Digital storytelling allows a person to convey a story with the help of today's technology. Some of the common elements of a digital story are music, images, narration, and a script. A documentary is one entertaining example of digital storytelling. A documentarian may use photographs, voice overs, and music to tell the story of a famous person or historical event. The elements used in digital storytelling help to make a story more engaging to a viewer.
Today's young students feel comfortable with using computers and digital cameras along with many other forms of technology. Not surprisingly, many reading and writing teachers have discovered that digital storytelling serves as an effective teaching tool for their students. By incorporating these familiar forms of technology into a class, a teacher is able to capture the attention of students while delivering a lesson on reading and writing. Furthermore, a student truly feels involved in the lesson by creating a digital story on a subject he or she really cares about. For instance, a student may create a digital story about a memorable day in his or her life. Alternatively, a student's digital story may feature a historical figure that he or she admires. The student creating the digital story has a reasonable amount of control over what is in the story and how it is presented. This article offers some guidance as well as information to educators who are interested in bringing digital storytelling into their classroom.
