Digital Storyboards
One of the oldest forms of teaching has been sharing stories. Storytelling can also be used for entertainment or cultural preservation. Most children are first introduced to literacy by listening to others read or tell stories. As children progress in their literacy skills, they are able to interact more with the stories they have heard. Eventually, children are able to retell and even summarize stories they have heard. And, as students engage in these practices, they are able to identify themes, lessons, and other important elements of a story including characters and plot. Research has shown that integrating storytelling with art improves student motivation and achievement (Chung, 2006). More recently, research has shown the effectiveness of digital storytelling using multimedia tools to improve student literacy skills (Yamac & Ulusoy, 2016).
This website provides an elementary or middle school technology & engineering lesson designed to teach both basic engineering concepts and literacy standards in a creative way.
We worked in elementary classrooms to help students design and build Digital Storyboards with the specific intent of assisting them in telling a story (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL). The creation of these storyboards required students to use literacy skills (e.g., summarize, presenting, narrative skills) to identify important plot points and summarize or share one part of a story. We also challenged students to think of ways to create an illustration that helped them in storytelling. Specifically, students were invited to use a variety of provided electronic elements to improve their illustrations. Examples throughout this page showcase how students include LEDs, conductive paint, and other supplies to connect a micro:bit and build a Digital Storyboard.
Examples
Contact Information
- Scott Bartholomew scottbartholomew@byu.edu
- Jessica Yauney jessica.yauney@gmail.com
Survey
- Coding Attitudes Link