FREE PLATFORMS FOR DIGITAL STORYTELLING

So let's get started by discussing freely available software tools for digital storytelling. There are lots of tools you can use. There is no one platform for digital storytelling that will suit all purposes. Depending on the ages and grade levels you work with, you may choose one over another for a variety of reasons. In this section of the article, I'm going to share my experiences with the tools that I have used for digital storytelling and why I think they are worth exploring.

Adobe Express is an all-in-one design, photo, and video tool to make content creation easy.

• Combine video clips, artwork, animations, and music to make videos with drag-and-drop ease.  
• Complete one-click tasks powered by Adobe Photo, design, video, and PDF tools. 
• Generate extraordinary text effects and images instantly from just a description with Adobe Firefly generative AI.
• Complete designs faster with thousands of professionally designed templates, Adobe Stock photos, videos, music, and more. 
• Collaborate and comment on files in real time with your team. 
• Seamlessly access and add linked Photoshop and Illustrator assets that always stay in sync. 

StoryJumper is free for educators, unless you want to purchase a hard copy of the book you create. It is easy for elementary school students to use, because it has a built-in storyboard that allows for a click-and-drag experience. StoryJumper also contains a library of stock characters, which can save time if you have a specific time frame for a project. Its image database is safe for students to search, and you can add your own audio and pictures as well. For one digital story experience, we used StoryJumper to create All About Me books with 2nd-4th-grade students. This is a great way to have them introduce themselves to you in the library or classroom. Students were able to customize their books based on their grade level. With the younger students, we stuck to the template because they were new to the platform and to ensure they were able to finish in our allotted time frame.

StoryCorps is simply amazing. Not only is it a free app, but the best part is that the stories created on it are archived in the Library of Congress (LC), giving students a built-in audience for their work. Because StoryCorps projects are set in an interview format, we use it with teams of students. I love how the students interview each other to tell a story that is important in their lives. You can check out all kinds of StoryCorps examples at the LC website, as well as at the StoryCorps website.

For a StoryCorps project, I highly recommend creating a free account and going through LC's education resources, which include the following:

* Tips for effective interviews

* The power of active listening

* Strengths of stories