Lights, Cameras, Action! Digital Storytelling in ESL Classrooms

Digital storytelling is an effective way to get the creativity juices flowing in either an online classroom or a traditional one. This is because in the day and age we live in we are used to watching documentaries or docuseries, even if we don’t know it. Reality television has been the root of this, I think. Getting the opportunity to be in front of and behind the camera to make your own digital story is compelling. This is especially useful in a classroom where students don’t get to share their hobbies and interests face-to-face. In an ESL classroom this would be a great way to introduce students and their cultures to each other without having the uncomfortable feeling of speaking in front of a classroom of people. 

As Educase showcased the story of David and his love for blues guitar, this can be done on multiple topics. Many universities are now implementing digital storytelling into their curriculum. It can be possible that students entering your class will have already learned these skills but if not it provides a wonderful opportunity for them to learn it for the first time. “Among the initiative’s stated goals are, for faculty, to facilitate various learning styles and connect to students’ interest in technology, and for students, to develop their ability to appropriately evaluate and use  online content and electronic tools as a means of personal expression.” This can be easily developed into an art form. Even more beneficial is its possible use in all content areas or even for group projects. 

If you're interested in incorporating digital storytelling into your class there are tons of information found at storycenter.org. They feature stories and also hold workshops where you can get more information. This would be a great foundation for any instructor to expand on. I would also provide this resource with students so they can learn from examples and also brainstorm. 

If You Can't Beat 'Em...

While watching two interesting videos on the past and present states of the education paradigm often made me reflect on my own experiences during my time in different public education systems. Reflecting on the memories I can still remember vividly; most of them have a common thread: some form of technology. I most often remember the videos that were played in class. The whispering rumor about the "Miracle of Life" video that would be played in our next health class. Or the first time I was introduced to computers (outside of playing Solitaire) to learn and identify the geography of the USA.

It was while watching Changing Education Paradigms it dawned on me that while I was a kid in elementary school I searched for a different way to learn about the new culture I was immersed in while learning the proper grammatical features of my L2. The documentary covers the emergence of public education and the state in which it is now. With our society being so heavily reliant on social media and the technology that ties us to it we have begun to exclude the very things that hold our interest from our classrooms. It is notable that the documentary elaborates on the growing rate of stimuli children are confronted with on a daily basis and the direct correlation to the growing rate to ADHD diagnosis.

"We already live in a time of disconnect, where the classroom has stopped reflecting the world outside its walls." Educational Change Challange confronts the great debate on why all students grouped in the same age are supposed to be on the same learning level and are supposed to learn the same way. Incorporating technology in our classrooms and our lessons will help not only make our students excited to learn but also to incorporate what they so often use at home for an educational purpose. Instead of fighting to keep technology outside of our classrooms we need to begin an emphasis on incorporating it. As both documentaries point out; the purpose of an education is to prepare our students for the world outside of it. If the world outside includes many facets of technology, why aren't we incorporating them inside our classrooms?