A RESPONSE TO LITERATURE

Digital Storytelling

Response to Literature

Efferent reading: Nonaesthetic reading where the reader’s attention is focused primarily on the information to be inquired

Aesthetic reading: The reader’s primary concern is with what happens during the actual reading event.

Aesthetic Reading

…the reader’s attention is centered directly on what he is living through during his relationship with that particular text (Rosenblatt, 1994)

The concept of transaction emphasizes the relationship with, continuing awareness of, the text…concentration on the words of the text is perhaps even more keen than in an efferent reading

What do the words evoke for the reader?

Combining Reader Response with Multiliteracies

Multiliteracies refers to the literacies used today (The New London Group, 1996)

The term came out of a discussion that focused on “the changing word and the new demands placed on people as makers of meaning in changing workplaces, as citizens in changing public spaces and in the changing dimensions of our community lives – our lifeworlds” (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000, p. 4)

Multiliteracies cont.

The group called for literacy pedagogy to account for the following:

- “the context of our culturally and linguistically diverse and increasingly globalised societies,”

- “the multifarious cultures that interrelate and the plurality of texts that circulate,” and

- “the burgeoning variety of text forms associated with information and multimedia technologies” (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000, p. 9)

Advancing the Potential of Digital Story in the Classroom

Digital story can:invite students to employ old and new literaciessupport students as writers (Sylvester &

Greenidge, 2009)provide a voice to struggling readers and writers

(Bull & Kajder, 2004)help to develop critical thinking and reflection

(Sadik, 2008)Construct a safe and empowering space for cross-

cultural collaboration and learning (Benmayor, 2008)

Definition of Digital Story

A digital story is a multimedia text consisting of still images complemented by a narrated soundtrack to tell a story or present a documentary; sometimes video clips are embedded between images (Sylvester & Greenidge, 2009)

Digital Storytelling grew out of the work of Joe Lambert and Dana Atchley at the Center of Digital Storytelling at U.C. Berkeley at 1993

The focus of their work is based on the premise that everyone has a story tell.

The Seven Elements of Effective Digital Stories

A point of viewA dramatic questionEmotional contentEconomyPacingThe gift of your voiceAn accompanying soundtrack

A point of view

Stories need to be constructed from a person’s own experience

Using the first-person pronoun “I” rather than the more distant third-person point of view is essential

Dramatic Question

Narratives that lead the reader to become invested typically pursue a compelling question that evokes interest and commitment.

Emotional Content

Effective digital stories evoke an emotion from the audience.

Economy

The most difficult element to attain in digital storytelling

According to the Center for Digital Storytelling, the story should consist of a short two- to three- minute vignette. This limits the script to a single double-spaced page.

Pacing

Pacing refers to the rhythm of the story and the ability of the story to move the reader forward.

Voice & Expression

The storyteller uses pitch and inflection to convey meaning and intent in a very personal way.

Soundtrack

Properly employed music can enhance and underscore the accompanying story.

Digital Storytelling is Transformative

Bibliography

Benmayor, R. (2008). Digital storytelling as a signature pedagogy for the new humanities. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, Vol. 7 (2), pps. 188-204

Bull, G. & Kajder, S. (2004). Digital Storytelling in the Language Arts Classroom. Learning & Leading with Technology, Vol. 32(4), pps. 47-49

Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (Eds.). 2000. Multiliteracies. London: Routledge

Hull, G. & Nelson, M. (2005). Locating the semiotic power of multimodality. Written Communications, Vol. 2292), pps. 224-261.

Bibliography Cont.

Lambert, J. (2007). Digital Storytelling Cookbook. Digital Diner Press

Rosenblatt, L. 1994). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of the literary work. Southern Illinois University Press.

Sadik, A. (2008). Digital Storytelling: A meaningful technology-integrated approach for engaged student learning. Education Tech Research Dev, Vol. 56, pps. 487-506.

Sylvester, R. & Greenidge, W. (2009). Digital Storytelling: Extending the potential for struggling writers. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 63(4), pps. 284-295.