Is cool necessarily best?

Is digital storytelling the most practical and effective approach for teaching digital literacy?

The following slideshare uses prezi (a cool web 2.0 improvement on powerpoint, that sort of reminds me of an animated version of the big posters we used to have to make in primary classes in the 1970's). Mark Woolley's presentation (below) echo's Jo's claim that digital storytelling is a successful (the 'best") strategy for teachers to promote literacy. His glossy, graphically gorgeous piece uses groovin' audio and nice design to bring home his point. Interspersed in the presentation are example of student produced work, including a story "by" a kindergarten student using storybird (www.storybird.com). Storybird is a web 2.0 tool that appears to use clip art and text for individual or collaborative storytelling. The 3 year old who "created" the product presumably had some imput into choosing the clip art that was used, and voiced the story. But how much input she had in creating the story in collaboration with an adult is arguable.

Literacy Alive - Digital story telling for 21st century learners

View more presentations from Mark Woolley.

The risk with accepting digital storytelling as the “best” option for teaching digital literacy could mean a lot of parent-friendly product that is all form with minimal content.

“Create a quality product with a minimum of fuss” is one of the statements made to support digital storytelling (in particular, Storybird) in this presentation. The notion of “quality” here is a controversial one. Quality in this digital storytelling model seems to reference the slick look and feel (which, based on samples on the Storybird website is consistent, and limited to the available artwork). The quality of the learning experience and what the process might contribute to digital literacy is secondary to the “product”. As a learning tool for literacy, surely the fuss is what is important – the journey, the hands-on experience, the mistakes? In this example, I suggest that play-doh and a bit of show and tell is a better option for the kinder child to represent and share her beachy story than having an adult guide her through the dinky web 2.0 tool to create a “quality product”. She can develop her own “fussy” and imperfect vision of her beach story from her own perspective, contributing to communication and narrative understanding.

The cyberbulling example from an older student (using DeVolver), also seems very much a “product” featuring limited, stereotypic information in a glossy package. While I am not saying it is not fun and useful for student to explore these programs, what I do believe is that it is not always the “best” approach. In these examples, content seems secondary to the format. If learners are not exposed to alternative means of storytelling in the embodied world (visually, dramatically, poetically, verbally, prose etc.) they will have limited personal literacy resources on which to draw to enrich the web 2.0 widgets that are their inheritance.

Check out my storybird (Digital Storytelling - Is it the "best" chuck out the rest?) here!

Opportunities and multiple intelligences
Jo suggests that digital storytelling allows greater opportunities to teach digital literacy and she mentions Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. At a simplistic level it could be said that, for example, digital storytelling would not be the “best” approach for a kinesthetic learner who needs to “actively explore the physical world around them” and may prefer paper, paste and textas to explore themes of literacy (digital or otherwise), especially when many other aspects of their lives are already immersed in digital technology (mobile phones, ipods, gaming consoles etc). Providing non-digital alternatives should be seriously considered for sharing all aspects of literacy.

Referring to previous technologies like slide projectors and television that were “touted as 'the solution' to American education”, Gardner says “When plugged in, they are all too often simply used to 'deliver' the same old 'drill-and-kill' content” (Garner, 2000 p.33). The opportunity provided by digital storytelling should only be taken if the content is a suitable fit for the purpose and audience.

Gardner says educators need to "...remain clear on what they want to achieve for our children and vigilant that the technology serves these ends. Otherwise, like other technologies, the new ones could end up spawning apathy, alienation, or yet another phalanx of consumers." (Gardner 2000, p.35). This quote is from 2000, but still very relevant today. If a decision is is made to focus on digital storytelling as the "best" way to meet their digital literacy needs - a generation of students may only conceive of storytelling as something that needs to be crafted online, with fancy fonts and polish, legitimised by publishing and consumed and approved by friends & family.


Gardner is also focussed on a project exploring the ethics of digital literacy...but more on this next post.

References
Woolley, M (2010) Literacy Alive – Digital Storytelling for 21st Century learners, retrieved 24 April 2010 from
http://www.slideshare.net/markwoolley/literacy-alive-digital-story-telling-for-21st-century-learners?src=related_normal&rel=470590

Gardner, H, (2000) Can Technology Exploit Our Many Ways of Knowing?, pp.33-35, retrieved 26 April 2010 from http://www.howardgardner.com/MI/mi.html

Digital storytelling is the best digital literacy for teaching and learning - some definitions

Our topic features two substantive (and controversial) terms – digital storytelling and digital literacy.

Wikipedia describes digital storytelling as an emerging term with two generic interpretations. The most common understanding of digital storytelling (according to Wikipedia) is typified by the description on the Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) website as “... autobiographical 'mini movies' created and edited by people like you - using computers, cameras, scanners and photos." ACMI have actively promoted this medium and process through their Digital Storytelling Program since 2002.

Digital Storytelling

The second possible interpretation of digital storytelling is more generic – a one-size-fits-all account – to parphrase Jo: a multimedia presentation with a narrative structure. I can't agree with her proposal that digital storytelling doesn't necessarily require a narrative. Storytelling, regardless of the medium involves the communication of a message, a narrative with a purpose and intent. Digital storytelling may be linear or non-linear, classical narrative or experimental – but it must have a story to tell. Without this aspect, all we are talking about is the random use of digital tools to create an output.
For the purpose of this debate my interpretation of digital storytelling will fall somewhere between the strictly defined ACMI approach and the very generic “any multimedia presentation". Digital storytelling must have a narrative purpose and use one or a number of digital tools (web 2.0, video, software, mobile apps, audio etc).

Digital literacy is far less easy to pin down. I think a definition reaches beyond using and interpreting digital technology. “Digital literacy is usually conceived as combination of technical-procedural, cognitive and emotional-social skills.” (Aviram, 2006, p.1). I suggest that although digital storytelling can address some of the needs for teaching a holistic approach to digital literacy, it is not the “best” or indeed only approach required and will explore this suggestion in future posts.

References
Aviram A. Eshet-Alkalai Y. (2006)  Towards a Theory of Digital Literacy: Three Scenarios for the Next Steps European Journal of Open and distance Education

Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI), Centre for Digital Storytelling, retrieved 24 April 2010 from http://www.acmi.net.au/digital_storytelling.asp

Wikipedia (2010) Digital Storytelling entry, retrieved 24 April 2010 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling

Digital Storytelling is a practical and effective way to teaching essential literacy skills

Digital storytelling could be defined as a multi-media presentation that follows a narrative structure. Of course, as soon as anything is defined in world of computers and the Internet, it invariably changes! Adams (2009) distinguishes between digital storytelling and an online 'presentation' by requiring a narrative storyline to be included in anything labelled a 'digital story'. However, I would argue that not all digital stories follow a narrative structure, nor do they need to use all forms of multimedia. Online examples (from a quick google search) indicates that a digital story might be an autobiography narrated as an mp3 file, or a powerpoint presentation of a holiday or school excursion or it could be a short film written and created by a group of high school students. The difficulties inherent in defining this kind of use of technology, however, should not deter a teacher from finding the practical, valid and increasingly important values in this tool

The common link between the many and varied forms of digital storytelling is the forms of literacy used to create the story in the first place: reading, writing, planning, drafting, reviewing, refining and presenting. Whether with pen and paper or with Apple iMovie (or any of the myriad other digital tools), these key literacy skills are still addressed.

While few could argue that storytelling has long been a key source of enjoyment, information transfer and social communication, using digital tools to further this tradition is definitely a new way to teach.

Digital storytelling is a teaching strategy - a tool, and as such it is up to teachers to get out of it what they will. Depending on what needs to be taught teachers can scaffold students to create a narrative covering many areas of today's literacy curriculum. For example, planning for writing is an essential and necessary skill to develop in our students, this is easily addressed though digital storytelling: planning to communicate a message in a specific format with a specific audience in mind.

Digital storytelling offers more learning opportunities than traditional pen and paper storytelling. Multiple Intelligences such as visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic and mathematical/logical are addressed as students use images, photos and graphics to enhance their message, prepare scripts and record audio and create a story following a logical sequence and structure. (http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm)

Adams states "Storytelling is a natural fit for kids immersed in movies, television, and video games" (Adams, 2009). Students are using multimedia and online tools to connect, interact and share, why shouldn't we, as teachers, harness these skills to address curriculum outcomes?


References:
Adams, C: 'Digital Storytelling' in: Instructor Nov/Dec2009, Vol. 119 Issue 3, p35-37

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