StoryBuilder

The second program is called StoryBuilder.  It allows a child to draw on a wacom tablet and see their work on the computer screen as they create it – in real time.  The software tracks and records the movements of the pen, thereby capturing the process of creating the drawing.  The drawing can then be saved and converted to a quicktime movie file, which can be stored on a CD so the child can show the work to friends or even post it on the web.  The software also includes a sequencer, which allows several drawings to be arranged in any order and played back.  Finally, the software makes it possible to record a voice-over – a story or sound effects – to accompany the drawings.

My goal in creating this program was to capture both the visual and thought processes of children as they create their drawings.  My inspiration for this work was an article, “Crayon or Computer,” written by my colleague Paul Kaiser.  This piece was published in the quarterly arts periodical FYI, which has a national readership of more than 20,000 people.

A four year old drawing "wind."

The overarching goals of both of these software projects were to create tools that would help students develop media literacy skills, to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom in an innovative and meaningful way, and to support children in learning to think both creatively and logically – skills that will be all the more necessary for achieving success in the 21st century.

Here are a few sample drawings by children ranging in age from 3 to 7.

 

Home

Wind

Old Man