Digital Storytelling

[Firstly, I'm sorry this post is so tardy! It's been "one of those" weeks.]

Weis, Benmayor, O'Leary, Eynon. "Digital Technologies and Pedagogies" in Social Justice, Vol. 29, No. 4 (90), Pedagogies for Social Change (2002), pp. 153-167


"NEW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND MULTIMEDIA ARE TRANSFORMING HOW WE teach and learn. They are transforming our classrooms from spaces of delivery to spaces of active inquiry and authorship. New digital media are empowering students to become researchers, storytellers, historians, oral historians, and cultural theorists in their own right. Whether constructing their own life stories or interpreting the life stories of others, the digital format transforms students' capacity to synthesize, interpret, theorize, and create new cultural and historical knowledge."

This article, comprised of four essays, explores the use of digital media by "novice" historians (though perhaps 'a-historians' would be a more suitable phrase). The four authors, all professional historians and professors, agree with the integration of new media as a medium for delivering history; digital approaches can increase history's audience, in particular with regard to the "Internet generation." Though digital storytelling is not my preferred medium of 'new history' the strengths are hard to deny. Other than a poor execution either at the research level or technical formatting of digital media, there is little to suggest that digital media is not of help to historians. It surprises me to realize that many historians are adverse to the idea of integrating new media into their pedagogy or professional lives. Its a trend that seems to be reversing a little the closer the 'Internet generation' approaches professional life. All-in-all, this article is an interesting case-study of the values of digital storytelling.

Sylvester and Greenridge. "Digital Storytelling: Extending the Potential for Struggling Writers" in The Reading Teacher, Vol. 63, No. 4 (Dec. 2009-Jan. 2010), pp. 284-295

In this article, Sylvester and Greenridge explore the idea that digital storytelling can augment writing skills, improving the chances of students who are typically "struggling writers." Using case studies, the authors agree that digital storytelling can, in many cases, serve as a complement to traditional history-telling and offers students who are typically challenged by traditional forms a way to improve their experience. After all, digital storytelling is work:

"Creating a digital story requires a multiplicity of tasks. Some of these tasks include (a) visualizing a
scene to depict an event in the story and then choosing graphics from a plethora of sources that best
support the text, (b) determining the emotion the audience should experience and then selecting appropriate music, (c) using technological literacies . . . "

But, again, hesitations arise. To Sylvester and Greenridge, it's often the doubt of confidence on the part of the teachers that holds up a digital project, and as a former academic IT aide, I agree to an extent. Many pedagogues see the value of digital storytelling, but lack the technical know-how and confidence to lead classes. In sum, this article is an interesting investigation of the use of digital storytelling at the secondary level, and as a prospective teacher, I find the cases particularly valuable.