Digital Storytelling
According to the Center of Digital Storytelling, digital storytelling is “the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories.” After perusing this website, I was amazed at how many different ways digital storytelling is being incorporated into the classroom. Since most classrooms are equipped with at least one computer, the idea of using this type of project seems appealing. However, one must definitely consider the amount of work and preparation required to make this type of project successful. I must admit that I have tried to use digital storytelling in my classes and oh my goodness…can you say HEADACHE? Part of my issue was that I didn’t consider ALL the parts of the project. I only considered the actual assignment and didn’t factor in the amount of time it would take to locate images and sound clips, type captions and sentences, the amount of storage space required and the students’ limited knowledge of programs used to create their projects.
I read Digital Storytelling: Tips and Resources by Dr. Gail Matthews-DeNatale for this post and it was super helpful. I felt so inspired and relieved (like I’m not the only teacher that’s tried to incorporate digital storytelling unsuccessfully). One of the things that I found most helpful in her tips is the suggestion of using a timeline. I also love the idea of showing students example of the project as well as a rubric. This suggestion is great because then it would require me to create a digital story and in the process I could work out some of the kinks prior to giving the assignment to my students.
In conclusion, I think that digital storytelling is a great project that can be incorporated into any subject area. However, I now realize that while the final product may only be 3 – 5 minutes in length the journey to get to this end can take weeks if not months depending on the assignment and the age of the students. My goal for this school year is to try to complete one digital storytelling project with one of my classes. I’m starting small. So while I know that the other classes might feel cheated, I feel like I need a little more time before I try to do this with all six of my classes.
References
Matthews-DeNatale, G. (2008). Digital storytelling: tips and resources.
