Digital Storytelling with GoAnimate

This time I tried using GoAnimate to create an animated comic strip. In actuality I had never considered using comic strips in an EFL classroom so this was a great opportunity to try something new and see how it could be adapted for educational purposes. Again this is a site that offers a more limited free version but you still have options for picking out many background settings for the comic, as well as characters and props. This tool allows you to incorporate audio to make the characters speak or they can use text bubbles. I would like to have both options so that students could read and hear what is being said by the characters. The characters can move around the scenes as well which makes the comic strip come alive. I will say that this feature is slightly more complicated to incorporate so I think I would need some additional practice to master all the features and see how they can be used.

I chose to create a comic strip with characters modeling how to use modals in a social context. So, the teacher and student used the more formal version of modals to speak to each other and the two students addressed each other using informal modals. This is actually an area that EFL students can struggle with and I think that a comic strip would be helpful to model the correct uses in a way that is more engaging than a list of written examples. I think that comic strips can be quite helpful in the classroom because they can provide a visual reference for students. Comic strips could be used as hooks or lead ins as well, but I also see a role for them as a way to get students discussing what is occurring in the dialogue and giving them an opportunity to analyze and dissect the interaction.

Digital Storytelling with Animoto

Today I tried out Animoto to make a short video that could be used in an EFL classroom. I really liked the site because I found it easy to navigate and making my video was quite simple and quick. Also, the various options for music, styles and text mean that I can customize the videos I create. On the downside is the short length of the free videos, thirty seconds is rather limiting. Depending on how much I would use this tool in class I might consider a paid membership so that I could have even more options.

The video I made is meant teach the simple future tense using the prompt "What will you do this summer?" I think that short thirty second videos can function well in the EFL classroom as "hooks" to grab student interest and attention using visual stimulus rather than just orally stating the topic or question. Also, the video could be used as a lead in to small class discussions as a way to activate students' prior knowledge of the subject that is going to be addressed in class. In these instances a long video is not really necessary so even the free version could be utilized. Another consideration is that depending on the level of the students a short video could be preferable so as not to overwhelm them with too much content. One feature that I think would make this a more education friendly tool is if there was an option for incorporated spoken audio text. Then students would be utilizing both listening and reading skills, besides providing practice in each area this would also aid those students who may different learning styles.

Summer Vacation is Here

Bringing Digital Storytelling to the EFL Classroom

What is digital storytelling? According to the site Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling it "…revolves around the idea of combining the art of telling stories with a variety of multimedia, including graphics, audio, video, and Web publishing." What makes digital storytelling so dynamic is that it can be used to cover any topic from personal experiences to current events, the possibilities are endless. 

Another site, The Center for Digital Storytelling emphasizes the transformative social effect that digital storytelling can have stating that "Whether online, in social media or local communities, or at the institutional/policy level, the sharing of stories has the power to make a real difference." I think this is very true because through sharing people of diverse experiences and backgrounds can come to understand different perspectives. Also, visual imagery can be very powerful. By combining digital imagery with a written or oral narrative it makes the story that is being told that much more vivid and alive to the audience.

There are multiple uses for digital storytelling in the EFL classroom because it is so adaptable to just about any topic. It is a tool that can be used by either teachers or students. I think that as a teacher I might use it to increase student interest in and attention to a topic. For example I could make a video to tell a story or interview someone that tied in with a lesson or unit covered in class. This could make the topic more alive to the students. Also, with the availability of sites such as Skype it is possible to interview and video tape people across the world. Another option for digital storytelling is to have the students work individually or in groups (depending on the availability of equipment) to interview English speakers on a specific topic or to interview each other. This is what I really like about digital storytelling, this element of sharing experiences.