After two successful workshops we hosted this summer with the Center for Digital Storytelling, we worked with our first groups of students this fall producing digital stories as a part of their courses. These student projects focused on three different areas:
• Two Cornerstone classes from the Honors College explored the potential of first-person narrative in first-year experiences.
• Two Psychology courses introduced first-person reflections on vocation into a capstone experience.
• Finally two other teachers looked at digital authoring as a way to communicate more traditional arguments (Proposing a Solution) or portfolio-type reflections on teacher training.
Thanks to the faculty and students in each of these courses for working with us to better understand the role digital stories play in the broader curriculum here at ACU.
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HONORS CORNERSTONE
All of the students produced remarkable stories. The following collection reflects the flexibility of the form to capture a wide range of experiences.
Many students and faculty who visit the Learning Studio are new to video editing. Apple’s iMovie software comes free on all Macintosh computers, so it’s the most obvious place to begin.
The iLife suite–including iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand–is available on any Macs in the Learning Commons or Learning Studio. iMovie was designed around the ability to organize, edit, and share your video as quickly as possible. With the addition of the tapeless camcorders, now available for checkout in the Learning Studio, this means you’ll have your clips loaded and ready to edit almost immediately.
Here are a few ways you might use iMovie for projects this semester:
Import footage from a checkout camera or mobile device and cut it into a short video.
Bring images from iPhoto or the web and assemble them into a narrated slideshow with panning effects.
Combine still images, video footage, and audio tracks to create a basic digital story.
The Learning Studio continues to work with students and faculty on a wide range of audio and video projects. One thing learned in our first year is the importance of selecting the right tools.
Though some projects require actual video editing, Camtasia offers a simple alternative for beginners. Camtasia for Mac is a screen-capture program available in the Learning Studio that lets students create a movie from anything currently on their screen. Here are a couple uses of Camtasia for assignments this fall:
Bring in a PowerPoint presentation and record audio narration for a simple slideshow.
Create a short video explaining how to use a basic web tool by recording the clicks with your own narration.
Use alternative presentation tools like Prezi or 3D Timelines to introduce a complex process or historical topic.
In short, if you can show it on screen. . . you can turn it into a video. (more…)
This last week Joe Lambert from the Center for Digital Storytelling joined us for a one-week follow-up to our workshop last May. During the week he and Beverly Bickel from CDS trained on-campus volunteers to facilitate future digital storytelling workshops.
As part of the facilitator training, a small group of campus volunteers went through a “workshop within a workshop” where they created stories of their own. See below for select stories from each workshop..
A remarkable three days in the Learning Studio with our first Digital Storytelling workshop led by Joe Lambert and Mary Ann McNair of the Center for Digital Storytelling.
Twelve faculty members were joined by Adams Center staff and media specialists to produce first-person narratives and understand the future of digital storytelling in the general curriculum. Remarkable first efforts from our faculty.
Many students and faculty who visit the Learning Studio are new to video editing. Apple’s iMovie software comes free on all Macintosh computers, so it’s the most obvious place to begin. 
The Learning Studio continues to work with students and faculty on a wide range of audio and video projects. One thing learned in our first year is the importance of selecting the right tools.
Digital Storytelling Workshop Reflections – May 2011