Reading and Discussion 14

1.       How does digital storytelling support academic literacies?

Digital storytelling supports academic literacies in many ways. One way is through English Language Arts. In creating a digital story, a lot of writing is involved. Whether it ends up being read aloud or scrolling across the screen, the author must work to edit and revise his/her writing for the final copy of the digital story. Creating a project like this also involves higher order thinking skills, where the author must picture what he/she wants and then create the piece.

2.       Now that you have created your own digital story, do you think that using images, words and music to create a message is simplistic compared to traditional alphabetic print based argumentation?

I feel that using images, words, and music to create a message is a more powerful way of communication than the traditional alphabetical based argumentation. Not only is the text displaying the message, but the message is also becoming more powerful by the use of music and images. It allows the audience to not just be reading the message, but to thoroughly understand what the author is trying to display. From an author’s point of view, I also think creating a digital story is more powerful than a traditional assignment. It allows the creator to truly explain his/her message not just through text, but through music and pictures.

3.       After creating your own digital story, do you see how digital storytelling can help develop a stronger sense of agency in their own lives? Do you think this might have a positive impact on students academic lives? How? Why?

I strongly believe that digital storytelling can help develop a stronger sense of agency in one’s   life. I also think that digital storytelling could have a positive impact on academics. Let’s say for example that I am assigned to write a paper about something personal in my life. I will do it, I may even enjoy it a little. Once it is finished, I will submit it and forget about it. On the other hand, let’s say I am assigned to create an emotional digital story. It already sounds more  interesting than the paper. This project could have personal pictures, music, and text. How         much better could it get? I really want to have a powerful story to tell, so I think about it a lot, search for pictures, and brainstorm what message I want to display. Even before creating the digital story, I have put forth more effort than I did for the paper. Although this is my           personal belief, I truly feel that most students would also act in this same manner. Through digital storytelling, the author will now take a closer glimpse at his/her own life, and notice the things that he/she values. Once creating the story, the author may realize how truly important that topic was to him/her and may no longer take it for granted. Academically, I feel that most students would put forth a lot more effort in creating such a hands-on and personal project, as opposed to just writing the usual paper. The student will probably work harder, therefore learn new skills, and probably earn a better grade than what would have been earned through a traditional paper.

“It has become a commonplace to say that ours is an age in which the pictoral turn has supplanted the linguistic one, as images push words off the page and our lives become increasingly mediated by a popular visual culture.”

This quote summarizes how everything has truly changed in this new age. As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  The saying must hold true, because images are now replacing moments when dialect when normally take place. Look at social media for example, people talk and post statuses, but the main reasoning behind it all is the images. No one really cares about being “facebook friends” with the person who doesn’t even upload pictures. As the quote above states, text is being shoved off the page by images that are dominating this new culture. In a way, it is powerful and wonderful. In some ways, it is sad. Technology represents this new day, but we must not forget how important it is to still verbally communicate with each other. Not through text, not through instant messaging, but simply talking.

I selected this image because it displays the true goal of digital storytelling. Creating digital stories allows individuals to voice their opinions to the world. They can feel as if they serve a purpose on worldwide issues, and communicate with people that they normally would never know existed.

My Digital Story:

Resources: 

Hull, G. (2003). At last: Youth culture and digital media. 229-233. Retrieved from                 http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.fairmontstate.edu/docview/215345891

Wordpress. (2013, January). Digital storytelling. Retrieved from                 http://techieteacherstricks.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/digital-storytelling/