The concept of digital storytelling is an interesting one in that it truly revolutionises a traditional method of teaching. Storytelling is often used in classrooms to retell historical events and also to develop students’ written and aural literacy skills. Robin (2008) comments that digital storytelling can be used by teachers as an introductory tool in order to engage students immediately with new content. This is certainly true and it can be seen that digital storytelling has numerous other advantages for students, including giving students a grounding in skills including digital literacy, visual literacy, technology literacy and information literacy (Robin, 2008). I, however, believe digital storytelling to be a tool that has its limits in an educational context.
Digital storytelling is certainly a useful tool in history classrooms in order to really allow history to come to life for students; however it should not be used in every lesson as the novelty may soon wear off for students. Furthermore, it remains to be seen how effective such a tool would be in a senior classroom as opposed to a grade eight or grade nine classroom. Furthermore, whilst digital storytelling might be an incredibly useful tool in a Drama or Science classroom it may not be as effective in a Manual Arts classroom or might not be able to be used as frequently. Thus, digital storytelling should be looked upon as being a useful tool but perhaps not the first technology that schools should invest in or create professional development days for. Other technologies such as interactive whiteboards and laptops would be a wiser investment as they could be more widely used across the school community.
Digital storytelling is a new and exciting tool that can be used in the classroom, however it must be kept in perspective and not be used endlessly. Jason Ohler (2005) comments on this when he states that digital storytelling should be “tied to the curriculum”. Therefore, the use of digital storytelling in a context where it doesn’t necessarily have educational advantages for the students should be avoided as this will temper the excitement of this new technology and might mean that students become disengaged when it comes to using digital storytelling for an educational purpose.
If digital storytelling is used appropriately, however, it can certainly engage and excite students in new ways, particularly in regards to history. This video demonstrates the way in which history, in this case an introduction to the six wives of Henry VIII, can be brought to life through digital storytelling.
Works Cited:
Robin, B. (2008). Digital Storytelling: A Powerful Technology Tool for the 21st Century Classroom. Theory into Practice, 47(3), 220-228. doi: 10.1080/00405840802153916
Digital Story Credits:
About Anne of CLEAVES (Queen of England) [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.tudorplace.com.ar/aboutAnneofCleaves.htm
Catherine Parr >> The Anne Boleyn Files [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.theanneboleynfiles.com/bios/catherine-parr/
Childbearing: Queen Katherine of Aragon and Lady Maud Parr [Image] (2012). Retrieved from http://tudorqueen6.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/childbearing-queen-katherine-of-aragon-and-lady-maud-parr/
Execution of Anne Boleyn: Anne Boleyn’s Speech on the Scaffold [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/anneboleynscaffold.htm
Gallery of Renaissance Portraits [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.illusionjewels.com/renaissanceportraitgallery.html
Kathryn Howard Gallery [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from tudorhistory.org/howard/gallery.html
loosely.jpg [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/edward6.html
On Henry VIII and the mystery of the missing male heirs [Image] (2013). Retrieved from www.lastwordonnothing.com
Onyx Book Chateau: On this day…January 6th [Image] (2012). Retrieved from bookchateau.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/on-this-day-january-6th.html
Popular: The Six Wives of Henry VIII [Image] (2012). Retrieved from http://garethrussellpopular.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/six-wives-of-henry-viii.html
Queen Katherine Parr (c.1512-1548) [Katharine, Catherine [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/katherineparr.htm
The Six Wives of Henry VIII (n.d.). Retrieved from tudorhistory.org/wives/
Tea at Trianon: Execution of Catherine Howard [Image] (2011). Retrieved from teattrianon.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/execution-of-catherine-howard.html
23 May 1533- Archbishop Cranmer Declares the Annulment of Henry VIIIs marriage to Catherine of Aragon [Image] (2012). Retrieved from http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/23-may-1533-archbishop-cranmer-declares-the-annulment-of-henry-viiis-marriage-to-catherine-of-aragon/
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