Chapter 2 Defining and Discussing Digital Storytelling


Life is all about the process of achieving a goal and the journey taken to reach that desired goal.  The actual process or journey that people embark on when achieving their ambitions are the stories that help define a person.  Telling stories is nothing new, however, how we now tell stories in today's technology driven society is ever evolving.  What makes a good story resinate with it's intended audience according to Ohler is when that story reminds people of their own lives (Ohler 2008).  I couldn't agree more with the idea that when people relate to the story and the storyteller then there is an emotional connection and through that connection derives engagement to learn.  Furthermore, in order for students, teachers and administrators to learn how to effectively use digital story telling in education the first thing that needs to be stressed is how to become an active viewer.  "Active viewing feels very much like an unnatural act for TV watchers, but it opens up a more effective way to mine video, movie, and television material for academic utility" (25 Ohler 2009).  I believe if we can get students to ask questions when they are bombarded with information through new media, social media, blogs and traditional media then they will develop their critical thinking skills.  As an educator there is nothing more important than having a student develop their skills to think critically and a good source for that seems to using digital story telling in the classroom.  It seems to me that the process of having students create a two-minute video is long and tedious process for the students and the teachers especially when teachers have to teach so much curriculum in such a short period of time, thus leaving no time for creative projects.  The very idea behind storytelling is great, but,  for me a government and economics teacher who has to teach his students to prepare for Advanced Placement tests, standardized tests or a district common assessments, it seems to be not as feasible as it may be for other teachers in other subject areas.