Week 7: Digital Storytelling

This week we discussed Digital storytelling and were introduced to tools such as iMovie, PowerPoint, screen capture software, Animoto, and GoAnimate, which can all be used to create a digital story. "Digital Storytelling" refers to using digital tools, like the ones above, so that ordinary people can tell their own real-life stories. For my Digital Storytelling Forum post I used Windows Movie maker to create a slide show of pictures from my mission trip to Matucana, Peru in May 2009. I also used 3 songs that related to the story of the trip. I utilized YouTube in order to share my video anywhere on the web.

Digital Storytelling is useful to teaching and the Education field for a number of reasons. The most obvious is that visual story telling would catch the attention of young students. Students are constantly being bombarded with media, such as television, so they would pay attention to whatever message/lesson I was trying to teach. Another important use of digital storytelling is to present other cultures and ideas from our own, much like the Stride video we watched in class. I could use the video I made, for example, to give a lesson on what I saw and learned about the culture through my experience.

The Center for Digital Storytelling is a resource I found that is helping people all over the world tell their personal stories. They provide work shops that help individuals use digital technology create their own version of a digital story. This website reinforced the importance of having an understanding of digital storytelling. Every person, young and old, has a story to tell and unique experiences. With an understanding of digital storytelling, I can help students recognize their unique stories and experiences and help them grow in many ways.