Welcome to Action Stations central!
This website supports the Action Stations series from Curriculum Corporation.
Action Stations is a series of titles introducing new technologies to the middle and upper primary classroom. Each Action Stations book shows both why and how teachers can practically and meaningfully use specific new technologies in their classroom to develop literacy, analytical and thinking skills.
Action Stations titles contain lesson plans, templates, proformas and a toolkit of resources for teachers. This support website provides a handy central reference to the online resources referenced in the books.
Action Stations: Digital Storytelling
Effective communication is not just about speaking and listening, reading and writing. Today's students need skills to help them navigate the ever-increasing world of new texts.
What is Digital Storytelling?
Digital Storytelling inspires students to examine the elements of film and learn how film-makers create powerful psychological effects using all the tricks of camera angles, editing and more.
Students understand genres of film, gain hands-on experience, and ultimately, the tools for self-expression are in their own hands as they construct their very own digital story - and perhaps hold a film festival!
This book shows teachers and students the what and the how of digital storytelling and the exciting world of video for media literacy. You can read more about the Digital Storytelling book or purchase a copy through our online bookshop.
About the authors
Adam Brice and Richard Lambert are experienced digital storytellers and film festival instigators. With several successful years of digital storytelling programs behind their thinking, they lead you through the process from the beginning, right to the red carpet of the festival opening night.
Contact the authors
Digital Storytelling has its own Ning Network and Users Forum, run by the authors. You're invited to join in the community, discuss your very own digital storytelling program, and ask questions of your peers and the experts.
Visit the Digital Storytelling Ning network.
Read the authors' blogs
- Adam Brice - http://abrice.edublogs.org/
- Richard Lambert - http://richlambert.edublogs.org
Digital Storytelling
Adam Brice and Richard Lambert
9781742003146 | 2009
80 pp book
$38.95
Weblinks from the Digital Storytelling book
All of the weblinks from the Digital Storytelling book have been gathered together here in one handy location for you. Just click on the name of the workshop or the topic you are interested in, to expand the list of links.
Examples of Digital Stories
Ringwood North Primary School's iSchool
www.ischool.net.au
'Screen It!' Winners at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image
www.acmi.net.au/video_kids.htm
Queensland Stories, State Library of Queensland
http://qldstories.slq.qld.gov.au
School Shoebox Stories: by students and teachers in Wales
www.bbc.co.uk/wales/digitialstorytelling/sites/schoolshoebox/index.shtml
Telling Their Stories: interviews conducted by high school students in the US
http://www.tellingstories.org/
iCan Short Film Festival: San Fernando High School, California
http://sfett.com/
Springfield Public Schools Digital Stories
http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/movie/
The Portable Film Festival
www.portablefilmfestival.com
Mystery and Suspense
The Diamond Nine grid
http://classtools.net/main_area/template_loader.php/?diamond9
As mentioned in the lesson plan.
Sound Engineers
(See also Music and Images, below.)
Apple Learning Interchange - Videography for Educators
http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=365
Adobe - Digital Kids Club
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/lessons/
Making the Pitch
Mind mapping software: Bubbl.us
www.bubbl.us
Mind mapping software: Mindomo
www.mindomo.com
Movie Posters
The Internet Movie Database - Poster section
http://us.imdb.com/Sections/Posters/
Note: you need to scroll down the page to 'Poster Power Searches' and choose a genre, year/s, actor or words from the title. In the results, click on a movie name to see poster examples.
Posteritati Movie Posters Online Gallery
http://www.posteritati.com/
Worst Previews
http://www.worstpreviews.com/comingsoon.php?display=alpha&type=7
Movie Trailers
Movie trailer examples
http://www.apple.com/trailers/
Scripting and Storyboarding
Drew's Script-o-Rama
http://www.script-o-rama.com/
Plotbot
www.plotbot.com
Web-based screenwriting software. You can write your script with as many or as few people as you want - there's nothing to install, it's free, and it's easy to use.
Script Buddy
www.scriptbuddy.com
A fully-fledged screenplay software program. Script Buddy handles the proper screenplay format automatically, so you can concentrate on your story.
Celtx
www.celtx.com
This site contains programs that deal with all stages of pre-production including storyboarding.
Celtx can be used for the entire pre-production process: writing scripts, storyboard scenes and sequences, developing characters, breakdown and tag elements, scheduling production, and preparing detailed and informative production reports for cast and crew.
Scripped
www.scripped.com
A free web-based scriptwriting software application you can use in your web browser.
Comic Life
http://plasq.com/comiclife
Simple software for turning still images into comics (or digital storyboards). Now available for Windows and Mac.
The Art of Video for Teachers: Putting it all together
Apple Learning Interchange - Videography for Educators
http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=365
Tips and techniques to assist in the creation of quality video projects. Provides sample planning documents and video examples to illustrate concepts and skills, all presented in a manner relevant to classroom teachers.
Adobe - Digital Kids' Club
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/lessons/
Photography and video lessons to help introduce the art of film and video into the classroom.
Midori Kitagawa's (Ph.D.) homepage at Ohio State University
http://accad.osu.edu/~midori/Materials/camera.html
A detailed run-through of camera angles and framing, as well as some of the rules of camera work. Contains clear pictorial examples of each type of shot. Great background information for teachers who aren't familiar with these concepts.
Knight Digital Media Center at Berkeley University
http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/video/
Tutorials on all aspects of video making, from choosing the right cameras to purchase, to tips on how to use them. Also contains a step-by-step tutorial of how to use the main different editing
programs as listed below.
Project Based Learning with Multimedia
http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/index.html
A host of multimedia-based classroom activities and some student examples. Check out the 'Tech Support' section for well-indexed and easy to use technical support on all aspects of making a digital story.
Editing Software
Apple - iLife
http://www.apple.com/ilife/
Information concerning the video, photo and audio programs available free on all Apple Mac computers.
Apple - Final Cut Pro
http://www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/
Teachers wanting more out of their video production may be interested in extending themselves with the professional aspects of Final Cut Pro.
Microsoft - Movie Maker
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx
Movie Maker is included free with most PC computers. This site will give you access to tutorials and upgrades.
Adobe - Premiere
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/index.html
Program for editing video, photos and audio, for both platforms (PC and Mac).
Ulead - VideoStudio
http://www.ulead.com/vs/runme.htm
Another program for editing video, photos and audio.
Avid - Pinnacle Studio
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Products/Consumer+Products/Home+Video/Studio+Family/
Editing program for video, photos and audio, with a variety of add-ons.
Music and Images
FreePlayMusic
http://www.freeplaymusic.com/
A database of royalty-free music and sound effects. You can search and download these tracks legally and at no cost.
Jamendo
http://www.jamendo.com/en/
On Jamendo, artists allow anyone to download and share their music. It is free, legal and unlimited.
Wavcentral
http://www.wavcentral.com/
Free sound effects and music.
Pics4Learning
http://pics.tech4learning.com/
A categorised list of images that are copyright-free for educational purposes.
Flickr - Creative Commons
http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons
Many Flickr users have chosen to offer their work under a Creative Commons license, and you can browse or search through content under each type of license. Check the specific license terms for any content you wish to use.
Kitzu
http://www.kitzu.org/
Download 'digital kits' that provide photos, sounds, video and graphics relating to each topic.
stock.xchng
http://www.sxc.hu/
A huge database of images, all of which are free to use. Check the guidelines posted with each image regarding crediting or informing the originator of any specific images you want to use.
Copyright and Permissions for Schools
The Australian Copyright Council
http://www.copyright.org.au/information/specialinterest/education-and-teaching/education.htm
We recommend The ACC's information sheets when you need to check your particular situation and what you intend to do with copyrighted images, video, sound or other works.
www.smartcopying.edu.au
www.smartcopying.edu.au
APRA / AMCOS
www.apra-amcos.com.au/musicconsumers/musicinbusiness/schools.aspx
CAL
www.copyright.com.au/educational_institutions.htm
Film Australia
www.screenaustralia.gov.au/learning/
Australian Screen Online
http://australianscreen.com.au/education/
May be able to provide permission for a public screening.