EDUC: 117: FYS: Diversity in Education: Digital Stories

If you'd like to distribute your media beyond the classroom, you should search for content in the public domain or under Creative Commons. 

The Media Libguide is a great summary of resources

What is Creative Commons? Check out this guide or this infographic

In essence, digital storytelling is using digital tools, such as audio and images (still or moving), to tell a story. Text is powerful, but using different formats to tell a story can be powerful in different ways. Think about a book and its movie adaptation.

• Stories can be told in many forms/mediums, a spectrum from a series of images to interactive fiction.
• Stories have settings, characters, conflict or challenge, action, and resolution.
• Stories are shared and retold reaching broad audiences. 
• Stories are effective ways to communicate information. Well told stories engage audiences and may inspire action. 

Usually, digital stories are brief. Just a few minutes.

A storyboard is the equivalent of an outline for a paper. When you create a media project, you start with a storyboard.

Storyboards serve the following purposes:

• Allows you to gather your ideas before you begin working with video or audio content.
• Encourages you to think about all elements of your digital story: visual, textual, audible.
• Allows you to quickly sketch and try out different ideas Helps identify resources needed to complete the project and whether you can find them or need to create them yourselves.
• Generates questions that can help you decide whether your scope is achievable or not.
• Are works in progress, just like outlines. They’ll change as you work on your project
• Serve as a quick reference: Did you address all the required elements, such as length and content?

If you’re writing a full script out first, it shouldn’t be longer than 2 double-spaced pages or reading it will take longer than 3 to 4 minutes.

Tools for building storyboards 

Storyboard Templates

2-column storymapping approach - Scroll down to the bottom of the page to Story Table Handouts

Harriet Pilpel Can Fly 

• H = Homegrown
• P = Public Domain
• C = Creative Commons
• F = Fair Use

Derived from Wesley Fryer's 'Harry Potter Can Fly"

Still have copyright questions?

Email Graham Henderson:  shenders@wellesley.edu