Greetings and salutations I would like to invite you on a journey by engaging in the development of a digital story. This page is created to assist in this journey. Along the way you will be challenged to create a solid directional plan, sequential storyboard as well as research and develop of a unique and individualized digital story. I will encourage you to be selective when it comes to your final deliverable; to help in this endeavor please utilize the tools within this site.
"The specific requirements of an educational digital story differ slightly from the original Seven Elements for Digital Stories. Working with the Seven Elements that CDS developed, we added a few new items to make them more applicable to the types of digital stories created by students. The modified elements are shown below"
1. Point of View
What is the main point of the story and what is the perspective of the author?
2. A Dramatic Question
A key question that keeps the viewer's attention and will be answered by the end of the story.
3. Emotional Content
Serious issues that come alive in a personal and powerful way and connects the audience to the story.
4. The Gift of Your Voice
A way to personalize the story to help the audience understand the context.
5. The Power of the Soundtrack
Music or other sounds that support and embellish the story.
6. Economy
Using just enough content to tell the story without overloading the viewer.
7. Pacing
The rhythm of the story and how slowly or quickly it progresses.
1. The Overall Purpose of the Story
What is the main objective/outcome
2. The Narrator’s Point of View
What role does the narrator have instructor/guide/participant
3. A Dramatic Question or Questions
Create anticipation or intrigue
4. The Choice of Content
Align content with intended outcomes
5. Clarity of Voice
Be clear in directions and interventions
6. Pacing of the Narrative
Enable a suitable pace that can easily be followed or repeated
7. Use of a Meaningful Audio Soundtrack
Create mood and atmosphere
8. Quality of the Images, Video & other Multimedia Elements
Make sure to utilize eye-candy to create extended face time
9. Economy of the Story Detail
Be clear and concise use minimal resources to gain attention
10. Good Grammar and Language Usage
Watch your grammatical approach
Heidi Andrade co-developer of the site Rubistar defines rubrics a little different.
"Rubrics have become popular with teachers as a means of communicating expectations for an assignment, providing focused feedback on works in progress, and grading final products. Although educators tend to define the word “rubric” in slightly different ways, Heidi Andrade’s commonly accepted definition is a document that articulates the expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria, or what counts, and describing levels of quality from excellent to poor.
Rubrics are often used to grade student work but they can serve another, more important, role as well: Rubrics can teach as well as evaluate. When used as part of a formative, student-centered approach to assessment, rubrics have the potential to help students develop understanding and skill, as well as make dependable judgments about the quality of their own work. Students should be able to use rubrics in many of the same ways that teachers use them—to clarify the standards for a quality performance, and to guide ongoing feedback about progress toward those standards. "
The beyond example represents the very basic requirement it is unfinished (B graded)
The Beyond an interactive example of a digital story
Other well made interactive digital stories
LACC.2.W.1.3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
LACC.2.W.2.6: With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
VA.912.F.1: Enduring Understanding 1: Creating, interpreting, and responding in the arts stimulate the imagination and encourage innovation and creative risk-taking.
LAFS.1112.W.2: Production and Distribution of Writing
Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students are to create an original story, which will interact with an intended audience. The project will be digital based and should include text, drawings, photos, possible animation, audio, and video. For the story to be interactive several directional options will be needed to be developed. They will be called choices. Within the choices that the intended user will utilize is the ability to change the outcome of the story. For all purposes this story should be conceived as a non-linear flow. This will allow the users to enjoy freedom of choice as well as add They use technology tools, such as digital cameras and computers, to bring their stories to life. Story ideas can come from personal and family experiences, connections to other cultures, and real or imaginary people, places, or events.
Learning Goals:
Possible Materials:
Choose the technology tools that are appropriate for your skill level. The following are some basic recommendations:
Content and Assets
You may utilize any type of media gathered throughout the web and/or custom created as lone as your work has referenced the media. Please utilize creative commons if possible.
Many of you have family members that told stories can you remember the first story that you heard growing up?
Who was the storyteller?
Do remember what was other friends or family's favorite stories?
Have you ever wanted to maybe change the story itself or the process the story was being told through?
For the first part of this project I am going to encourage you as writers and developers to draw creative ideas from personal experiences. These could be formed from special events you attend, perhaps your community or social programs such as after school events. Maybe ideas will be derived from negative events such as; sad passing of a loved one, loss of an animal or even a abrupt relocation.
Exercise: After you have had time to reminisce and toss around creative ideas you will need to record at least three different ideas for your Digital Story (DS).
Although this project's objective is to create a digital story, which is also utilizes interactive technology; I want you to remember that the story and not the technology should drive this process. That being said the second step within the project is to chose a digital platform to develop your story. Make sure to chose wisely this will insure reliability and ease for iterations; below are some links for user friendly website development tools.
Although the above list will sufficiently create a wonderful digital story you may use another source for the required project. Please have it approved by the instructor.
Exercise: Select and create a digital page that will offer the ability to easily navigate as well as display content successfully. After, creating this page you will need to drop the link into the Step Two drop box, by the given due date.
Before tackling this project head on; you will need to gain some insight on the flow and navigation this interactive story will take the reader. You are going to need a guide to follow; therefore, you are going to create a storyboard. This tool will allow you as digital story developers to align your interactive ideas with the plot of story. You will also list all your assets that will be needed such as; the text and picture sequences, transitions, visual effects (if any), and soundtrack (if any). Always keep in mind when developing your ideas to make sure you design something that will be attainable. Below are links to sites that can help with gaining the assets needed for this step.
Exercise: You will be required to design a sequential storyboard for the process of navigating through your story. Also you will need to find select all the media needed to develop you interactive content. Utilize the above links and/or create your own content (remember this will take time). The required standards for this project are listed below.
Please dropbox no less or more of 10-15 storyboard cells completely developed
Include a list, which will align with all your needed content and assets.
Drop these both by the required dropbox deadline for this step.
For most web developed media no matter how small or large a designer will create wire frame for navigation. This sequential flow chart of sorts allows a developer the ability to see where a user will navigate as well as how the navigation will be proceed. Think of this area as being an interactive process for offering many directions within the story. After all the user will be considered a producer as well.
Examples of wire frames and flow charts.
Wire frame Flow Chart for the Beyond
Exercise: You will be required to design a wire frame to adhere the objective as well as help with the process of navigating through your story. Keep in mind how many choices you want to allow, how will the story change with each individual direction, what characters will be affected, and how long the digital story will actually be.
Please dropbox your completely developed wire frame. (you may want to utilize the wire frame tool offered)
Include a small description for processes and development.
Drop these both by the required dropbox deadline for this step.
This is the development step where you as designers will gather and edit, chop, rearrange all the assets needed for this digital story. This could be consider a editing stage or per-production. Make sure you have taken the time to go over the 7 elements of story telling they will help guide you toward a successful process. You will probably need to have editing tools for some of your media. (ie. images, sound, icons, etc.) I have listed several open-source web2.0 tools to aid in this endeavor.
Exercise: You be challenged to organize, edit, and optimize your assets for this project. By now you will have an idea of how many pages needed to create your interactive story. For this step you will create a word document for each page by adding the written content, images, navigational links, as well as any further multimedia tools. Also to remember to follow the diagrams and storyboards you previously created.
Please place you pages into a folder and dropbox the information for step five.
Include a small description for processes and development.
Drop these both by the required dropbox deadline for this step.
This is the uploading and testing phase with the steps. This process will be a highly iterative process utilizing a trial and error approach. Make sure you have researched the process for uploading content to your selective website. Select all the information within the per-designed pages create in step five allowing for composition placement that is friendly and easily accessed. One way to assure all links are active and can easily be navigated is to create all pages within the site first. This will mean only the name of page will be displayed (ie. pg1, pg2, pg3 - Home, selection1, selection2 etc.) this way you create content only that assures a good flow.
Directions to upload assets to a client managed site
Exercise: You be challenged to organize, edit, and optimize your assets for this project. By now you will have an idea of how many pages needed to create your interactive story. For this step you will create a word document for each page by adding the written content, images, navigational links, as well as any further multimedia tools. Also to remember to follow the diagrams and storyboards you previously created.
Please place you pages into a folder and dropbox the information for step five.
Include a small description for processes and development.
Drop these both by the required dropbox deadline for this step.
Test and iterate; if changes will be needed it should done within this step. Make sure to fully test your site/digital story this will assure the impact that you so desire. Take a look and make sure that your story will align with the 7 elements of story telling. Next make sure the links are operational; nothing can kill a great web experience links that go nowhere. Check for resolution problems with your images and or graphics. Assure all visuals to be professional and clear. Lastly insure your motion graphics are all functional and do not lag.
If all is well you will on your way to publishing your first digital interactive story.
Exercise: After all assets, tools, navigational links, images, motion graphics, and etc. have been tested and approved you will be required to publish your story. After the publishing of the interactive story you should be given a live link (URL) please make a copy of this link and place in final drop box. Please make sure to review grading rubric as to what is required.
After the grading process you will receive full feedback on the development of your interactive digital story.
Drop the link and another content needed for the review to the required dropbox.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity in sharing in your creative journey, I truly hoped you enjoyed.