Methods and practices of storytelling

Digital storytelling allows participants to: tell their own stories, learn digital media skills, and build confidence and self-esteem. The method places the stories under the control of the storyteller. Participants find digital storytelling fun: it is a way to reach people who think that education is ‘not for them’; it can help to develop language and literacy skills through storytelling and scriptwriting; it can give people a kick-start in developing their skills and improving their chances to gain employment; it offers a way to engage thoughtfully with experience.
Digital storytelling has been used in health and teacher education for developing students’ professional identity and as a tool for self-reflection whereby students make and share digital stories about their practice experiences. As a practice, it helps to foster higher-order thinking skills, develops digital literacy, and is, “the aggregating element capable of turning our students into true 21st century learners”.
For the digital storytelling workshops, a digital film is:
- a 2-minute film (~250 words)
- a personal story
- written, recorded, and edited by the filmmaker
- uses photos/drawings by the filmmaker (10-30 photos)
- can also use video, animation, and music
- any images or music have to be copyright free
Digital storytelling workshops typically begin with a story circle, creating a trusting atmosphere and getting to know each other through activities. Story prompts are given to elicit concentrated thoughts as to the most powerful elements to be developed from a lifetime of memories. Storytelling exercises introduce methods and encourage the sharing of material.
Participants are then introduced to the principles of narrative: narrator, voice, and background. They also learn about camera work and film techniques. Short scripts are written, following which the voiceovers are recorded. Participants scan photographs from albums or take new photos of people and objects. Others make images through drawing, making simple stop frame animations or computer software animations such as Adobe Flash
Participants then move to edit. The imagery and animation are built into film editing software which is combined with the voiceover. The results are then shared in the form of group shows, and exhibitions in public spaces or online.
(https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/digitalstorytelling/what-is-digital-storytelling/)
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