The use of digital storytelling in improving teenagers speaking skill at star edu english center in vung tau city (master of tesol)

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BA RIA – VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY DO THI ANH HONG THE USE OF DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN IMPROVING TEENAGERS’ SPEAKING SKILL AT STAR-EDU ENGLISH CENTER IN VUNG TAU CITY MASTER’S THESIS Ba Ria – Vung Tau, March 2023 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BA RIA – VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY DO THI ANH HONG THE USE OF DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN IMPROVING TEENAGERS’ SPEAKING SKILL AT STAR-EDU ENGLISH CENTER IN VUNG TAU CITY MASTER’S THESIS Submitted to the Postgraduate Institute in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL Course Code: 8140111 Academic Supervisor’s name: Assoc Prof Dr Pham Huu Duc Ba Ria – Vung Tau, March 2023 THE USE OF DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN IMPROVING TEENAGERS’ SPEAKING SKILL AT STAR-EDU ENGLISH CENTER IN VUNG TAU CITY MASTER’S THESIS Student’s name: Do Thi Anh Hong Student’s code: 20110144 Class: MTESOL20K6 Academic Supervisor’s name: Assoc Prof Dr Pham Huu Duc Submitted to the Postgraduate Institute in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL Course Name: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Course Code: 8140111 THE USE OF DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN IMPROVING TEENAGERS’ SPEAKING SKILL AT STAR-EDU ENGLISH CENTER IN VUNG TAU CITY Examination Committee Chair: Reader 1: Reader 2: Member: Secretary Member: On behalf of the Examination Committee Chairman (Full name, title, signature) i MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY Ba Ria Vung Tau, 30th March, 2022 MASTER’S THESIS REPORT Student name: DO THI ANH HONG Sex: Female Date of birth: 02nd April 1988 Place of birth: Lam Dong Major: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Student code: 20110144 Starting date: November 1st, 2021 II- Completing date: November 1st, 2022 III- Academic supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Pham Huu Duc I- ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR FACULTY DEAN ii CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled: “The use of digital storytelling in improving teenager’s speaking skill at Star-Edu English Center in Vung Tau City” Ba Ria Vung Tau, March 30th, 2023 DO THI ANH HONG iii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, DO THI ANH HONG, being a candidate for the degree of Master of TESOL, which accepts the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis deposited in the library could be accessible for study and research purposes, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan, and reproduction for theses Ba Ria Vung Tau, March 2023 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Maybe only one student can stand for his result; however, it is definitely – always a collaboration of work attitude and effort First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to Assoc Prof Dr Pham Huu Duc, who has supervised me in the long way of my thesis Further, Assoc Prof Dr Duc has guided me with his professional working effort, supported me and helped me a lot in writing this thesis Secondly, I would like to thank the board of examiners who have read my thesis thoroughly and carefully in order to deliver the comments and suggestions for my future teaching career Thirdly, I also would love to send my deeply grateful to the Director of Star-Edu English Center – Mrs Nguyen Thi Anh Dai, who gave me an opportunity to teach, to learn and to conduct my thesis research Moreover, I am really happy and appreciate the teachers and students at the Center who have done all of my survey, questionnaire, tests and given responses to my interview during my duration of the science research and also delivered the efficient results to me Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to my family It is their love and expectations that have motivated me to finish this thesis I am intensively thankful for all the assistance they have given v ABSTRACT Creative stories always pique the interest of the listeners as all time and the novice mind can apply and learn challenging concepts in various domains Stories have a “social-related” form that is known as human art form, which teaches about human experiences, weaves into the fabric of our lives in a meaningful and connected way That is storytelling On the other hand, the application of technology in education is not new but the appropriateness and efficiency aspects of using technology is still in argumentation This is because of the never-ending improvement of the application and the varied of them After recruiting, examining, and learning about some of technological applications which are used for the improvement of teaching English or teaching a major in English We identify the most appropriate tools that are easier and applicable for all Vietnamese students in every part of the country are power point slides, videos, and voice recording Thus, the combining of storytelling and technology definitely will convert to positive outcomes and that is the reason why I choose the topic is about telling a story that use a digital tool to encourage students learn to speak a foreign language with interesting and proactiveness attitude Besides, discovering the impact of the digitized learning environment on our traditional distance education in changing the method in which teachers teach and learners learn in the present time The findings also showed that the group of students have applied digital storytelling in their learning truthfully gain better results than the group was having traditional method of teaching Such preliminary findings are hoped to shed light on the enhancement of learner speaking skills by integrating technology into English language teaching and learning Key words: teaching speaking skills, storytelling, effective speaking skill (ESS) vi Table of content CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale of the study 1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Scope of the study 1.5 Significance of the study 1.6 Organization of the Thesis CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Overview of information technology 2.2 Overview of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) 2.3 Overview of digital storytelling 2.3.1 Digital learning 2.3.2 Digital Storytelling 11 2.3.2.1 Story Elements 12 2.4 Overview of speaking skill 15 2.4.1 Teaching and Learning Speaking 15 2.4.2 Speaking skills perspectives 19 2.5 Previous Study 29 2.6 Theoretical framework 33 2.7 Chapter Summary 33 CHAPTER 34 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 34 3.1 Research design 35 3.2 Research site 36 3.3 Samples and sampling procedures 37 3.4 Research instruments 37 3.4.1 Self-Assessment Survey and Questionnaire 38 3.4.2 Speaking skill tests 38 Appendix B (QUESTIONNAIRE – WEEK 6) CONSENT FORM YOU ARE MAKING A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH STUDY YOUR SIGNATURE BELOW INDICATES THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY AFTER READING ALL OF THE INFORMATION ABOVE AND YOU UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION IN THIS FORM, HAVE HAD ANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS FORM FOR YOU TO KEEP Signature Research Participant Date Signature Interviewer Date SỬ DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP KỂ CHUYỆN TRÊN NỀN TẢNG CÔNG NGHỆ GIÚP TĂNG NĂNG LỰC NÓI TIẾNG ANH CỦA CÁC BẠN THANH THIẾU NIÊN Ở TRUNG TÂM ANH NGỮ STAR-EDU Ở VŨNG TÀU Xin chào bạn! Mình cảm kích bạn đồng ý tham gia vào khảo sát với Mình tên Đỗ Thị Ánh Hồng, sinh viên năm cuối ngành Lý Luận Phương Pháp Giảng Dạy Tiếng Anh trường Đại Học Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Hiện thực nghiên cứu cho luận văn tốt nghiệp với mong muốn tìm hiểu khả khó khăn bạn phần Nói Tiếng Anh Mong sau khảo sát này, biết thái độ bạn tiếp nhận phương pháp để cải thiện kỹ Nói Tiếng Anh Trước bắt đầu, xin mời bạn điền qua số thơng tin cá nhân Mình cam kết tất thông tin bạn giữ kín 82 QUESTIONNAIRE – WEEK Reflecting on the past weeks, I would like to know about your learning progress, Please rate how much you think these statements are true about you by ticking ( ) (1) Very easy (2) Easy (3) Okay (4) Hard (5) Very hard Speaking skills How difficult/easy was it for you to participate in the whole-class discussion? How difficult/easy was it for you to participate in the small-group discussion? How difficult/easy was it for you to express yourself fluently, with little pauses and hesitation? How difficult/easy was it for you to talk in clear and easily understandable manners? How difficult/easy was it for you to take turns in a discussion? DDDigital storytelling How difficult/easy was it for you to find information on the Internet? How difficult/easy was it for you to work cooperatively with others to create a digital story? How difficult/easy was it for you to learn about digital instruments? How difficult/easy was it for you to use digital instruments? 10 How difficult/easy was it for you to generate new ideas? 83 BẢNG CÂU HỎI – TUẦN Đánh giá tuần qua, muốn biết tiến trình học tập bạn, Vui lòng đánh giá mức độ bạn nghĩ tuyên bố bạn cách đánh dấu vào ( ) (1) Rất dễ dàng (2) Dễ dàng (3) Được (4) Khó (5) Rất khó Kỹ nói 11 Bạn tham gia vào thảo luận lớp khó khăn / dễ dàng nào? 12 Bạn khó khăn / dễ dàng tham gia vào thảo luận nhóm nhỏ? 13 Làm khó khăn / dễ dàng cho bạn để thể thân cách trôi chảy, với chút tạm dừng dự? 14 Làm khó khăn / dễ dàng cho bạn để nói chuyện theo cách rõ ràng dễ hiểu? 15 Làm khó khăn / dễ dàng cho bạn để thay phiên thảo luận? kể chuyện 16 Làm khó khăn / dễ dàng cho bạn để tìm kiếm thơng tin mạng internet? 17 Làm khó khăn / dễ dàng cho bạn để làm việc hợp tác với người khác để tạo câu chuyện kỹ thuật số? 18 Bạn tìm hiểu cơng cụ kỹ thuật số khó khăn / dễ dàng nào? 19 Bạn khó khăn / dễ dàng sử dụng công cụ kỹ thuật số? 20 Làm khó khăn / dễ dàng cho bạn để tạo ý tưởng mới? 84 Appendix C (PRESENTATION CONTEST – WEEK 16) CONSENT FORM YOU ARE MAKING A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH STUDY YOUR SIGNATURE BELOW INDICATES THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY AFTER READING ALL OF THE INFORMATION ABOVE AND YOU UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION IN THIS FORM, HAVE HAD ANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS FORM FOR YOU TO KEEP Signature Research Participant Date Signature Interviewer Date SỬ DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP KỂ CHUYỆN TRÊN NỀN TẢNG CƠNG NGHỆ GIÚP TĂNG NĂNG LỰC NĨI TIẾNG ANH CỦA CÁC BẠN THANH THIẾU NIÊN Ở TRUNG TÂM ANH NGỮ STAR-EDU Ở VŨNG TÀU Xin chào bạn! Mình cảm kích bạn đồng ý tham gia vào khảo sát với Mình tên Đỗ Thị Ánh Hồng, sinh viên năm cuối ngành Lý Luận Phương Pháp Giảng Dạy Tiếng Anh trường Đại Học Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Hiện thực nghiên cứu cho luận văn tốt nghiệp với mong muốn tìm hiểu khả khó khăn bạn phần Nói Tiếng Anh Mong sau khảo sát này, biết thái độ bạn tiếp nhận phương pháp để cải thiện kỹ Nói Tiếng Anh Trước bắt đầu, xin mời bạn điền qua số thông tin cá nhân Mình cam kết tất thơng tin bạn giữ kín 85 TEST – WEEK 16 TOPIC: THE POWER OF EDUCATION RUBRIC Weak pts Weak Interaction doesn’t take place Does not understand the question, responses are unclear Satisfactory pts Satisfactory Make significant mistakes understanding questions, responses are somewhat clear Questions are grammatically poor, and misunderstanding takes place Good pts Good Interaction takes place despite some mistakes when asking and answering questions Qualified pts Qualified Make few mistakes understanding questions responses and questions are mostly clear Outstanding pts Outstanding Correctly understands questions, responses are clear Content Weak Questions and answers don’t have any relationship with the task Satisfactory The idea regarding the opinion of the students is not supported by additional information or explanation Good Some ideas that the students present, regarding their opinion are supported by additional information or explanation Qualified Most of the ideas that the students present, regarding their opinion are supported by additional information or explanation Outstanding All ideas that the students present, regarding their opinion are supported by additional information or explanation Pronunciation Weak Control of the sound system so weak that comprehension is difficult Satisfactory Frequent inaccuracy in pronunciation and intonation Mother tongue interference apparent Good Some inaccuracy in pronunciation and intonation Problems with voiced/ voiceless consonants, for example Qualified Pronunciation and intonation generally accurate, errors not cause misunderstanding Outstanding Accurate pronunciation and intonation in most instances Fluency Weak Does not speak fluidly, frequent short and long breaks Satisfactory Speaks somewhat fluidly, frequent short and a few long breaks Good Speaks mostly fluidly, semifrequent short or a few long breaks Qualified Speaks fluidly, few to no breaks Fluent and spontaneous, but occasionally needs to search for expressions or compromise on saying exactly what he/she wants to Outstanding Can express himself/herself fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly Only a conceptually difficult subject can hinder a natural, smooth flow of language Wide vocabulary evident Grammar/ vocabulary Weak Poor grammar and minimal vocabulary Satisfactory Basic grammar and not-varied basic vocabulary Good Moderately strong grammar and a varied, but basic vocabulary Qualified Strong grammar and a varied and relatively complex vocabulary Outstanding No grammatical errors Speaker selfcorrects without hesitation Very good; wide range of vocabulary Use appropriate and new words and expressions interesting response Comprehension 86 Performance skill Presentation Weak Speaking in volume, which is almost inaudible, no facial expression, and not communicative Weak Structure lacks coherence Speaker unfamiliar with topic Transitional elements largely missing Satisfactory Speaking in soft voice but not really clear, flat facial expression, and less communicative Satisfactory Some structural weaknesses and only limited transitional elements Basic level of acquaintance with the topic Good Speaking in soft voice but can be understood, good facial expression, and communicative enough Good Evidence of a standard three-part structure and some use of transitional elements Maintains contact with the audience Level is appropriate, but the listener is not totally convinced that the presenter knows his/her topic well Qualified Speaking clearly and loudly, good facial expression, and communicative Qualified Knows the topic well Can handle complex questions with relative ease The presentation is clearly structured and appropriate for the audience Consistent use of transitional elements Good eye contact, minimal need to refer to papers Level appropriate for intended audience Outstanding Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by answering all class questions with explanation and elaboration Outstanding The student is thoroughly familiar with the topic and can respond confidently and spontaneously to complex questions The presentation is well structured, uses transitional elements and follows the conventions of the field Good eye contact, no reading from his/her paper 87 CHỦ ĐỀ: SỨC MẠNH CỦA GIÁO DỤC BẢNG ĐÁNH GIÁ Hiểu vấn đề Yếu điểm Yếu Tương tác không diễn Không hiểu câu hỏi, câu trả lời không rõ ràng Đầy đủ điểm Đầy đủ Mắc sai lầm đáng kể hiểu câu hỏi, câu trả lời có phần rõ ràng Các câu hỏi ngữ pháp, hiểu lầm diễn Đầy đủ Ý tưởng liên quan đến ý kiến sinh viên không hỗ trợ thơng tin bổ sung giải thích Tốt điểm Tốt Tương tác diễn có số sai lầm hỏi trả lời câu hỏi Đủ điều kiện điểm Đủ điều kiện Mắc vài sai lầm: hiểu câu hỏi, câu trả lời câu hỏi hầu hết rõ ràng Xuất sắc điểm Xuất sắc Hiểu câu hỏi, câu trả lời rõ ràng Tốt Một số ý tưởng mà sinh viên trình bày, liên quan đến ý kiến họ hỗ trợ thông tin bổ sung giải thích Tốt Một số khơng xác phát âm ngữ điệu Các vấn đề với phụ âm có giọng / vơ thanh, ví dụ Tốt Nói chủ yếu trôi chảy, bán thường xuyên ngắn vài lần nghỉ dài Đủ điều kiện Hầu tưởng mà sinh viên trình bày, liên quan đến ý kiến họ hỗ trợ thơng tin bổ sung giải thích Xuất sắc Tất ý tưởng mà sinh viên trình bày, liên quan đến ý kiến họ hỗ trợ thơng tin bổ sung giải thích Đủ điều kiện Phát âm ngữ điệu nói chung xác, lỗi không gây hiểu lầm Xuất sắc Phát âm ngữ điệu xác hầu hết trường hợp Đủ điều kiện Nói trơi chảy, khơng nghỉ Thông thạo tự phát, cần tìm kiếm biểu thức thỏa hiệp nói xác anh / muốn Xuất sắc Có thể thể thân trơi chảy tự phát, gần dễ dàng Chỉ có chủ đề khó mặt khái niệm cản trở dịng chảy ngơn ngữ tự nhiên, trơn tru Từ vựng rộng hiển nhiên Xuất sắc Khơng có lỗi ngữ pháp Người nói tự sửa mà khơng dự Rất tốt; nhiều từ vựng Sử dụng từ cách diễn đạt thích hợp phản ứng thú vị Xuất sắc Học sinh thể kiến thức đầy đủ (nhiều yêu cầu) cách trả lời tất câu hỏi lớp với lời giải thích xây dựng Xuất sắc Học sinh hồn tồn quen thuộc với chủ đề trả lời cách tự tin tự nhiên cho câu hỏi phức tạp Bản trình bày có cấu trúc tốt, sử Nội dung truyền tải Yếu Câu hỏi câu trả lời khơng có mối quan hệ với nhiệm vụ Cách phát âm Yếu Kiểm soát hệ thống âm yếu đến mức khó hiểu Đầy đủ Thường xun khơng xác phát âm ngữ điệu Sự can thiệp tiếng mẹ đẻ rõ ràng Thơng thạo Yếu Khơng nói trơi chảy, thường xun nghỉ ngắn dài Đầy đủ Nói trơi chảy, thường xuyên ngắn vài lần nghỉ dài Ngữ pháp / từ vựng Yếu Ngữ pháp vốn từ vựng tối thiểu Đầy đủ Ngữ pháp từ vựng không đa dạng Tốt Ngữ pháp mạnh vừa phải vốn từ vựng đa dạng Đủ điều kiện Ngữ pháp mạnh mẽ vốn từ vựng đa dạng tương đối phức tạp Kỹ thể Yếu Nói với âm lượng, gần khơng nghe được, khơng có nét mặt khơng giao tiếp Đầy đủ Nói giọng nhẹ nhàng chưa thực rõ ràng, nét mặt phẳng lì giao tiếp Tốt Nói giọng nhẹ nhàng hiểu, nét mặt tốt đủ giao tiếp Đủ điều kiện Nói rõ ràng to, nét mặt tốt giao tiếp Trình bày Yếu Cấu trúc thiếu gắn kết Diễn giả không quen thuộc với chủ đề Các yếu tố chuyển tiếp phần lớn bị thiếu Đầy đủ Một số điểm yếu cấu trúc có yếu tố chuyển tiếp hạn chế Mức độ việc làm quen với chủ đề Tốt Bằng chứng cấu trúc ba phần tiêu chuẩn số sử dụng yếu tố chuyển tiếp Duy trì liên lạc với khán giả Đủ điều kiện Biết rõ chủ đề Có thể xử lý câu hỏi phức tạp cách tương đối dễ dàng Bài thuyết trình cấu trúc rõ ràng phù hợp với khán giả 88 Mức độ phù hợp, người nghe khơng hồn tồn bị thuyết phục người thuyết trình biết rõ chủ đề Sử dụng quán yếu tố chuyển tiếp Giao tiếp mắt tốt, tối thiểu cần tham khảo giấy tờ Mức độ phù hợp với đối tượng dự định dụng yếu tố chuyển tiếp tuân theo quy ước lĩnh vực Giao tiếp mắt tốt, không đọc từ giấy anh / cô 89 Appendix D (INTERVIEW – WEEK 20) CONSENT FORMM YOU ARE MAKING A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH STUDY YOUR SIGNATURE BELOW INDICATES THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY AFTER READING ALL OF THE INFORMATION ABOVE AND YOU UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION IN THIS FORM, HAVE HAD ANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS FORM FOR YOU TO KEEP Signature Research Participant Date Signature Interviewer Date SỬ DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP KỂ CHUYỆN TRÊN NỀN TẢNG CƠNG NGHỆ GIÚP TĂNG NĂNG LỰC NĨI TIẾNG ANH CỦA CÁC BẠN THANH THIẾU NIÊN Ở TRUNG TÂM ANH NGỮ STAR-EDU Ở VŨNG TÀU Xin chào bạn! Mình cảm kích bạn đồng ý tham gia vào khảo sát với Mình tên Đỗ Thị Ánh Hồng, sinh viên năm cuối ngành Lý Luận Phương Pháp Giảng Dạy Tiếng Anh trường Đại Học Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Hiện thực nghiên cứu cho luận văn tốt nghiệp với mong muốn tìm hiểu khả khó khăn bạn phần Nói Tiếng Anh Mong sau khảo sát này, biết thái độ bạn tiếp nhận phương pháp để cải thiện kỹ Nói Tiếng Anh Trước bắt đầu, xin mời bạn điền qua số thông tin cá nhân Mình cam kết tất thơng tin bạn giữ kín 90 SEMI-TRUCTURED INTERVIEW – WEEK 20 FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS How would you rate your participation in class (1 being the lowest and 10 the highest) 10 How would you rate your speaking ability (1 being the lowest and 10 the highest) 10 How would you rate your digital literacy (1 being the lowest and 10 the highest) 10 Do you like to continue learning with digital storytelling? Do you feel that you have made some progress in relation to your oral proficiency during the semester? What aspects you think have improved? - Increase confident - Vocabulary - Accuracy of pronunciation - Increase fluency - Clearer goals setting - Co-elaboration Do you enjoy listening to stories in English? Do you enjoy reading stories in English? Do you enjoy acting out parts/whole of stories in English? 10 Has digital storytelling helped you in your learning of English-speaking skills? 11 Has digital storytelling helped you in your learning of digital literacy skills? 91 PHỎNG VẤN – TUẦN 20 CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN NHÓM TẬP TRUNG 12 Bạn đánh giá mức độ tham gia lớp (1 thấp 10 cao nhất) 10 13 Bạn đánh giá khả nói (1 thấp 10 cao nhất) 10 14 Bạn đánh giá mức độ hiểu biết kỹ thuật số (1 thấp 10 cao nhất) 10 15 Bạn có thích tiếp tục học với cách kể chuyện kỹ thuật số khơng? 16 Bạn có cảm thấy bạn đạt số tiến liên quan đến trình độ nói bạn học kỳ? 17 Những khía cạnh bạn nghĩ cải thiện? - Tăng tự tin -Từ vựng - Độ xác cách phát âm - Tăng tính lưu lốt - Thiết lập mục tiêu rõ ràng - Xây dựng 18 Bạn có thích nghe câu chuyện tiếng Anh khơng? 19 Bạn có thích đọc truyện tiếng Anh khơng? 20 Bạn có thích diễn xuất phần / tồn câu chuyện tiếng Anh khơng? 21 Kể chuyện kỹ thuật số có giúp bạn việc học kỹ nói tiếng Anh khơng? 22 Kể chuyện kỹ thuật số có giúp bạn việc học kỹ đọc viết kỹ thuật số không? 92 Appendix E (Lesson Plan) Digital Storytelling Lesson Plan Subject: Language Arts and Cross-Curricular Recommended Time to Completion: Two to three class periods INTRODUCTION Students will work in teams of four to write a collaborative story Each student will choose a photo or visual image for their story prompt and begin to write/compose their own story based upon this photo Then, students will switch computers to add to a teammate’s story Students will continue to rotate computers until the story is completed, contributing to every teammate’s story at once Students will finish their own stories and add additional digital images once the story is completed The students will use Microsoft PhotoStory to create their digital story PREREQUISITE EXPERIENCE: Students should have a general understanding of how to use a computer They will also need to have good keyboarding skills and knowledge of how to use a digital storytelling program An array of digital images will be added to the final story TEACHER PREP TIME: hour This activity works best when each student has his/her own computer Using laptops offers flexibility More information about Digital Storytelling can be found here: http://www.storycenter.org/ PROJECT: Students will collaboratively develop and write a story using the free Microsoft Photostory software They will add and edit images, insert text, narration, music and transitions 93 ASSESSMENT / GRADING: Using a rubric, the stories will be evaluated on their storyline development and use of software for editing and adding images TIME MANAGEMENT TIP: Teams of four will work together to develop the story You may choose to “time” each writing session and run the session like “musical chairs.” Each person will add to the story in a limited time MATERIALS: To complete your project you will need a computer that has an Internet connection, digital imaging software, and digital storytelling software Before you begin your research you might want to review the Center for Digital Storytelling http://www.storycenter.org/ Choose a photo for your story starter Photos and pictures can also be found at: flickr™ http://www.flickr.com/groups/storystarters/ Setting Thumbs http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/setting.htm Picture Prompts http://www.storyit.com/Starters/picstart.htm Once you’ve found a photo that you like, brainstorm answers to this list of questions: • What’s happening right now in this image? What happened 10 minutes before the picture what taken? What might happen next? • What you know about the people in the picture? If there aren’t people there, where might they be? 94 • Create a list of adjectives to describe what you’d see, feel, smell, touch, or taste if you were IN the picture PROCESS: Begin by forming a team of no more than four people Practice storytelling with your team Choose one of the “story starters” below Ask one person to begin telling a story to the group This person will continue telling the story until the teacher calls time Have each group use a storyboard to map out their ideas and script Then, the story passes to the next person in the group This person continues the story until the teacher calls time The story continues to pass until everyone has had a chance to add to the story The first person finishes the story Discuss these questions as a team: • How did storyline grow as each person added to the story? • Why was it important to be good listeners during this activity? • How did the final story reflect each person’s interest? Personalities? • What were the benefits of telling a story collaboratively? Look for photos You and your team will choose ONE photo as the basis of the stories that you will be writing Each person will begin their own story using the same photo for inspiration Your teacher will determine the length of each “writing round.” You will have at least five minutes to write before the round closes You will start your own story and 95 write at least a sentence or two Be sure to save the story Be careful with your file management Save the files on a computer’s desktop and in the same place at the end of each writing session Move to one of your team mate’s computers Carefully read what your team mate has already written When the teacher officially starts this “writing round,” begin adding to your team mate’s story You must pick up the story where your team mate left off Continue writing until the round is over Save the work again, adding your initials to the end slide 10 Continue moving to new stories until you return to your own story Carefully read to follow the growth of your story Write your story’s ending 11 Pair with another classmate to “peer edit” each other’s work 12 Revise your writing based upon comments from your peer edit Add images throughout the story to help tell your tale 13 Add an acknowledgement page that will include your name, the names of your collaborative team, the year, your school, and city 14 Read your story to the class You and your classmates may also choose to record your stories as audio and video podcasts to share with other students 96