Bitstrips for Schools seals the deal.
With the announcement of Ministry of Education licensing of Bitstrips for Schools, the suite of titles appropriate for digital story telling gets very rich indeed. This could be the year of the digital story teller with new titles and an update to an old favourite. The licensing wasn’t complete in September so we couldn’t really look at the entire collection. We can now!
Comic Life – Comic Life expands what can be done with digital photos. With a comprehensive set of features, Comic Life provides numerous ways to liven up holiday snaps, tell a story, and create how-to guides.
Adobe Premiere Elements 7- Get started quickly with all your video clips at your fingertips and a variety of new automated options for transforming them into polished movies. Create polished movies with no effort using creative techniques from Hollywood directors.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 – Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 7.0 software combines power and simplicity so you can do more with your photos. Instantly fix flaws or adjust color and lighting with new advanced controls.
Bitstrips for Schools – Bitstrips for schools is an educational and safe web service that empowers students to make and share great comics without drawing a line, and lets teachers unlock the educational power of comics.
There is a sense of magic that comes from the creation and publication of materials in digital format. Unlike traditional pen, ink, and paper, these powerful tools let students get to the task of story telling in friendly and motivating environments.
Over and over again, we see research and results when we turn student loose with the appropriate tools. Digital camers, records, and software have a reach that is truly unique.
Nobody recognizes it more than colleage and friend Kent Manning. So passionate is he about the topic that he’s purchased the domains motivatingboywriters.ca and digitalstory.ca. Both of these websites are great places to start if you’re looking for the motivation for using these tools.
There are even more opportunities than ever for student immersion in story telling with the use of these tools. Find some way to learn about and incorporate these tools into your practice this month. You’ll be amazed at what your students will do.
You can read the rest of the October 2009 edition of GEC Computers in the Classroom at: http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/Oct09/
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Doug,
Thank you very much for the Shout Out.
And I believe you are quite right in predicting that this year might be the “Year of the Story”.
In all my years in the classroom and in my support role, digital storytelling, personal narratives told from the heart, have had a profound effect on the person(s) who create them. I’ve seen it first hand.
Kent
I definitely agree that with the right technology tools, the possibilities are endless for students. In light of recognizing the benefits of technology, The Adobe Foundation and The Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation today unveiled a new public service announcement called “Plant Inspiration.” Check it out here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ9WFXs34T8): The PSA promotes the launch of Adobe Youth Voices, a non-profit that stresses the power of technology to engage middle- and high school–age youth.
FYI…the link doesn’t work unless you copy and paste. Just tried it.