B E R N A J E A N @ D I G I T A L E S . U S

Seven Steps for Digital StoryTelling

“Maybe it’s because we’re all so overloaded with information.

Maybe it’s because we’re all so starved for meaning. Whatever the reason, we’re all getting the same

memo at the same time: if you want to be heard, you’d better learn to tell better stories.”  

Jonah Sacs, author of Story Wars

BRAINS ON STORIES

WE CREATE STORIES AND STORIES

CREATE US. IT IS A CHEMICAL RONDO. - CHINUA ACHEBE

BERNAJEAN.WIKISPACES.COM

STORYKEEPERS.WIKISPACES.COM

I-IMAGINE.WIKISPACES.COM

THE CLASSICAL STORYARC GREEN AND BROCK AT OHIO UNI HAVE EMPIRICALLY SHOWN THAT

PEOPLE’S BELIEFS CAN BE SWAYED MORE EFFECTIVELY THROUGH

STORYTELLING THAN THROUGH LOGICAL ARGUMENTS.

PRE-TASK FOR BEYOND WORDS

WORKSHOPTake the challenge to dance together all of the Take Six: Elements of Good StoryTelling to develop your own 3-5 min video parallel visual storytelling (showing NOT telling) using images, ambient sounds, special effects and music while also conveying a personal reflection of the meaning or insight from Frost’s poem. Participants will be doing a voice interpretation of Frost’s actual words ONLY while letting their images unfold a story that needs to be told!

The expectation to have a personal connection of the poem’s meaning to themselves, their community or humanity incorporated is an essential element. This personal connection is referred to as the lesson learned, moral of the story, or the “so what” wisdom gained that develops some kind of explicit meaning beyond the actual poem to how the topic matters for you or your community.

ROAD NOT TAKEN WILL BE A PARALLEL “VISUAL STORYTELLING” -

VOICEOVERS WILL ONLY PERFORM FROST’S ACTUAL POEM WORDS. YOUR OWN STORY WILL BE UNFOLDED

WITH IMAGES ONLY!

A Few Challenge Unit Questions

• How do our perceptions of what is a challenge depend on our personal stories or experiences?• What qualities help us face challenges successfully? What are the benefits of challenge?• What are some of the challenges and struggles that have shaped society?• What are the important decisions we will have to make in our lifetime?• What are the consequences of making informed and uninformed decisions?

Drafting a Storyline

Write a storyline - this is the back story of story that your images will be unfolding- NOT words that will be spoken aloud.

THE STORYPROMPT

SHARE A MOMENT IN TIME OR A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE WHEN A CHOICE OR DECISION IMPACTED YOU, YOUR FAMILY, OR HUMANITY IN CHANGING WAYS - NEVER TO BE THE SAME.

PONDERING THE POEM

POEMS CAN BE READ LITERALLY OR FIGURATIVELY. INTERPRETING POETRY BEGINS WITH READING IT ALOUD THEN . . .

- UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT

- APPRECIATING THE LITERAL

- PONDERING THE USE OF LANGUAGE TO CONVEY DEEPER MEANING (CONNOTATIONS / METAPHORS / SIMILES / SYMBOLISM)

- FINALLY FORMING PERSONAL INSIGHT (LESSONS LEARNED) OF HOW THE MESSAGE SPEAKS TO YOU OR IS RELEVANT TODAY.

- PONDERING FROST’S POEM

- PURSUING RESOURCE LINKS FOR INTERPRETING TIPS ALONG WITH ANALYSIS COMMENTS

- BEGINNING A DRAFTED STORYLINE AKA THE BACK STORY OF YOUR VISUAL STORYTELLING

Tips on Interpreting @ http://bit.ly/ogBzrF

Analysis Comments @ http://bit.ly/psdaIz

- REFLECTING ON A POSSIBLE PERSONAL INSIGHT - LESSON LEARNED, MORAL OF THE STORY OR WISDOM GAINED

http://1.usa.gov/pbfoGM

- COLLECTING POSSIBLE 10-15 IMAGES TO UNFOLD THE STORYPrepared by Bernajean Porter www.DigiTales.us

PRE-TASK READINESS CHECKLIST