1. Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)
Content: Overview of session objectives, ISTE standards alignment, and relevance of place-based digital storytelling.
Engagement: Quick poll or icebreaker: “Which digital storytelling tools have you used in your classroom?”
Process: Participants respond via poll or chat; facilitator highlights trends to build context.
2. Exploring Digital Tools (10 minutes)
Content: Demonstrate Google Arts & Culture, Google Earth, and Google Maps features for storytelling. Highlight examples such as Heather Morris’s Three Sisters and other curated stories.
Engagement: Participants explore a demo story/map on their own devices.
Process: Device-based exploration; facilitator provides prompts to identify features for classroom storytelling.
3. Extended Hands-On Story Design Activity (35 minutes)
Content: Participants design a mini interactive story or virtual tour connected to a curriculum topic (history, science, ELA, etc.) using scaffolded templates and pre-curated content.
Engagement: Work individually or in small groups to brainstorm, draft, and begin building their story. Participants share ideas and provide peer feedback.
Process: Hands-on, device-based activity; facilitator circulates to provide guidance, answer questions, and offer creative prompts. Includes time for testing features, adding media, and refining ideas.
4. Reflection and Brief Takeaways (10 minutes)
Content: Discuss how storytelling fosters empathy, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding. Highlight how learners can apply these strategies in their own classrooms.
Engagement: Participants post one key insight or action step on a collaborative Padlet or Jamboard.
Process: Facilitator leads a short discussion; provide links to scaffolded templates and curated resources for further exploration.
After this session, participants will be able to:
Empower students to create interactive, place-based digital stories using Google Arts & Culture, Google Earth, and Google Maps.
Guide learners in researching, curating, and connecting historical and cultural narratives to present-day contexts.
Foster empathy, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding through storytelling projects.
Apply scaffolded models, pre-curated stories, and practical resources to implement digital storytelling across curriculum areas.
Encourage student agency by supporting choice, creativity, and authentic expression in narrative creation.
The Power of Place: Authentic Learning Through Place-Based Education
By Tom Vander Ark, Emily Liebtag, Nate McClennen
Place-Based Learning: Connecting Inquiry, Community, and Culture (Seven Place-Based Learning Design Principles to Promote Equity for All Students)
Bringing School to Life: Place-Based Education Across the Curriculum
Navigating Place-Based Learning: Mapping for a Better World
Posters in this theme:
Other Materials: Pen/paper for notes or sketching story ideas.
Optional: Headphones if working in a shared or noisy environment.
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