As a high school English teacher in a vocational technical school, I see firsthand the benefits that visual learning and hands-on assignments have on my students. When my kids use Storyboard That, I see huge jumps in their retention of information, enthusiasm, and confidence. While I began writing for Storyboard That last summer, I didn’t get a chance to see the fruits of my labor until this past school year when I started using the software in my classroom. In my mind, I knew what the platform could offer my students: it’s visual, it gives them a linear way to tell a story, it’s easier to edit than a poster, etc. But I quickly found that Storyboard That held so many unexpected benefits for my kids that I got even MORE excited about using it!
Information Retention
One reading that I do every year with my seniors is the Mesopotamian work, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and every year, it is a struggle to get them to remember the content because, well, the book isn’t the most exciting piece of literature ever. This year, I utilized the heroic journey Storyboard That assignment and I discovered that even by January, or finals time in May, my kids remembered more elements of the story than any of my past classes ever have. In addition, when I pulled up the boards as a review for the final exam, it was a great memory jogger! My kids didn’t have to read each individual description – they just saw the pictures and remembered the biggest plot points of the story. Below is a shortened example like of the boards they came up with:
Engagement & Enthusiasm
Many of my students are hands-on learners and most are tech-savvy, so to combine both of these elements pretty much made their day! My kids LOVE picking out their own scenes, customizing their characters, posing them, cropping stuff, and throwing in fun text bubbles. They are working closely with the text, but they don’t even realize it! There were many instances where the bell would ring and they would look up, dazed, from their computers and realize that an entire block had passed them by and it was time to leave! The level of student engagement was incredible, and also fun!
A lot of my students really got creative, too, and some of them incorporated funny things into their boards! (Who knew learning could still be fun in high school?!) Here are some examples that are like the boards they created:
Confidence
One surprising and unexpected benefit of using Storyboard That in my classroom was that when it came time to present their storyboards, so many of my kids were extremely confident! For the students who aren’t so good at drawing (like me), Storyboard That put them on a level visual playing field with their more artistically-inclined peers. For the students who struggle with writing, they didn’t have to fill up an entire slide or PowerPoint presentation; instead, they could add dialogue and short blurbs and still accomplish their task. I asked students to note at least one artistic element that they incorporated during their presentations, whether it be a zoom and crop, a shadow, layering, adding glow to the moon, etc. This led students to be more excited about sharing a cool thing they did, or it got them excited about something cool their classmates did. In addition, not every storyboard is going to be the same – and that’s OK! I can still assess that the kids are grasping what I need them to know, even if they differ slightly in their approaches and results.
BONUS! Easy Substitute Plans
For me, I have to say that I was pretty excited to utilize Storyboard That when I was unexpectedly out sick in February with the flu. In a middle-of-the-night panic, I realized that I didn’t have anything for my freshmen to do on their own because we were at an awkward point in the curriculum. Beyond that, I needed them to behave for the substitute. I quickly logged onto my Storyboard That teacher dashboard and created an assignment for my students.
I had them read the short story “The Interlopers” by Saki, and I put up a plot diagram template. (We were in the middle of To Kill A Mockingbird, and we would be discussing plot lines for novels soon, so having a short review worked!) The students came in, opened their Chromebooks, saw my email, logged in to Storyboard That, and quickly got to work. They found my template and my instructions. They read the story together in their groups, and then split off to work on their own plot diagrams. Students who didn’t finish could bring it home! It’s so easy for them to use and have fun with. The best part is there were no disciplinary write-ups waiting for me when I returned, and I could check on students’ progress from home. Here are some examples like the different versions of “Climax” from the story that resulted (and all were valid!):
Related Activities
How to Increase Student Engagement, Enthusiasm, & Confidence
Choose a relevant and challenging topic or reading material
Select a subject or literary work that may be traditionally less engaging or challenging for students to remember and comprehend.
Utilize Storyboard That for visual storytelling
Introduce Storyboard That as a tool for students to create visual representations of the content. Highlight the platform's visual nature, linear storytelling capabilities, and ease of editing.
Assign storyboard projects aligned with the content
Assign storyboard projects that require students to retell and summarize the key elements of the topic or reading material. Encourage creativity and customization of scenes, characters, and text bubbles.
Foster hands-on and tech-savvy learning experiences
Allow students to explore and customize scenes, characters, and other elements of their storyboards. Emphasize the interactive nature of the platform and the opportunity for hands-on learning.
Facilitate presentations and discussions
Provide students with opportunities to present their storyboards to the class. Encourage them to showcase at least one artistic element they incorporated. Create a supportive environment where students can share and appreciate their classmates' work.
Embrace diverse approaches and results
Recognize that not every storyboard will be the same, and that's okay. Assess the students' comprehension and understanding of the content, even if their approaches and results differ slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions about Increasing Student Engagement, Enthusiasm, & Confidence
How can I use student choice to increase engagement in my worksheets?
Student choice is a powerful tool that teachers can use to increase engagement in their worksheets. By offering students a range of options for assignments, projects, and assessments, teachers can allow students to choose the ones that best suit their interests and learning styles. Teachers can use StoryboardThat to create custom templates and activities that offer students a range of choices for their projects, such as different types of storyboards or graphic organizers.
How can I celebrate student achievements in my worksheets?
Celebrating student achievements is an important part of increasing student engagement and motivation. Teachers can use Storyboard That to create custom certificates or other forms of recognition that can be awarded to students who have achieved specific goals or completed challenging assignments. By celebrating student achievements, teachers can help to boost their confidence and motivation, which can help them to continue to engage with the material.
How can I use StoryboardThat to differentiate my worksheets for students with different learning needs?
To differentiate your worksheets for students with different learning needs using StoryboardThat, you can create custom visual aids, such as infographics or graphic organizers, to help visual learners understand complex concepts. Incorporating multimedia elements, such as images, videos, and audio, can help engage students who learn best through these mediums. Offering multiple formats, such as text, audio, or visual, can accommodate diverse learning preferences. You can also customize your worksheets to provide support or additional challenges based on individual student needs. By creating different versions of the same worksheet that are tailored to different learning needs, teachers can ensure that all students are able to engage with the material and achieve their learning goals. By incorporating these strategies, you can differentiate your worksheets to meet the needs of all students while still keeping them engaging and interactive.
How can I use feedback to increase student confidence and enthusiasm in my worksheets?
Feedback is an important tool for increasing student confidence and enthusiasm in their worksheets. Teachers can use Storyboard That to provide feedback on students' work by adding comments, highlighting specific areas for improvement, and offering suggestions for how to improve their work. By providing timely and specific feedback, teachers can help students to understand their strengths and areas for improvement and feel more confident and motivated to continue learning.
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