Primary (digital) stories

I have been experimenting with so called grassroots video, as in YouTube, heralded as the current big thing. Here is my most recent opus on learning about ICT - aimed at teachers, but I expect the principles are the same for students.

It has taught me that simplicity and brevity is vital. I think this one is too long. But it is all done on a digital still camera, with a 15 cm tripod. A very affordable technology given that only a small part of the time requires the camera. I found that getting my little speeches ready without hesitation of loss of fluency was really difficult, and tried some writing and filming as I went, but the pre-prepared postit notes are the solution for me, since I don’t imagine that looking at me is a great idea for the viewer.

Some very basic issues. What do you need?

Some other editing options…

PC - Movie Maker free with XP, Vista?
Mac - iMovie free with every mac

Some publishing issues: YouTube and similar are routinely blocked in schools due to inappropriate material and excessive bandwidth. However….

The first in a series of very basic tutorials about using video for storytelling.

Storytelling - been around for a long time, frequently a chore, an opportunity or a delight for students who have begun to master the skills of literacy.

Now there is a new set of tools to tell stories - video, slide shows, audio, animation and a mixture of all of these. For teachers, learning what these communication tools have to offer is the first priority, then how to use them, then how to use them with students and finally, how to share and enjoy the stories that result.