One Teacher's Experience

Tom Banaszewski is an Educator/Multimedia Author at Maria Hastings School in Lexington, MA. In this article http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan02/banaszewski.htm he explains his own journey in teaching fourth and fifth graders how to create their own digital stories through the Place Project. Students begin by selecting a topic. The only requirement is that it must be about a particular place that holds meaning for them. He explains how students are encouraged to develop their topics and how those topics are then translated into visual images; either drawings that the students make themselves or locate on the computer. He also goes through the process of instructing the technological aspects of the project and the time considerations that must be made for a class of 24 students.

Through this article it is easy to see the wealth of learning experiences each student achieves while having fun developing their own digital story. Students reflect on the importance of a special place in their lives, develop their thoughts into a story, exercise their writing abilities, share their writing and ideas with their fellow students, express their thoughts both orally and visually, while at the same time learning a new technological application. What aspects of Tom Banaszewski's digital storytelling project do you find most valuable for students?

What is Digital Storytelling?

Digital Storytelling is the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling. Digital stories derive their power by weaving images, music, narrative and voice together, thereby giving deep dimension and vivid color to characters, situations, experiences, and insights. - Digital Storytelling Association

The above quote was taken from a comprehensive website on digital storytelling http://electronicportfolios.org/digistory/. This website includes examples as to the many ways in which digital storytelling is utilized in Education, provides tools for creating and publishing digital stories, as well as international digital storytelling resources.

In my own words, a digital story is a short (usually five minutes or less) digital video clip which includes voice narration of a story accompanied by illustrations and/or still images and background music to add tone and feeling to the story. To see a digital story (less than 3 minutes in length) about how to make a digital story, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LknwS15wSx8.