How to Create Dynamic Presentations in PBS LearningMedia

PBS LearningMedia, the digital media library for teachers and learners, provides trusted content from PBS and partners like KQED to bring quality media into learning. This short tutorial, part of a series on using PBS LearningMedia Productivity Tools, offers suggestions on how to maximize PBS LearningMedia using storyboards. Storyboards can help to create more dynamic presentations using media, graphics and text. Here are a few ways to use storyboards.

PBS LearningMedia storyboards function like a Pinterest board, you can add media in PBS LearningMedia or media from your computer onto the board. A title, a background, media and clip art can also be added. Each storyboard created has a unique link that can be added to a webpage and shared with students, bookmarked, emailed or referenced to.

Two Suggestions for Using Storyboards

Storyboards to Introduce Topic: Create a storyboard to share with your class that introduces a topic. Here is a storyboard that introduces parts and functions of cells. Students can look at various parts of a cell using this storyboard made with videos that have been favorited (saved) in PBS LearningMedia. This storyboard has a video that shows functions of a cell and highlights a specific part of a cell. Text has been added to summarize each video along with a cell diagram image.

Student Created Storyboards: Students can produce and illustrate concepts that they’ve learned on their own storyboard. Students create an account and can search in PBS LearningMedia to find media that they can use to make claims and illustrate ideas on storyboards. This can also build media literacy skills. In creating storyboards, students can be tasked with being critical consumers of the media. They can watch and choose videos that illustrate their arguments. They view and evaluate if the media does or doesn’t answer the questions that they are asked to answer in creating the storyboard. Students can include comments in response to videos on storyboard and point out gaps in the information presented. They could also describe the point of view or bias that a video might present.

Storyboards in PBS LearningMedia are one tool to create engaging learning experiences for students. Access the storyboard tool by logging into your account. Go to kqed.org/pbslm for more ideas for using PBS LearningMedia with students.