Digital Storytelling

This last week we looked at multiple sources that can be used for digital storytelling in the classroom and for supplemental activities outside of the classroom. I was surprised to see just how many resources are out there and how differing those resources were. Digital storytelling covers creating digital books with just word, no sounds; creating digital books with writing and sounds; small movie stories that use bubbles with words as the people you have chosen move or speak, these can either allow no sound or sound; also this includes collages of pictures that one can add video or background stories to, some collages move on their own and others you must move manually.
When working with the website Vuvox I realized some of the problems that students could have with this digital storytelling. The website was fairly easy to understand at first glance, but once I started creating my collage it became more confusing. I was unable to figure out how to embed video to play throughout the collage and was only able to put video at a specific point that the viewer would have to click on to see at a specific point in the collage. I also found it difficult to upload the video because it kept telling me there was an error, yet I couldn't figure out what the error was. Finally I was able to find the right type of video file to upload, but then when the collage was published it wouldn't play. This took too long to figure out to make it easy for students to use in the classroom and I feel there would be multiple problems if they used it outside the classroom as well.
Another issue with many of these sites is that you have to register to use the site and sometimes you have to pay for some of the different varieties of videos you can use on the websites. By having to register you have to memorize another password and if students have to use multiple sites then this can get frustrating and hard to remember all of the usernames and passwords. If students work in partners like we did in class than we either had to make register together and each know the usernames and passwords or we registered separate and had to figure out how to share the work with another member. This can get confusing in a classroom and students may have problems using the sites or remembering their login information.
On the other hand, digital storytelling can be very fun, motivating and beneficial for students to use. It is a unique activity that students will be engaged in and learn new skills by using. Teachers just must thoroughly investigate a website before using it in the classroom, as well as give the students lots of explanations and walkthroughs so they are easily able to use the website and finish the activity on time.