Put simply, “digital storytelling” is just using computer-based tools to tell a story. There are many different ways to do this – from making movies, recording voices, creating animations or electronic books.
In schools they can help to take a task that might be seen as mundane – write a report, write a story, explain a process, describe an experiment – and turn it into something a whole lot more interesting.
Here are some apps and websites you might find useful. Most are paid with some free options.
Comic Life (Mac/Windows/Chromebooks/iOS): Comic Life lets children create their own comic strips or posters. Images can be mixed up with speech bubbles and other lettering. Full page templates and panel layouts available.
Versions are available for Mac/PC and Chromebooks (free trial available), plus there’s a version for iPads too (£4.49).
Toontastic (IOS/Android): Toontastic allows children to draw, animate, and share their own cartoons. Simply press the record button, move your characters on the screen, and tell your stories! You can even create your own characters using the built in drawing tool. There’s a great science template available for creating reports. Android and IOS versions available. Free to use. No extra charges.
Puppet Pals (IOS): Puppet Pals works in the same way as Toontastic. The Puppet Pals App is free to get started but to make use of it you’ll need to buy the directors pack. It’s worth getting the directors pack as this lets you use your own images as characters and backgrounds. This makes it even better for use in the classroom. Children could act out scenes between famous people that they are studying in class, or insert themselves into the story. There’s a built-in editor which lets you cut out people from a photograph so that they work in the app. (Paid)
POW Strip Designer (IOS): Like Comic Life above, this app lets children create their own comic strips or graphic novels. Select one of the many included page templates, insert photos into the cells then add a couple of speech balloons. Photos can be added from the camera or via the photo-album. Filters can be applied to photos to make them look more like comics. They can even paint on the photos, or draw their own sketches from scratch. (£3.49)
PicCollage (iOS/Android): PicCollage lets you make collages from your photos and add text and other annotations. For the classroom children could use it for labelling or annotating photographs of their work. Use it in science to label photos objects or experiments. (Free with in-app purchases)
Book Creator (Web/iOS): This is a great way for children to create their own beautiful iBooks. The books can contain photographs, text, drawings and even recorded sounds. The finished books can be read in iBooks, sent to parents, or even submitted to the iBookstore. There’s a comprehensive teacher’s resource site to support its use here. Each teacher gets 1 library with 40 books for free when you sign in at app.bookcreator.com. (App £2.49, Website Free with paid upgrades)
ABCYA Animate (Web): ABCya! Animate is a creative tool for children to make and share animations. It has a simple child-centered interface which helps to make the creative process fun and simple. Even very young children will be able to use it. Also check out ABCYA Storymaker (Free with ads)
StoryboardThat (Web) This is a useful comic strip generator tool, with a simple drag and drop interface. Create comic strips from the scenes and images supplied (free with extra subscription features)
Storybird (Web/IOS/Android): Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories that are curiously fun to make, share, and read. Choose from hundreds of fabulous drawings and images and then write a story to go with them. (Free to sign up for a trial with paid subscriptions available and class accounts possible.)
Do Ink (iOS): Green Screen and Animation apps available. Do Ink Green Screen makes it easy to create incredible green screen videos and images right on your iPad or iPhone. The app lets you combine photos and videos from the camera roll with live images from your iPad or iPhone’s camera (£4.49). Do Ink Animation and Drawing is a fun, creative way to make animations on your iPad. The app was designed to be easy for beginners and young animators, but with powerful tools for creating advanced animations. (£4.49)
More Ideas
For more help and information on Digital Storytelling, take a look at this site from the University of Houston or this site from Creative Educator. Sylvia Tolisano wrote this guide, that’s worth reading.
I’ve produced versions of this article in the past, but sites and apps keep disappearing or charging too much. If you know of other great tools that you use with your students, add them to the comments below. Sharing is caring!
Hi! I very much enjoyed your quick description of why technology can help to improve story telling, narrative, directions, and many other forms of writing that could otherwise seem boring. I also very much appreciate that you provided several apps and websites that can help with creating digital stories. I am looking forwards to exploring some of these apps and websites more and implementing them in my future classroom.
This is a great way for students to be able to use creativity while learning. I really think the puppet pal and toontastic, would be a hit in the classroom. There are great interactive websites to use and allow students to learn more about technology at the same time. I can see students thinking puppet pal is extremely funny and want to use it in their free time, and toontastic allows for them to show their creativity.