If a Picture is Worth 1000 Words . . .

I have a LOT of photos.  Even before smartphones, I would carry my digital camera around in my purse every day and take pictures of everything I do.  I don't have the best memory, so it is really helpful for me to have photo reminders of special moments that I don't want to lose.  Now that my phone has a built-in camera and a huge amount of memory, my picture taking obsession has grown exponentially, and my life has plenty of documentation.

The problem with such a large number of photos is that they are difficult to organize.  This is where the idea of a digital story really appeals to me.  I can take collections of pictures and make them into a sweet video with a bit of narration to help give context and tie them all together.

When I sat down to attempt my first digital story, I thought I was ahead of the game.  I had used GarageBand numerous times in the past to make digital storybooks for my students.  My new computer does not feature GarageBand, but it offers iMovie instead.  I assumed that my skills would transfer easily from one to the next.  Wrong!

GarageBand

iMovie

VS.

GarageBand and iMovie are incredibly similar... but there are subtle differences throughout the creation process that drove me mad!  I almost wish the programs were completely different, so I would have had the mindset of learning something new.  Instead, I kept trying things that I thought should work based on my experience, and I was repeatedly frustrated when my first and second attempts failed.

Eventually, I think I got the hang of iMovie.  Overall, I had a good time making my first personal digital story.  When I shared it with my friends, I got a very positive response.  I definitely think it is something I will do when I have time available to organize and present more of my photos.



As far as making digital stories for school, I can envision plenty of social work applications.  The only question is if the project would be worth the amount of time it takes to produce one.  I think the students would be incredibly excited and proud to create their own digital stories, but I worry that my limited time with each individual would then be focused too much on tech skills and not enough on social interaction.  Perhaps I will pilot the idea with my older students first and see if they are able to manage the tech aspect adequately...  If we develop any student digital stories, I'll be back to post about those for sure!