In-person interview at SIT Graduate Institute, April 27, 2010

He uses iMovie for Mac and Window MovieMaker for PC. Comes with PC systems and available for free download. Easy.

His Capstone is on digital storytelling as a tool for reentry after experience abroad, to explore these issues: affective; professional development; academic; civic. His people do 3:00 stories.

He was interested in how photos play a part in reentry. He calls still photos “false traces” and he doesn’t like to take photos on trips. With his people’s digital storytelling, he advises them, “Rather than seeing stories in the photographs, seeing photographs in the stories.” He uses examples as a major facet of teaching this (I think he said).

He emphasizes to them that the tech part isn’t that hard. “The technical part is just a skill: finding the right buttons.”

He begins with someone writing a story on an index card (since that constrains length). Or a story circle (2:00) or other oral narrative.

He doesn’t want the outcome to be a slideshow, with photos illustrating the words. He encourages them to use pix that have nothing to do with the story as well as related ones. He asks them to consider how to suggest emotion using images you’d never predict.

When they do the narration, he sticks to the script. (I think I might be inclined to let the students, if they wishes, extemporaneize [?] from what they remember about the script, depending on if the class is writing or speaking based.)

He tries to facilitate their reflection. Why is this story special? What have you learned?

It’s about the process, not so much the product.

They usually use about 36 photos, edited maybe from 60.

He uses a physical storyboard for the digital sequence.

He sometimes records music concurrent with narrative. Gets other students to help sometimes: okay, hit play!