Module 2
Module 2
Introduction
One of the ways students can be trained in the new literacies is to engage them in
digital storytelling, but with some digital enhancements. They choose a topic, conduct
research, write a script, develop a story, and through the use of multimedia, create
something that can be played online or on a computer.
Discussion
Digital storytelling at its most basic core is the practice of using computer-based
tools to tell stories. There are a wealth of other terms used to describe this practice, such
as digital documentaries, computer-based narratives, digital essays, electronic memoirs,
interactive storytelling, etc.; but in general, they all revolve around the idea of combining
the art of telling stories with a variety of multimedia, including graphics, audio, video, and
Web publishing.
As with traditional storytelling, most digital stories focus on a specific topic and
contain a particular point of view. However, as the name implies, digital stories usually
contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video
clips, and/or music. Digital stories can vary in length, but most of the stories used in
education typically last between 2 and 10 minutes. The topics used in digital storytelling
range from personal tales to the recounting of historical events, from exploring life in one’s
own community to the search for life in other corners of the universe, and literally,
everything in between.
Another pioneer in the field, British photographer, author, and educator Daniel
Meadows defined digital stories as “short, personal multimedia tales told from the heart.”
The beauty of this form of digital expression, he maintained, is that these stories can be
created by people everywhere, on any subject, and shared electronically all over the world.
Meadows added that digital stories are “multimedia sonnets from the people” in which
“photographs discover the talkies, and the stories told assemble in the ether as pieces of a
jigsaw puzzle, a gaggle of invisible histories which, when viewed together, tell the bigger
story of our time, the story that defines who we are.”
Researcher and digital culture consultant, John Seely Brown described digital
storytelling this way:
I’m particularly interested in Digital Storytelling, in new ways to use multiple media to tell
stories and in the ability of kids, who are now growing up in a digital world, to figure out
new ways to tell stories. They have the ability to build interpretive movies very simply and
to lay sound tracks around the content. They condition or “sculpture” the context around
the content. The serious interplay between context and content is key to what film—and
rich media in general—are about.
Digital storytelling can be broken down into following six steps:
1. Writing – write about a particular story from your life. The story must have a
central theme.
2. Developing a Script – develop a script that identifies the important points of your
story.
3. Creating a Storyboard – create a storyboard that visually organizes the flow of the
story. Assign a particular image to portions of the script.
4. Locating Multimedia – use search engines to locate photos and videos. Photos and
videos from one’s personal collection may also be used.
5. Creating a Digital Story – record the voice over for your movie. Create a movie
using the software that is available to you.
6. Sharing and Uploading – share your story in class and upload your work online.
Summary