Microsoft Tools #2; Photostory 3 for Windows is a great free classroom tool

Submitted by Fiona Beal

Photostories are digital stories shown in a sequence of photographs. You can write on the photographs, narrate what is happening, add music and effects and turn the whole digital story into a movie.  It is a fantastic programme and can be used in a multitude of ways from Grade 1 – Adult! Microsoft has a marvelous free tool called Photostory 3 for Windows that is very useful to use in a technology-integrated classroom.

If Photostory 3 is not already part of your Windows package you can join the Microsoft Educator’s Network and download it for free.  We recommend that you join this amazing network which has an incredible supply of free resources and tutorials. 



Getting started with Photostory 3

Before you get started plan what you want to do.

  • What will you call your photostory?
  • What photos will you use and where will you find them?
  • Do you want to add narration?
  • Will you use music?

Put everything you want to use in a folder. 





Step-by-step instruction on how to use Photostory 3

Let’s started with a step-by-step tutorial 


How to use Photostory 3 for Windows


View more PowerPoint from fionabeal


Ideas for classroom uses of Photostory 3

Here is a collection of ideas on how to use Photostory 3 in the classroom. Perhaps you can add to these ideas?

Classroom uses for Photostory 3 for Windows


View more PowerPoint from fionabeal



One of the great things about using Photostory 3 is that it can easily be uploaded to a blog without going through YouTube or a similar hosting programme. This is a photostory of a blogging project I did with a combined Grade 4/5 class at school. This illustrates how you can write on photos,  add interleaves and add music…plus upload it to a blog.




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