Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference

In this session, we will learn how to use storytelling application with our students; we will explore the purpose, benefits and methodology for teaching kids how to summarize and tell stories using technology. Students can enhance communications skills by learning to organize their ideas, ask questions, and express opinions. Storytelling also can help students as they learn to create stories for an audience, and present their ideas and knowledge in an individual and meaningful way. Although the storytelling process is deeply rooted in the K-8 ELA frameworks, it can create opportunities for interdisciplinary learning across subject matter. This session will focus on using the web browser in conjunction with free web-based applications. Students are asked now more than ever to explain their reasoning when solving a problem. They often struggle with the ability to recall their methods and need prompting for how to best demonstrate their process. Explaining one's reasoning is often compared to telling a story. Digital storytelling is the act of using computer-based tools to explain or tell; in general, digital stories all revolve around the idea of combining the art of telling with a variety of multimedia, including graphics, audio, video, and Web publishing. They usually contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips, and/or music. The topics used in digital storytelling range from personal tales to the recounting of process. (Presenter(s): Jarred Haas, Digital Learning Coach, Peabody Public Schools)