossing boundaries and joining disparate pieces to create a new whole – making your learning your own. • Empathy – making us care. How do you touch the heart? • Play – laughter/lightheartedness/games/humor/playfulness. Find creative, whimsical, playful ways to tell your story. • Meaning – How do you imbue the facts with meaning?

8. Pre-Production • Start in September before the holidays • Identify some stories • Interview family • Look at old photographs, and documents - ask questions

9. Most Work is Up Front • Kids gather materials before production week • Multiple deadlines • Sporadic class time to work, check, share • Celebrate • Gather materials in one place • Film Checklist

11. Models - Background Preparation • Read an independent book (Book List) • View 2 Centropa films and 2 JDS films • Research both the Jewish experience and the wider world history of the era

12. How Do We A Craft the Story? • Find the drama – best to focus on a dramatic aspect of the story • Does your character have a conflict to resolve or an obstacle to overcome? • Find an interesting way to tell the story • Write a detailed account of the story first (bullets will do) • Plot the story on the story template • Write a script for your voice-over – get it checked

14. Gather Materials • Put EVERYTHING in a folder on desk top • Put everything in the same place • All visuals and sound elements MUST be in the same folder and nothing can be moved • Plan • Story Board

15. Required ElementsTheme, Beginning, Middle, End, Reflection Kids tend to plunge in without orienting the viewer • “And then this happened, and then that happened, …….” • Stop rather than end • Don’t always reflect • RUBRIC – show them this early • Help them craft a story

16. No Sense of History • Help them to see the connections • Make them do the research • Help them to integrate • History from the inside out • The Life and Times of Joshua Matsa • Aliya – Opa’s Story • Miriam – The Journey to a Better Life

17. Production • We are ready! • Block out a week at least • Get as much adult help in the room as possible • Have the tech person there if possible • Clone yourself 16 times

18. A Hive of Activity • View kids progress often to catch issues early • Kids help each other • Make them redo when necessary • Remind them of deadlines • Set individual daily tasks

19. Kids Start with Voiceover • They write a script, practice it • Re-record till it is good enough • Do narration first • Narration will drive and shape the story • Decide where stills, clips, text boxes, visuals with just music

20. Visual Elements • Stills/ Photographs (authentic from the period) • Family pictures are best • “Fake” pictures from the internet if necessary • Pictures should look as though they belong

21. More Visual Elements • Cropping • Maps – very important for context • Footage – You Tube has a mass of footage that can be embedded

22. Stretching What you Have

23. Sound Elements • Music – own it or use royalty free • Should fit the story • MUST not drown out the voiceover • Narration – (voiceover) Redo as often as it takes to make this really good • Sound effects perhaps

24. Text Elements • Titles – choose a clean and simple font • Use the same font – be consistent • Don’t make the font too big – look at other documentaries to see how it’s done Centropa • Find compelling quotes or short poems to include • Credits

25. Polish, Polish, Polish • Edit and re-edit finals • Frequently takes multiple viewings • When complete export final copy in best rendering • Burn a hard copy • Put work on your own You Tube account [not public]

26. Public Performance Arrange a date and invite people to come • Flyer • Excitement is palpable • Kids are proud of their work • Parents love it • I am always amazed where were we two generations ago • Titles

27. A Difficult Task Accomplished • Sense of achievement • Transfer – less daunted by future hard tasks • A sense of empowerment • Some kids went onto high school film classes • Learned history from the inside out • Changed their views of their families and themselves

28. Some Movies Harrison – A Musician in America Domi – The Struggle to Find the Good Life Michael – The American Dream Noam – From Darkness to Light Robert – Blood Libel in Syria