How to Tell a Story Using Google Tools

Learn how to bring conversations to life with Google's unique storytelling tool.

Take a look at this quick 3-minute video where Monica Burns explains how to use Google Story Builder. Google Story Builder is a fun, free web app that turns even the most mundane dialogue into something magical.

Tell a story with this fun, free digital storytelling tool.

In under three minutes, Monica shows how you can build your character dialogue, add music, and create your own video with just a few clicks. When you're finished, you'll automatically have a shareable link so you and your students can share your creations with others.

How might you use this tool in your classroom? Here are a few ideas:

1. Envision a dialogue between historical figures or fictional characters from your class novel.
2. Develop an introduction video to share with new students.
3. Create a math story to explain a chart or graph.
4. Summarize a political debate between two candidates.

For more from SimpleK12 on digital storytelling, take a look at these video training sessions:

• Strategies and Tips for Getting Started with Digital Storytelling. Would you like for your students to create digital stories that go beyond just a basic beginning, middle, and end? Discover a variety of strategies and questions to help your students get started with and enhance their digital stories. Learn ideas and suggestions for planning and developing story lines and messages. Benefit from examples for digital storytelling activities that will engage your students, help them focus, and get their creative juices flowing. Best of all, these strategies can be employed with whatever digital tools you want use!
• Digital Storytelling on ANY Device with Sway. Do you have access to Microsoft Sway in your classroom? If so, take a look at this free training video outlining this new innovative web-based learning tool that can be used on any device your students may have access to. Kids love to be creative and share stories about themselves…digital storytelling is the perfect way to let them do it!

What type of digital storytelling tools do you enjoy using? Share your thoughts in a comment on this article.

About Our “Tell a Story” Presenter
Monica Burns is an Education Consultant, EdTech Blogger, and Apple Distinguished Educator. Monica works with teachers to make technology integration exciting and accessible at all grade levels. She has conducted well over 40 unique training sessions for SimpleK12, click here to take a look at more videos from Monica.

About the Author
Kimber Thompson is a Lead Moderator for SimpleK12 webinars and a Contributing Editor for SimpleK12.com. She writes frequently about education topics, and is passionate about tools and techniques that inspire young learners. You may reach her with ideas and comments at editor@simplek12.com.