ClassX Video Lessons StoryMaker: A Site That Actually Gives Students a Voice (And Not Just Lip Service)
Hey there! Today, we’re diving into an exciting tool called Story Maker, brought to you by Chrissy and Tanner from Common Sense Education. Every Tuesday, they introduce a new tool that can be super helpful for classrooms, and Story Maker is one of their top picks!
Story Maker is an extension of PBS’s Student Reporting Labs. It’s a platform where students can learn to create media content, like videos and podcasts, that might even be featured on PBS NewsHour. This means your work could reach a national or even global audience!
To begin, head over to storydashmaker.org. It’s free to use, and once you set up your account, you’ll find it easy to navigate. A great place to start is the toolbox section, which offers lessons and units to help you get the hang of things. You’ll find introductory content and videos that teach you the basics of journalism and media-making skills.
One of the coolest things about Story Maker is that it encourages students to interview people, ask questions, and document different perspectives. Instead of just talking about issues, you get to explore them and represent them through media. Plus, there are time-limited events with deadlines, so there’s always something new to work on.
Story Maker offers a library full of resources, including examples of student projects that have been featured on PBS NewsHour. You’ll learn about framing, lighting, and camera use, which are essential skills for media-making. The platform also provides transcripts and video files, making it easier to adapt content as needed.
If you ever need help, Story Maker offers office hours for one-on-one support. You can connect with educators for personalized assistance, and there’s even a directory to find other teachers in your area or field of interest.
While Story Maker doesn’t include editing tools, it provides equipment recommendations and lessons for creating media with devices you already have, like phones or computers. It’s designed to be a teacher-guided experience, but students can also explore it independently.
The platform offers Google Docs worksheets that can be modified, providing templates for interviews and note-taking. This helps build functional media literacy skills, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in media production.
Story Maker is an incredible tool that gives students a real audience for their work, with the potential to be featured on PBS NewsHour. It’s a fantastic way to learn media-making skills while exploring meaningful topics. Be sure to check it out and see what amazing stories you can create!
Don’t forget to visit Common Sense Education every Tuesday for more great resources, and check out commonsense.org/education for even more educational tools. Happy storytelling!
Use Story Maker to create a mini documentary on a topic you’re passionate about. Start by researching your topic, then plan your interviews and shots. Use the resources on Story Maker to guide you through the process, and aim to tell a compelling story that could be featured on PBS NewsHour.
Choose someone in your community who has an interesting story to tell. Prepare your questions using the Google Docs templates provided by Story Maker. Record the interview, focusing on capturing clear audio and video. This activity will help you practice your interviewing and media-making skills.
Join one of the time-limited events on Story Maker. These events come with deadlines and specific themes, challenging you to create content under time constraints. It’s a great way to experience real-world media production and improve your time management skills.
Dive into the media literacy lessons available on Story Maker. These lessons will teach you about framing, lighting, and camera use. Apply what you learn by creating a short video that demonstrates these techniques, and share it with your classmates for feedback.
Work with a group of classmates to create a media project. Use the directory on Story Maker to connect with other students or teachers who might be interested in collaborating. This will help you develop teamwork skills and learn from others’ perspectives and ideas.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
Hi there, everyone! It’s Chrissy and Tanner, and we are here from Common Sense Education. Every single Tuesday, or nearly every Tuesday, we share a profile of a tool that we think might be helpful for your classrooms. You can subscribe and visit us to see all the amazing resources we have for you.
Today, Tanner has a tool to share with us. Tanner, please tell us what it is.
Tanner: I can’t hear you. Oops, sorry everyone! Just kidding. It’s Story Maker! Everyone, ring the bell! It’s a five-star tool, so this one qualifies for our coveted Common Sense selection. But will it get one? You’ll have to visit the review in the future to see if that’s the case.
Story Maker is an extension of PBS’s Student Reporting Labs, which some of you might be familiar with. It’s a platform where journalism incorporates student voice and perspectives, and some of that content ends up on PBS NewsHour, reaching a national and possibly global audience. Story Maker allows you and your classroom to equip your students with media-making skills and create stories that could be picked up by PBS Student Reporting Labs and featured on PBS NewsHour. In my opinion, this is one of the best civic media experiences available, which is why it has received a five-star rating.
You can check it out at storydashmaker.org. It is free, and once you set up your account, you’ll find nice, simple navigation. I recommend starting in the toolbox section, which is really handy for getting a sense of the kinds of units or lessons you could build with this tool. They have several sections, including core introductory content, an intro video about the site, and key introductory lessons that focus on the technical journalistic skills required.
One thing I really like about this experience is that it emphasizes students interviewing, asking questions, and documenting perspectives. Instead of having deep discussions about topics, it encourages students to talk through issues and document them, representing a place, time, and perspective.
They also have a lot of time-limited events around specific issues, with submission deadlines. The site is very active, offering numerous opportunities throughout the year. When you click through, you can see resources like background information to kickstart discussions and handy activities that provide tips for conducting interviews or setting up cameras.
The idea is to work through these materials with your students and have them submit their work to the Student Reporting Labs. Once a student finishes a project, like a video or podcast, they can submit it, and it might get featured in a production.
In the library section, you can find all the content, including examples of how student projects might end up. For instance, there’s a PBS NewsHour feature on Student Reporting Labs that includes student interviews, which were products of this curriculum.
The heart of this tool is that it offers project-based learning opportunities where students create media, using the resources on the site to develop their skills effectively. They have an incredible content library broken down by resource type, including time-limited challenges, lessons that teach core skills, and extended projects.
One thing I’d like to point out is how it teaches students the nuts and bolts of proper framing, lighting, and camera use. Many students are interested in media making, and this curriculum connects that interest to meaningful topics.
Additionally, many videos come with transcripts, which can be adapted or translated as needed. You can also access video files, which is a rare feature. There’s a lot to explore here, and it really impressed us.
Our reviewer also pointed out that they offer office hours for one-on-one support, which is not very common. You can set up a meeting with an educator for personalized assistance. They also have an educator directory that allows you to connect with other teachers in your area or field of interest.
Overall, Story Maker is an amazing tool!
Tanner: I have two questions. First, it seems there aren’t editing tools, so the “maker” aspect is really about the front-end part of the experience, correct?
Yes, that’s right. There are recommended equipment lists, but you will need some of that equipment. Thankfully, many computers and phones can handle a lot of this work. Some lessons are tailored for making podcasts with just a phone, using basic voice memo functionality. While they try to make it accessible, you may need to supplement some instruction based on the specific equipment available in your classroom.
Tanner: My second question is about whether a student could jump in and do this on their own. Is that feasible, or is it really teacher-driven?
It’s definitely feasible, but it’s not their primary intention. I would need to check their submission forms to see if adult involvement is required. Since it’s called Student Reporting Labs, they likely intend for it to be a learning experience guided by an adult. However, there are many resources that could be adapted for anyone interested in media production, including parents or homeschool educators.
The worksheets are in Google Docs, so they can be modified. There are great templates for structuring interviews and taking notes, providing functional knowledge that is often missing from the media literacy landscape. This site does a great job of addressing both the creative aspect of media literacy and providing a real audience, which is always motivating.
Tanner: That’s really cool! So, this isn’t just about posting on a site; students could potentially be featured on PBS NewsHour.
Exactly! That’s a significant aspect of it.
Well, that is Story Maker, a rare five-star tool. You saw it here! Be sure to come back every Tuesday to see what other useful resources we have for you. And don’t forget to visit commonsense.org/education for more amazing resources. Like and subscribe, and we will see you next time!
Story Maker – A person who creates stories, often using imagination and creativity to engage an audience. – The story maker captivated the class with a tale about a magical forest.
Media – Various means of communication, such as television, newspapers, and the internet, that reach or influence people widely. – Students learned how media can shape public opinion during their media literacy class.
Literacy – The ability to read and write, or the knowledge and skills to understand and use information effectively. – Developing literacy skills is essential for students to analyze news articles critically.
Students – Individuals who are enrolled in an educational institution to learn and acquire knowledge. – The students worked together on a project about the impact of social media on teenagers.
Content – The information or topics covered in a book, document, or media, often created for an audience. – The teacher asked the students to evaluate the content of the news report for accuracy and bias.
Journalism – The activity or profession of writing for newspapers, magazines, or news websites, or preparing news to be broadcast. – In their journalism class, students learned how to write compelling news stories.
Skills – The abilities or expertise needed to do something well, often acquired through training or experience. – Critical thinking and analysis are important skills for evaluating media messages.
Resources – Materials, tools, or information that can be used to help achieve a goal or complete a task. – The library provided valuable resources for students researching media literacy topics.
Interviews – Conversations where questions are asked to gather information from someone, often used in journalism and research. – The students conducted interviews with local journalists to learn about their work.
Perspectives – Particular attitudes or ways of viewing something, often influenced by personal experiences or beliefs. – Understanding different perspectives is crucial when analyzing media reports.
