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Interactive, multimodal storytelling can be a powerful tool inside the classroom. Through our readings for this class we learned about how when children are provided a way to demonstrate and show their understandings through ways that make them comfortable, they will be more likely to provide amazing work that demonstrates their understanding. Some ways we can implement storytelling into a comprehensive literacy curriculum through activities such as comic strips or through acting It out.  In middle school, my Spanish teacher allowed us to create stories in a comic book strip form and present them to the class. Everyone had a lot of fun telling their stories this way since they were able to draw scenes that they felt matched the point they were trying to get across. The second method I chose, which was acting It out, might also be a helpful tool since they will be able to create a story and make It their own and bring in props that help them differentiate between the different characters in their story. I truly believe that multimodal story telling makes learning and presenting less stressful and more fun for the students since It allows them to let their personalities shine through their work. Below I have attached a link to a website that has free printable comic strip that leaves boxes blank for students to be able to add in their own drawings and ideas.
https://frugalfun4boys.com/printable-comic-strip-templates/

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Use these comic strip templates to challenge kids to write and draw their own comic strip! This fun activity makes a fabulous boredom buster, and can also be a valuable writing lesson. Kids who don't love to write may really enjoy creating their own comic strip!
Print the templates from this post. It will be so much easier for elementary aged kids to make their own comic strip when the boxes are already drawn. These comic strip templates have a fun superhero theme, but I have also included some completely blank templates so that kids can write about any topic.
This FREE printable pack includes:

4 pages of superhero themed comic strip templates - choose either boy or girl images and different skin tones

2 pages of completely blank templates (no theme). One has a title box and the other does not.

4 story starter comic strip templates

Superhero Story Starters
My 2nd and 5th graders LOVED drawing comic strips! This is definitely a high-interest writing activity. Sometimes, though, kids may be really interested in writing a comic strip but may not know what to write about or how to get started, so I've included four story starter pages in this printable pack. The first box in each template has the beginning of an exciting story - kids can choose the story they like best!

My 2nd grader (entering 2nd grade in the fall) really loved this! He asked me how to spell several words and phrases, so I'm thinking that the next printable I'll offer will be a superhero themed word bank/spelling guide. Leave me a comment if you could use something like that!
Ready to print your Comic Strip Templates?
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Need more Superhero activity ideas?

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Printable Comic Strip Templates with Story Starters - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

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Use these comic strip templates to challenge kids to write and draw their own comic strip! This fun activity makes a fabulous boredom buster, and can also be a valuable writing lesson. Kids who don't love to write may really enjoy creating their own comic strip! Print the templates from this post.

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Students are always finding something new and cool to catch their attention.  As a teacher you need to keep lessons short, sweet, and engaging.  I use different websites that have interactive books, learning game apps and websites, and in class I engage students using the Smart Board.  The Smart Board allows students to write, draw, insert pics, and manipulate text, objects and more all by touch.  Anything I create with the class I can also save for another time and I can print.  It’s like a touch computer, kids love it.  There are a number of kid friendly apps that allow students to create their own videos using animation.  This would be a great option for students who don’t like to write, they can use animation, clipart,  drawing or speak their answers.  With increasing need to reach all learners through UDL, offering choices to students so that everyone can access the lessons is necessary.  One of my favorite websites is Powtoon, there are many options for making animated videos.  Of course there is the old fashioned way to draw a cartoon or storyboard. Some options my school have used are:

Powtoon.com  Moovly.com ABCya.com  getEpic.com  storylineonline.com

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Interactive, multimodal storytelling can be a powerful resource in today’s classroom. With the use of technology in today’s classroom, the resources that are available online continue to grow on a daily basis. However, I feel as if students should be exposed to an array of options they can utilize. Some examples include providing supplies for students to tell stories through art or providing opportunities for students to tell stories through other expressive outlets such as movement. Regarding technology, one application I was introduced to is Glogster. It is an app that supports digital storytelling and allows students to design interactive multimedia posters. It is a free website and allows for interactive learning on a virtual canvas.

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Technology is making story telling in classrooms easier for all students to participate in. Now, students are able to share their thoughts through different forms, other than speaking or writing. Students with disabilities are encouraged to join the conversation with the multimodal storytelling forms that are available. Students can create videos or produce drawings to express their ideas to others. They can tell stories through songs, dance, and acting if they prefer to use their creative side. There are also multiple technological tools that nonverbal students can use to communicate like text to speech assistive tools.

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Interactive/multimodal storytelling is an engaging way for students to share their own experiences, as well as sharing other people's experiences. A great way for students to share their stories is through music. Many people make deep connections through music, when telling stories, and when listening to them. Stories can be told through songwriting, as well as through the creation of different beats and rhythms. In addition, powerful stories can be told through the medium of dance. https://writingcooperative.com/when-music-tells-stories-8c838399671d

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I feel like the best way to invite students to share their narratives is to give them the ability to choose from various options to find the best method that represents them. For example, digital story telling seems to be more prominent in our society now due to technological advancements but not all students will want to rely on that. Some students possess a hands-on creativity which can be portrayed through a drawing, poem, essay, speech, song, etc. technology such as using images, garageband and Imovie can be used to portray various aspects of an individuals life. Blogs with poems and other written material can be used as well. Students should be able to choose their own narrative and presented with various resources.

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Multimodal storytelling is an amazing and engaging way to promote literacy in the classroom. When I was in high school, during my English class, one assignment we did was choosing 5 of our favorite songs, print out the lyrics, and link words to the several vocabulary terms we learned throughout the marking period. As someone who loved music, I excelled with this assignment. Whenever I listen to a song,  I always break down the lyrics to grasp the true meaning of what the artist is portraying in the song. Incorporating an activity with music caused me to become more interested, engaged, and excited to learn. With that being said, a creative way that students can tell their stories and narratives is through music. One option is for students to choose songs and explain to the class how this song relates to them or their past experiences. Another option is for students to create their own song and/or play to tell their story. The ideas of creating songs, role play, and more is listed in the following link: https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/pluginfile.php/135228/mod_resource/content/1/KR10_PDF.pdf

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There are many ways to incorporate interactive, multimodal storytelling into a comprehensive literary curriculum.

As part of this comprehensive curriculum, there are many stories and novels, depending on grade level, that students must read. These narratives are full of interesting plot stories and twists.

Teachers can encourage students to make connections to their personal lives. As a substitute teacher, I have had the wonderful privilege of sitting in on other classes where teachers share their own personal stories that help students connect to the plights of characters in the stories they read.

Students enjoy hearing from other people such as grandparents about life before they were born. I always enjoy talking to older people about the history of my local community. I remember an older man from my church, who is 97 years of age, telling me all about my church's history. I truly enjoyed that and always wanted to learn more.

Students enjoy hearing from other people such as grandparents about life before they were born. I always enjoy talking to older people about the history of my local community. I remember an older man from my church, who is 97 years of age, telling me all about my church's history. I truly enjoyed that and always wanted to learn more.

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When I was in school I used to get distracted doodling in my notebooks. I remember being really excited when we had to write stories and then draw a picture to go along with them. For students who like to come up with stories and who enjoy drawing I thought creating comic strips might be a fun way for them to express their learning. Teachers can ask students to demonstrate all different concepts through a comic strip such as coming up with an alternative ending to a story they just read in class, practice using literary devices, or using comic strips as a means to tell the story of who they are.

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Comics for School Assignments and Projects

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Create comics, graphic novels, storyboards and cartoons for school or class assignments and homework.

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Multimodal storytelling is a fun and creative form of literacy. Students enjoy storytelling by itself but by adding a multimodal to the activity it enhances the skills learned and needed to complete the task. The schools I work in provide I-pads for the students.  I found an App that the students could use called “Videolicious”. Individuals can record themselves telling stories and add music or photos. The app is used for businesses, however, it is really simple to use; all the user has to do is tap and speak. I feel after demonstrating this to the class they will be able to use the app seamlessly.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/videolicious/id400853498?mt=8http%3A%2F%2F

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When thinking about the various ways people tell stories, one that has become very popular due to how much of a phenomenon social media has become are memes. These are images, videos, or beliefs that are sometimes accompanied by words or phrases and then are copied and spread across the internet so many times that it can be seen anywhere and everywhere. I bring up memes as a way people can tell stories because often times when reading a story, people can struggle understanding how the author or character might be feeling at certain points. By inserting a meme, one can figure out the undertone of a story in an amusing way. Students can use memes when explaining their own narrative, how they feel about certain things, etc. Not only can this be useful, but teachers would be able to connect to their students more if they knew currently trending memes as more times than not, students use them in their day to day conversations. One meme that I found described how I felt after reading the first couple of chapters of the book, "Out of My Mind," by Sharon M. Draper can be seen below.

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Students should have the opportunity to express themselves through a variety of formats. When given an assignments, teachers should provide students choices. Instead of expecting students to always complete their assignments through the traditional way, teachers should provide interactive and creative ways. Students can use technology to complete their assignment, which will let them be creative and innovative. 

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Students should have the opportunity to express themselves through a variety of formats. When given an assignments, teachers should provide students choices. Instead of expecting students to always complete their assignments through the traditional way, teachers should provide interactive and creative ways. Students can use technology to complete their assignment, which will let them be creative and innovative. 

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This way, students can be creative and link their interests and skills. Some students may enjoy film making, and they can create a short. Other students may enjoy prezzies, others may enjoy speaking and they can film a tutorial. The choices are limitless!

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Luckily, many schools are provided with different technologies to allow students to access different forms of creativity. However, some schools do not have that option due to low budgets and funding to their area. Teachers will then have to provide different ideas in order to get their students to participate. Multimodel storytelling can be adapted to fit these circumstances. A friend of mine conducted in-class Ted-Talks with her students, today. The Ted-Talks were about many different subjects that the students chose to research and talk about with their class, the subjects they chose had to pertain to themselves and their lives.

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https://www.abcya.com/games/story_maker
This website link allows children to digitally type stories of their own as well as illustrate them. Students can share these stories, print them, or download them! This can be used as a digital alternative to writing with pen and paper and allow students to share their work digitally. The website has this to share, "ABCya! Story Maker is a fun and easy way for children to create and print short stories. An intuitive interface makes it simple for kids to add words, pictures and pages. Students can print or save their stories with just a few clicks! Special thanks to the teachers and students at NCS in New Jersey for helping out."

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Interactive storytelling through multiple medias can be a truly enriching experience for students. There is so much variety that is offered with this type of storytelling, that it is easier to reach each student and have more engagement and participation. I found an app called Little Bird Tales where students are able to create and illustrate their own stories. They can draw, audio record, and write their own stories as well as add in real pictures. Students can create podcast-like audio files or write stories down. This app can help a wide range of students express their ideas in fun creative ways. https://littlebirdtales.com/

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The importance of technology throughout schools is really apparent today. Whenever I am subbing students are constantly working on their chrome books and completing assignments through many interactive websites. There is one website I have seen students using, called Animoto. https://animoto.com/

This website allows students to create videos that last 30 seconds. This is a creative way students can share stories and their ideas, while using technology. Students can use their own voices to share with their classmates their ideas and I think this is a beneficial way for students to be creative and express themselves in a fun, interactive way.

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I'm a elementary school tutor within Union County, NJ. I meet a various amount of students each year to help them develop a variety of academic skills. Instead of basing their narratives solely on data, word of mouth, or observations. I give them the opportunity to share their own narratives in "All About Me Sheets." Students are able to explain their interests, strengths, and other factors that make them, them! This idea can be used in multimodal storytelling and be integrated into a comprehensive literacy curriculum by having students record each other explaining their "All About Me Sheets." The multiple videos can be composed into one video. The video will be shown in class so that everyone can listen to each other's narratives.

Here's a link to an example:

https://www.planesandballoons.com/2018/07/11/all-about-me-worksheets/

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Storytelling is an important part of each person's life. For me, I use Wix, an online blog, to blog about my grief and daily life things. Although it is not publish, I use it to tell my story and my emotions. Students can use Wix to create their own stories with the option of publishing them, or not. For curriculum purposes, it would be fun for teachers to offer a variety of prompts allowing students options for telling a story. Perhaps when working on sequencing, teachers can require students have a beginning, middle, and ending, but not specify exactly what their narrative must be on.

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Below is a picture of an app called StoryKit. This app allows students to create narratives using pictures, audio clips, as well as written text. This app allows the students to talk into the microphone to enable students who may struggle with typing on technology. Something that I found interesting about this app is student can physically draw illustrations and include the along side of their written work. I thought this was a great way to include several types of literacy skills into lessons.

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Samantha Trujillo
in the above link that I have posted, there are many different multiple literacies that  can be relayed to students. I found digital literacy very interesting since many students now a days like to use technology

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Interactive storytelling is an awesome tool to use in the classroom. Not only is this model of telling a story useful for language arts/reading, but for additional subjects such as history or science. Personally, I struggled to connect with a lot of history lessons through school. Using interactive storytelling to re-create a time in history could be a great way for students to interact with the lesson. The link below is to an app called "ChatterPix". Students can use a picture already within the app, or capture their own images. The student can edit the photo giving the image glasses or a birthday hat. Then, they can add audio by giving the image a mouth and recording their voice. This app seems to be an awesome tool for all subjects when telling a story because it can be personalized while still relative to the lessons.  http://www.duckduckmoose.com/educational-iphone-itouch-apps-for-kids/chatterpixkids/

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Simply take any photo, draw a line to make a mouth, and record your voice. Then share your Pix with friends and family as silly greetings, playful messages, creative cards, or even fancy book reports. And best of all, it's FREE! AGES: 6-12.

"ChatterPix Kids" does not collect any personal information or include sharing features.

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Simply take any photo, draw a line to make a mouth, and record your voice. Then share your Pix with friends and family as silly greetings, playful messages, creative cards, or even fancy book reports. And best of all, it's FREE! AGES: 6-12. "ChatterPix Kids" does not collect any personal information or include sharing features.

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Christina Apicella- iMovie Storybook Trailers.

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Christina Apicella- iMovie Storybook Trailers.

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A great innovative way for students to bring their stories to life is through an iMovie trailer. The app is extremely easy to navigate and can even be implemented in grades as early as 2nd. The students will use template paper to create and write their stories followed by illustrations for each page. Once completed they will then begin to work on their movie trailers. They are able to pick from different themes which are accommodated by music. They will write in captions without giving away the ending and take pictures of their illustrations for visuals. Once the class is done you can even invite parents in for a movie trailer review party. Its a great all around activity.

Below: is a 3rd grade teacher who incorporated this into her classroom and had students re-tell popular stories.

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I was subbing in a class one day and the students were assigned to work on their "Lapbooks". Lapbooks are mini books that cover a topic. They are made out of a single piece of paper. You would take the two side of the paper and fold them into the center. Then when you open it the sides have all different information about the topic the students are learning about. The students would cut and glue pieces of paper to the inside which would have information that they researched on it. They could also draw images on it to make it their own. You could either use this activity as a guide that is to be filled in as the students are learning or have the students create it at the end of a unit. This is a hands-on activity that students could have fun doing because they can make it their own while still discussing what they learned.

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I found a fun way students can share stories through play. A "Storytelling Bag" allows students to choose items that can represent parts of their story (no matter what the story is about). Students place their items in a bag and then share their story by taking out items that correspond to the scenes they are sharing. Each bag is unique to each students story. This is an interactive way for students of all ages to share their story.

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Storytelling Bags for Preschoolers are great language development activities that are versatile enough … | Preschool, Language development, Language activities

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Storytelling Bags for Preschoolers are great language development activities that are versatile enough for toddlers through early elementary school. Read how we made ours on the blog PlayLearnTeach

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In a class I took previously, I learned about this really fun website students can use to create animated videos. They can create an animated video to tell their own story, a story about something they learned, create a new story, or anything they would like. In these videos, students can create different animations, add text, and add music. Here is the link for this website: https://www.powtoon.com/video-templates

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A creative way that students can share their "story" is through the "Sock Puppets" app. This app can be downloaded for free from the App Store and offers a fun way for students to share stories, teach one another, and express their knowledge about a topic they are learning about. Students can use their creativity to make their own videos. Puppets, props, scenery, and backgrounds can be added to these videos. Additionally, students can record their voice and the puppets will automatically lip-sync to their voices. This can be integrated into the literacy curriculum in various ways. One example is that students can use this device as a way to learn digital literacy skills. This app gives users the option to share the videos created on social media, which gives students a platform to use if they are trying to share information, or want to inform others about a topic they are passionate about.

Attached below is a photo of the control buttons on the main screen of the app.

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In today's society, many classrooms are filled with various technological tools for both the teacher and the students to utilize. In order for students share their "story" and narratives in an interactive and multimodal manner, I have attached a link to a website in which students can tell their stories by creating online videos!
https://scratch.mit.edu/
Scratch is very user friendly so the students will be able to tell their stories. They can use clipart, draw their own images, have their characters move/speak, and more! Teachers can also create their own story to show as an example to the class. I think this would be a great way for students to be able to tell their stories and narratives in any way they would like. The use of technology in schools today can be useful or detrimental, and I believe this link can be very beneficial to all students!

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Interactive multimodal storytelling is becoming increasingly seen in classrooms today due to the influx of technology that is surrounding the younger generations as they grow up. Many schools and teachers are taking advantage of the free apps that they can use within their classrooms to incorporate storytelling into the literacy curriculum in a multimodal way. One app that I researched being used within inclusive classrooms is an app called "Super Duper StoryMaker App". This app allows students to create stories using backgrounds, clip art, their own photos, and so much more. This app also allows students to use their own voices. I also like the feature that allows students to have the option in emailing or printing their stories once finished. I think this app would be great to use within schools in order for teachers to get to know their students in what they like, dislike, and much more. It has an array of options like writing, speaking, using art, or your own creativity by taking personal pictures. Teachers can also assign prompts and allow students to complete assignments this way to track their grammar and language skills along will following their thought processes in the subject of literacy.

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In today's society Social Media is a huge platform for people to share their stories and their life experiences. There is a facebook page titled "Humans of New York" that has gained a huge following. (the link is below) Through this forum people of all different experiences and backgrounds are able to tell their stories. It would be fun to do this as a curriculum unit like, "Humans of the Fifth Grade". Through this we can allow students to share their narratives in any way they would like (videos, pictures, written words, song, etc.). Because of the technology component children would be able to be creative and use whatever mode of expression they felt most comfortable with.

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Here's a creative example of storytelling: 6 word memoirs. Students are challenged to write (about anything, their life, breaking news story, etc.) in a mere 6 concise, yet powerful words, which will highlight the essence of what matters most.

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Larry Smith founded SMITH Magazine on January 6, 2006. Prior to SMITH, he was the articles editor of Men's Journal, has been the executive editor of Yahoo! Internet Life, senior editor at ESPN The Magazine, a founding editor of P.O.V., and editor-in-chief of its sister publication, Egg, as well as an editor of Might magazine. While living in San Francisco, he was managing editor of AlterNet, and now serves on its board. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Popular Science, Men's Health, Salon, Slate, and other places. He has contributed personal essays to the anthologies Maybe Baby and Cassette From My Ex: Stories and Soundtracks of Lost Loves, as well as the NYT' book, Modern Love: 50 True and Extraordinary Tales of Desire, Deceit, and Devotion.

Larry speaks on storytelling at companies such as ESPN and Google, for foundations and nonprofits, as well as at schools. He teaches the class, "What's Your Story: How to Deliver an Authentic Elevator Pitch," at The Hired Guns Academy.

He has spoken at the PopTech conference, AARP's 50+ Convention, Ignite NYC, and The 92nd Street Y. To contact him for speaking engagements, or for SMITH Mag's team building program for companies and nonprofits, Six@Work, email: larry@sixwordmemoirs.com

Previously an editorial intern for SMITH Magazine and Six-Word Memoirs, McKenzie Merriman recently rejoined Team Six as the Community Manager. Dedicated to evocative storytelling and developing rich, creative communities, McKenzie works to engage and connect the Six-Word Memoirs community across all platforms and walks of life. In addition to her work with Six-Word Memoirs, McKenzie is also a Cleveland-based artist, working as a gallery manager and arts coordinator with numerous arts organizations in Cleveland, Ohio.

An avid contributor to SMITH Magazine since 2009, Shauna Greene joined Six Words as associate editor in 2013. She brings a vast range of professional writing and editorial experience to our team. Past work includes relationship management with Fortune 500 companies and large foundations, case management and advocacy with at-risk youth in foster care, and teaching english to Japanese students. She holds an MSW from UC Berkeley, with a minor in Education and a concentration in business.

Contributing Editors, Volunteers, and BFFs
Cheryl Della Pietra (copy), Rachel Fershleiser (co-creator, Six-Word Memoirs®), Arin Fishkin (design), Amy Rothberger (books), Nicole Salzano (creative consultant), Jonathan Zipper (community)

Intern: Lilah Tsudome
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Speaking: Tom Neilssen, BrightSight Group.
Literary Agent: David Patterson, SK Agency
Legal: Jason Sanders Law

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Larry Smith founded SMITH Magazine on January 6, 2006. Prior to SMITH, he was the articles editor of Men's Journal, has been the executive editor of Yahoo! Internet Life, senior editor at ESPN The Magazine, a founding editor of P.O.V., and editor-in-chief of its sister publication, Egg, as well as an editor of Might magazine.