Introduction
There’s a reason it’s called show and tell and not just tell. Computer-based images. Video clips. Text and graphics. Audio narration. Music and sound design. It’s all available. It’s all easy to use. And there’s no doubt that it can all take storytelling to the next entertaining, compelling level.
What is digital storytelling?
Digital Storytelling applies computer-based tools to traditional storytelling using images, music, video, text, and narration to express a point of view. Rooted in the foundation of the storytelling process, digital storytelling allows the author to further express his or her story in a digital medium. Just as a playwright tells his or her story on a stage, or a writer creates a story to be told on film, digital storytelling is an extension of the writing process.
Who can create digital stories?
From the beginning writer to the advanced storyteller, if a student has a story to tell, he/she can create a digital story. To assist with digital storytelling, there are many computer-based tools available that range in technical complexity. For suggested video, image, and audio editing tools appropriate for all experience levels of storytellers visit Tools & Resources.
Why Integrate Digital Storytelling into your Classroom?
Digital Storytelling allows for meaningful use of digital resources and authentic content in the classroom. A good source to learn more about integrating digital storytelling into your classroom can be found at www.digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu.
In addition, there are a number of key benefits:
- Digital storytelling supports one of the 21st Century Skills/outcomes of an Integrated Project Model of rich technology - integrated teaching and learning.
- Digital storytelling demonstrates how the power of technology can be used to support compelling, authentic content.
- Digital storytelling has strong applications for English Language Learners (ELL) instruction. Digital storytelling requires authors to match imagery, sound, and/or video to some sort of narrative/voice. For this very reason digital storytelling can help students learn a new language as they write, create imagery, and describe a story for an audience.
- With digital storytelling, students must research their content, and therefore it relates to research-based instructional practice that supports the 5 E model - engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate (www.enhancinged.wgbh.org/research/eeeee.html).
- Digital storytelling provides educators with alternative forms of assessment.
- It provides students with a different and unique way to express their point of view - in a way that the current YouTube generation is already very comfortable in doing.