Photo Story

What the resourse is and how it works

Photo Story is a software from Microsoft that is free to download from their homepage. The easiest way to find it is to do a search at Google. To use the program you need to have one of these operating system: Windows Xp,Windows Vista,Windows 7. Before you start using the program you also need to have some pictures to work with, but watch out with the copyright. You can use pictures from clipart or for example www.fotofinnaren.se or http://www.freephotos.se/ .You can also take your own photos with a digital camera.

In the program you can organize the pictures in a slideshow and record your own voice to them and for example tell a narrative. If you want to record your voice you also must have a microphone installed on your computer, the best way is to use a head set, then you will not risk any background noise. In the program you can also if you want to put background music in the background when you are talking.  

The program is very easy to learn. First you open the Photo Story software from your start menu. Click on begin a new story and click next.

Then you need to import and add pictures from your computer. Click on import pictures and select a folder where you have the photos you will use. Select a picture and click on it twice. When you have imported all your pictures you can easily select which order they should be in, by just clicking the picture once and then hold in the left button on the mouse and move the picture to where you want them to be. You can also edit the picture in this page by clicking edit and adding effects, fixing red eye, adjusting the color or rotating the picture. When you are finished you click on next.

Now you have come to the part in the program where you can add a title to your pictures, if you want to of course. It is possible to choose color, size and type of the letters. You can also choose where the title should be placed in the picture. In this page is it also possible to change effects of the picture, for example can you here chose to do the picture black and white. When you are finished on this page you click on next again.

Now is it time to record the narrative voice. Click on the button on the page that has a red dot and says record narrative voice, and then start record what you want to say to that picture. When you have finished your speech, click on the button next to the button with the red dot. You can then preview your speech and hear how it sounds. It is possible to record the voice several times if it does not sound good at the first time. If you are pleased you click on your next picture and record what you want to say to that picture. Repeat this step for each picture then click preview to see how your story looks and sounds so far. On this page you can also select the motion of the picture. For example can you choose that the computer make the picture visible step by step instead of showing the whole picture from the beginning. When you are done with everything on this page you click then next to go to the music section.

In the music section you can add background music. It is possible to use the same music for all pictures or different music to different pictures. You can both use ready music or create your own music in the Photo Story program. You can also adjust the volume of the music by clicking the picture and adjusting the volume control. When you are pleased with everything you click next. Now you come to the last page of this program, where you get to choose where you want to save your project. When you have made your choice you click next and then your Photo Story will be finished. If you want to, you can put your story out on YouTube or just save it on the computer and show it when you want to. 

Here is one example of a Photo Story made for a story telling project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRwDlZyII7s

How the resource can be used by teachers
Photo Story can be used in many different ways in a school. As a teacher you can make a Photo Story from a narrative and use it in a story telling project, or use the program to show pictures before you start a theme.

As a teacher you can also use the program for example if you are going on study visit to show a funny and inspiring presentation of the day, both to present what they are going to do and to show what the pupils should bring or wear that day.

As a teacher you could also do a Photo Story to show the pupils parents what their children are doing in school on a parent meeting, although you might need to have the parents’ permission to show pictures of their children for other people. 

How the resource can be used by pupils
The pupils can record their own stories, both fairytales and stories about for examples their interests, family or their pets. They can also for example import pictures of animals and then write what the animals is called in English beneath them, and then record the names of the animals and practice their pronunciation. By doing this repeatedly with different words they get a chance to hear how their pronunciation gets better and better, the more English they learn.

They can also use Photo Story for example if they have been on a field trip or a study visit to show what they liked or learned on that day.

If they have been working in groups on a project on for example the Viking Age, the group could use Photo Story to show their classmates what they have been working with, instead of doing an oral presentation in front of the class.

Other considerations when using this resource

Some pupils might find it a little bit awkward to hear their own voice, and I think that especially shy pupils might find embarrassing and then you really need to support them to be more confident and proud over their work. As a teacher I also think that you should think twice before you let the pupils publish their own Photo Stories on for example You tube. Because on You tube many people can have access to their story, and everyone might not want to show everybody what they have produced, but they may not say that because they want to please you as a teacher or please their friends.

Another thing to consider is that if you as a teacher should show a Photo Story for your class, it could be a good thing to connect a projector to the computer, because then the whole class can watch the story at the same time.

Children are today often very good at computer, but I think that might you need to go through the program in class to show the pupils how it works before they get started. If the pupils are very young like in first grade it might be a good idea to let only a few pupils work with the program, meanwhile the other pupils does an activity that they can work pretty much on their own for a while, so that you can assist the ones who works with the program. Because I believe that they might need much help in first grade with the program, because they perhaps can´t read properly. When the pupils get a little bit older like for example in fourth grade I believe that you can work with the program in whole class at the same time.

Hope this Blog Post gets you inspired to use Photo Story.

Best/Anna-Karin Larsson