Response to: The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling by Bernard R. Robin

Response to: The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling by Bernard R. Robin

Digital Storytelling is a wonderful tool for both educators and students. Educators can benefit from it in many ways. If using Digital Storytelling effectively, teachers will be able to keep the interest of all their learners. It is not the same to see a flat boring picture of, say, Niagara Falls in a textbook, as it is to see a visual tour or video showing the Falls inside and out. You can now see them for their majestic size and splendor and hear them roar as the water rushes.

Students can use Digital Storytelling to share the information they’ve learned in class, expand on it and get valuable criticism from their peers or even classrooms in another part of the country or the world. Students also learn to do their own research and process information to make it possible them to express themselves in ways they never thought before. Digital Storytelling allows students to be creative in many different ways, giving learners of different styles a better option than writing a ten page paper.

As with many things, there are disadvantages to Digital Storytelling. Resources vary from school to school. Students in high need areas may be limited to one or two computers in a classroom if any, or one 45 minute period of computer class per week. This leaves very little time for a teacher to train students in Digital Storytelling. It may also prove difficult, but not impossible to teach students with disabilities to understand and use this powerful tool.

Digital Storytelling is important in helping students gain real world experience. As the article says, our students are part of the “digital generation.” Students must learn to use technology if they are to be successful in the “real world.” Just as in the video Digital Nation, where office meetings are taking place online with avatars. Students would still need to know how to effectively get their message across by telling a Digital Story informing people in different parts of the world about the products and or services they offer.