Bringing Stories to Life Through Digital Storytelling

(Photo Credit: Google Images)

In our modern world, technology is used for a wide variety of resources. Books in print are still circulating, but with students being one to one with devices, they have multiple ways to access books. My first writing unit of the school year is based around narratives. Students brainstorm, write, revise, and share personal stories relating to provided topics or ones they devise. As a 6th grade teacher, I have noticed that students put more thought, work, and passion into projects that will in turn have an audience. So why not allow them the time and space to put their writing into a project form?

This is where digital storytelling comes into play. Not only is a student writing a story, they are providing the illustrations to go along with it. Yes, that does take away from the reader using their own imagination, but now we can gain a deeper understanding of a story through the author's eyes. From my Google Alerts, I read an interesting article about the City of Newcastle's Digital Library who plans on hosting a workshop where students who have limited access to technology can learn story telling techniques and then use their creativity to tell the story in a modern ways using digital devices. Not only are students engaging in writing and hands-on learning skills, they are understanding the idea of having a mentor, communicating with team members, and increasing their digital literacy. More information about the workshop program can be read here.

When thinking of how this relates back to English learners, pictures can tell a thousand words. Although ESL students may not know every word on a page, they can begin to tell their own stories by combining the words they are familiar with and making inferences based on the illustrations. For an EL who is more proficient, they can begin to write small stories and have the opportunity to fully explain their thought process through the images. EL students can work together or independently based on the topic. After the stories are complete, students can work on their reading, listening, and comprehension skills by sharing or reading other's stories. By completing a project such a digital storytelling in narrative writing unit, students can learn about one another and create a strong classroom culture. They can see the value in learning from their peers and feel safe doing so.

I love to integrate technology into the classroom, but try to do so in meaningful way. I feel as though digital storytelling combines academic and social-emotional skills, while allowing students the freedom to be creative.

(Photo Credit: Google Images)

Mirage News. (2021, May 20). Digital storytelling workshops bring young imaginations to life. Mirage News. https://www.miragenews.com/digital-storytelling-workshops-bring-young-563361/.