Google just announced a new tool called “Story Builder.”
Without having to register, you can create a “dialogue” of sorts, add music, and end up with a link to a video-like presentation that you can share.
Here’s a short Hall & Oates example the Google highlights (this one includes them singing, but it doesn’t appear that you can add audio — other than music from the site’s menu — to your “story.”
I’m thinking it could be used in class to help students practice writing dialogue. Any other ideas?
Thanks to Alec Couros for the tip.
GSB love from the first sight. I’ m thinking using it when teaching reported speech.Direct-indirect sentences. Also have other ideas. Going to work on them a bit. When they are ready, I’ll share.
goo.gl/fCzgN
Some ideas on teaching Reported Speech with Google Story Builder
1. I am going to use it as a lead-in activity.
Students watch the video in small groups and their task is to notice what happens when direct speech is reported into indirect speech. Students make a list of rules they noticed from the video. We are going to discuss their list in an open-class feedback. This activity will allow me to see how much students already know about reported speech and focus on the things that are difficult for them.
Teaching:
I am going to teach reported speech using the sentences from the video. It allows me to stop at any point and discuss each sentence.
Practice:
Students in 3 groups watch short videos (these videos make together a movie scene.), take notes and remake the conversation into the indirect sentences. They report the video they watched to the class. Together they order the parts of the movie scene correctly. Then they can watch the whole video and check their answers. One idea is to use Simpsons for this part. Approximately 3-4-minute videos.
Follow-up:
Randomly distribute 5 sentences (statements, conversations, and so on.) to students. In pairs, they create their own stories using Google Story Builder and then share their stories via email.
I am a learning teacher from Japan, currently located in Toronto.
@mikako1116jp
I actually talked about Google Story Builder in my own blog recently! Check it out: http://teachbytes.com/2013/02/27/google-story-builder-create-video-stories-in-minutes/
Do you have to create a separate account for Google Story Builder? How do other students join the one conversation?
When I did it, my memory says no account was necessary and all students could just make one. I had them do it in pairs.