Digital Storytelling

During the summer of 2005, I had the opportunity to take part in the National Gallery of Art’s Teacher Institute on digital storytelling.  This was an extraordinary experience, probably the best professional development I have ever taken part in.  If you ever have the chance to attend this annual happening I strongly encourage you to do it!

This NGA Teacher Institute introduced approximately 25 participants to iMovie and telling stories through not only word but images as well.  The teachers involved represented many subject areas and specialties including social studies, English, and elementary teachers, librarians as well as art specialists.

We first had to prepare our script which was shared, edited and rewrote until it spoke the story we needed them to tell.  Some brought images with them to use in their stories, others had to find them at the institute and many, like me, did both.  The images were famous art works, personal works and other images.  We learned how to edit our images and upload them to our iMovies.  We recorded our scripts and timed them to our images.  It was a challenging and satisfying process.

The iMovies created were so personal, so touching, and so overwhelming.  The end of the week long Teacher Institute brought a movie viewing session.  All of the iMovies created were shared in the NGA’s small theater.  I’ll just say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house but mixed in were smiles and a few laughs.  A few of the movies created dealt with topics of empty nesters, a son at war-not knowing where or how he was, a desire to be a mother and experiencing miscarriages and ultimately the splendor of adoption.

I will share with you the movie I created.

 

I hope you enjoy.

-Thom Knab