Storyboarding 101: Turning Concepts into Visual Forms

According to Storyboarding 101: Turning Concepts into Visual Forms, written by Lin Huff-Corzine storyboarding can be explained as,” The use of a series of pictures in separate frames to outline or brainstorm ideas about how to tell a story can lead to such descriptions”. It is important in the educational process to be able to describe and explain the material that one has just learned. This idea, as sociologists point out, tends to stress the importance of analyzing events rather than "just" describing them. What we often forget is that before any well-developed understanding of phenomena can be achieved, clear, concise, complete, and accurate descriptions are a must.
There have been many different theories about the origin of the storyboard. According to this article, “Some will argue that "storyboarding originated with the Walt Disney Company in the early days of animated films" where it was, and still is, used to create the story line for a film by laying out the scenes in sequence”. Although the use of storyboarding may play a important role in animation, it also plays a vital role in communication. This article also suggests that, “The concept of storyboarding has a much longer history, however, with it most likely being as old as the desire of persons to express themselves, perhaps evolving even before the ability to use verbal language for communication. From drawings in the caves of our early ancestors to the storyboards of Palau, these works which are usually labeled art forms rather communication forms, "were used to tell legends, to record events, and to teach social values".
Storyboards play an important role in education. This type of activity in the classroom allows all types of learners, auditory, visual and kinesthetic, to play an active role in the learning experience. The use of storyboards expands a child's mind. Students are expected to be able to expand their thoughts in abstract ways. When students have to layout the scenes of their storyboard, and when they do that they have to use abstract thought. Storyboarding also encourages creative analysis, not just run of the mill thinking. They have to picture their concept then relate it to a story. Story boards can be used in a wide variety of classes, from elementary school to college. Students have fun making storyboards and can learn without realizing that they are learning. Storyboards also work great for video assignments, the students would have to write out what goes on in the video and also make a storyboard for it. This shows the teacher that the students really understand what the video was about and also individual credit can be given. They can be used in elementary classrooms to help students learn more about themselves and other people and learning about diversity. They can be used in classes like a gender issues class to begin a discussion about gender roles and how they affect each student. The role of storyboards in the classroom is endless. We as teachers should find different ways to incorporate storyboards into our assignments to help students not only hear but also see what we are trying to convey.