Digital storytelling not only appeals to a wide range of intelligences, but is a powerful tool for engaging students in meaningful and authentic learning experiences. Students are also able to use a wide range of multimedia tools, such as images and voice narration, to enhance their final product. Digital storytelling also supports the basic principles of "engagement theory", as students can be involved in an activity where they can "relate" (collaborating in groups), "create" (stories that are meaningful and authentic to themselves and their community), and donate (share) their stories online to audiences both inside and outside their community (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). "Voices from the Cape" is an excellent example of how digital storytelling can engage and motivate otherwise disengaged students, and at the same time integrate nearly all curriculum subjects into the one learning activity.
There is no doubt the usage of digital storytelling in the classroom is endless! However, I believe that using an authentic focus is one of the best methods for engaging students in a learning activity, as it can motivate and give students a sense of meaning, ownership and pride in their work. Therefore I would encourage students in my classroom to tell their own stories or stories they believe are important to be told and shared online with the wider community. Digital storytelling could also be used to facilitate discussions about current issues effecting students' lives such as bullying, race, global warming and conservation.
Another digital storytelling activity that I thought would be beneficial for all students, would involve students who were engaged in work experience learning partnerships with businesses outside the school. I would encourage these students to form small groups and create digital stories of their beneficial experiences and highlights of their learning outside the school. The stories could then be shared with all students, the community and businesses concerned.
Ebooks are another great resource for learning. A really great website that I cannot recommend highly enough, for anyone with children or teaching young students (I enjoy the stories myself), is a website called the Tumblebook Library. Normally you would need to pay for access to the site, but free access is available for members of several participating local libraries. I gain access to the site through the Cooloola library website. There are dozens of well-known on-line animated talking ebooks to choose from, including books in French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Russian.
References
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning,
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Meryl, I really enjoyed reading your fantastic overview of Digital Storytelling and how it engages learners.
ReplyDeleteYour idea of encouraging students involved in work experience to use learning stories to document their findings is a great idea, it would provide them with an opportunity to reflect on what they have learnt while perhaps encouraging other students to follow suit. Also, being a hands on experience this would be more engaging for them than writing an essay or speech.
Sara :)
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouraging feedback! I believe that any way we can link students' real life experiences to learning is beneficial and meaningful to them. Using Web 2 technology further connects to how students are learning in the 21st century and prepares them for life beyond school as employers usually expect their employees to have up to date skills in technology.
Kind regards
Meryl