Technology in the classroom is trending everywhere. As an educator, I am always looking for new ways to present material in the classroom (or even new ways to assess my students,) I recently read two articles about digital storytelling; what it is, its use in the classroom, as well as some pros and cons.
In this article, digital storytelling is defined as "The practice of combining narrative with digital content including images, sound and video to create a short movie," or "the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories." Basically anyone can create a digital narrative while incorporating animation, sound and pictures. There are many pros to using this format in the classroom. It facilitates different learning styles as well as connects to the students' interest in technology. Since there is a variety of multimedia available for use in digital storytelling, teachers can reach students of different learning capabilities, and students can design it to fit their needs if they were to use it as a project. Another advantage of using digital storytelling is that there are a lot of free applications online, and anyone can create their own digital story. It also helps the user draw deeper connections to the subject matter, which can help students become more engaged.
According to the article, there are some drawbacks to using this in the classroom. There is a possibility that it could be somewhat difficult to figure out how to use digital storytelling. For example, if a student or user is uncomfortable with technology, they might become overwhelmed having to upload pictures, add sound or animation, and some of the multimedia needed can be quite expensive. From an educators standpoint, it could be hard to assess a students' digital story. The directions and rubrics would have to be very clear.
I found this article to be more informative on its uses in the classroom. Here, Daniel Meadows who is a British photographer and educator describes digital storytelling as "Short, personal multimedia tales told from the heart." I enjoyed this definition because it relates back to who is using a digital story, and for what purpose; if something is truly meaningful to the student, it is more likely that they will have a greater benefit from the assignment. For example, if I gave one of my students a topic that they had to research and choose a side, they could create a digital narrative of it, explaining their choice and why. As a learning tool for students, digital storytelling can help students to analyze and synthesize concepts in a more efficient manner. It would help them to organize ideas, express their opinions in their narratives, and they have the ability to share their stories online. The more meaningful the assignment is, the more the student will be engaged.
The article also talks about how digital storytelling can be used as an instructional tool. Teachers could show stories to present new material or introduce new concepts. If it is in a narrative format, the students may retain new information better. A narrative could be used as an anticipatory set, and it could also be used to make abstract concepts more understandable. In a foreign language classroom especially, the teacher can create digital stories using chapter vocabulary, or even to emphasize a new grammar concept.
I think that digital storytelling can be an effective tool in the classroom. Not only is it interactive, it will promote technology in the classroom and has a variety of benefits to reach all different types of learners. It will engage the students and make the task at hand more meaningful.
I agree with you that having students create digital stories would require a very clear rubric. The clearer the rubrics on any activity the better the results and the easier the scoring.
ReplyDelete