Module 2: Digital Storytelling

There are different ways that we can tell our stories.  We can tell it orally, by writing it down, or maybe even act it out.  But, these past few weeks in class, we have experienced the art of digital storytelling.  Digital storytelling can enlighten the minds of others and teach the audience in a different, but exciting way that is captivating.  This is a very complex and enriching process, that, when done right, results in a magnificent work of art which could then be used to teach others.

For our digital stories, we had to incorporate and explain a teaching standard using our own stories, or stories we wished to tell.  Once we had found our standard, we had to create a unique topic that incorporates our own personal lives with a learning concept.  After we had done that, we were required to develop a narration for our story (using Audacity) as well as a concept map (using bubbl.us) to keep our ideas together and flowing.  Then, we encountered the most difficult part, in my opinion, of creating the digital story:  finding the pictures, audio, sound effects, and combining all of these things to make a video (using WeVideo).

Also with this idea of the digital story, we added an effect to make our story come alive.  Rather than using transitions to travel from picture to picture, we used a technique called the Ken Burns effect.  In short, this involves moving each picture slowly in its frame, zooming in or zooming out, stimulating the mind.  It creates an ambient and peaceful mood when watching the video.

My digital story involved the Reading Standards for Literature 9-10: 6:  "Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature."  My topic for my digital story was about my love for Holocaust Literature, but I used the story of Anne Frank to compliment my personal journey.  I started out by talking about my love for books, specifically Holocaust Literature.  It all started when I watched The Freedom Writers.  In that movie, the book The Diary of a Young Girl was introduced to me as well as that genre.  From that point, I told the story of Anne Frank and her experiences.  Even though our situations may not have been the same, we can learn from her experiences and take a look through her eyes.  Here is my video down below:

I was very passionate about this topic and am joyful that I have completed it to the best of my abilities.  I'm not going to lie.  This was a difficult, riveting process.  As hard as I worked on this project, it took up so much time.  Prioritizing was a key in creating my digital story.  It was very time consuming finding all the pictures to match your narration, and then adding the Ken Burns affect to all of these pictures. While I do find this project difficult, I found it even more worthwhile.  It wasn't until it was finally finished that I could genuinely put a smile on my face.  I could say, "I worked really hard, and my hard work paid off in the end.  I'm proud of my digital story." This experience introduced me to different ways that I can teach and different ways that I could learn.  Creating a digital story was a huge learning experience that I will not forget.  And, hey, who knows?  I may use this when I'm a teacher.