Digital Storytelling: How is it used?

Photo by Karin Dalziel

     Before we can learn about how to use digital storytelling we must understand exactly what it is.  Digital storytelling is "the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories" ("The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling").  More specifically, it is "a short, first person video-narrative created by combining recorded voice, still and moving images, and music or other sounds" ("Center for Digital Storytelling").  According to "7 Things you should know about digital storytelling", a simple digital story can consist of "a set of slides with corresponding naration or music".  A more complex digital story would combine "narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video, to create a short movie".
    
     Now, that we know that a digital story is a computer-based set of images or video combined with music or sounds to create a movie or slideshow, we can move on to the question: How can digital storytelling be used?  One way it can be used is to tell a story about personal tales of historical events.  If done correctly, these stories can be very emotional and effective in connecting with students.  Another way it could be used it to do a "show and tell".  This could introduce vocabulary by showing pictures and then orally or in writing present the vocabulary word that goes with the picture.  One more way it could be used is to have students create their own digital stories in a second language telling about either their own story or an imaginary story that they have created.  This is a great way to incorporate language and technology in the classroom to get the students more involved and having fun in school.