What are stories? Why are they a powerful tool?We all recognise them. Grown up with them – it’s how we first encounter the workd and make sense of its complexity
PlanningThere are lots of different aspects to planningInitial research – similar to research for a more traditional activities. Reading, brainstorming , surveys, data collection, experiments etcDescribing the audience – identifying the audience is a key element in DS as it determines much of the writing style and choice of media. You wouldn’t use academic language and images of real life injuries to explain how bones break to a 5 year old! Consider who is it aimed at, What will that audience respond best to.in what situation will the audience be viewing/listening to it, what level of interactivity will there be with the audienceWriting – the best results always come from the stories that have been written most thoroughly. It is reasonably easy to tell which haven’t had a lot of time spent on them. Writing could be in the form of a script, storyboard, wiki page etc. These can all be used as evidence when it comes to assessment.Choosing media– It should be apparent from the digital story itself why the particular media were chosen but making it explicit turns the activity into a conscious exercise. Some choices will be artistic (images that go with certain words, ideas etc. Music that compliments mood) or practical (taking video in a hospital may be impossible for a nurse documenting her placement)Display – If there is to a screening or public playing then the process of planning the event could also be recordedCitationsIf the activity has involved researching literature than it’s important to cite those as you would do with a written piece. If necessary link then to timings in the finished movie (wait until the final cut is produced to do this)If images or sounds have been used that were not created by the students then these should be properly attributed. To cite for academic articles but not for other intellectual property is inconsistent.Critical CommentaryDirector’s Commentary – a written or spoken commentary explaining the process and choices that went into making the piece makes the learning explicit.ReflectionsThink about having a personal reflection on how the process went. Particularly useful for collaborative storytelling. Blog post, audio, written piece?