Digital Storytelling: Bridging Old and New

McLellan, H. (2006). Digital Storytelling: Bridging Old and New. Educational Technology, Sept.-Oct. 2006, 26-31.

Salient Points:

• Digital storytelling is when you tell a story using various forms of technology to reach more people. The first digital storyteller was Dana Atchley, a professional storyteller, who, in the 1980s, when computers first came out, started creating digital stories using family photographs, movies, images, and stories using technology and multimedia. He coined the term "digital storytelling." Eventually, in the 1990s, he and other theater friends create the Center for Digital Storytelling in Berkley, California.
• Over half of today's teens use some form of technology to communicate and tell others about their lives. They are indadvertedly telling digital stories through social networking sites, blogs, Youtube and other video sharing sites, etc.
• "The premise of digital storytelling is very simple. It is designed to help people tell stories from their own lives that are meaningful to them and to their audience using media to add power and resonance, and to create a permanent record. Digital storytelling is aligned with the importance of capturing personal, family, and organizational memories" (27). 
• Digital storytelling is different than digital spectacle, because during the spectacle, whether it's a multimedia formatted opera, circus, or presentation, the audience members are only spectators. Digital storytelling is interactive with its audience members and connects to them emotionally, which is a very effective way of communication. 
• "Good stories make you feel you've been through a satisfying, complete experience. Stories are a form of "expert system"for remembering and integrating what we learn" (28). 
• Digital storytelling can be used across the curriculum and subjects. Many universities and public schools teach digital storytelling techniques to their students to help them communicate and collaborate on projects. 
• From personal stories, to digital archives, to memorial stories and avocational stories (stories that come from victims of domestic violence and other traumatic experiences), digital storytelling 
• Today, there are many forms of digital storytelling, from applications on the iPad and other Apple products to Blogger, the current most popular blogging website,  to Facebook and Tumblr. People tell stories with photos, words, etc. 

Implications: 

• Teachers can use different forms of technology in their classrooms to reach today's diverse student population, most of who have connections to digital media. They can bridge gaps between different learning levels and cultures that populate their classrooms. Many students respond better to technology than traditional methods of teaching. 
• Teachers will be able to manage their classroom better, because many students feel more comfortable opening up and telling their stories in a digital form. Lessons can be more interactive and engaging.
• Teachers can use digital storytelling to get students to become aware of the challenges they face. Then they can use digital storytelling media to tell their stories and help solve problems in the community. 
• Digital stories are a great way for students to express their frustrations they may feel in school, especially English Language Learners, who often feel that the other mainstream students do not understand them and their situation. They can tell their personal stories to the other students in their class.
• Sometimes students have experiences that are difficult to cope with, such as what is happening in current events. For example, they may have trouble today with the economy, racism, death, etc. These problems can affect their learning and a great way to help them cope with such problems is by making digital story. Xtranormal is an example of one therapeutic digital storytelling tool. 

      This article was useful, but I would have liked to see more of a connection to English Language Learners. How can we use digital storytelling media to help English Language Learners? Over the course of the semester, many digital media tools have been presented to me, but I did not see any mention of it in this article, although its focus was not necessarily on ESL. I just think that since there are so many ELLs in schools today, the author might have addressed them with respect to digital storytelling.