Go Teachers Go!!!

Digital Storytelling as an Educational Tool: Standards, Planning, and Literacy

The first thing that came to mind after reading this chapter was "wow I wish all teachers could read this I think they would be empowered realizing how much kids need their grounded knowledge". Yes, students these days are experts on youtube.com and most likely have a blog for everyday of the week documenting the teenage woes of Tuesday that is linked to their website they made named after their pet hamster. This being said many kids operate on a somewhat spastic level with technology and do not know how to use it in any sort of organized formal context that they can apply in either an academic community or a professional one.

 

This Kid Needs a TEACHER!!

 This is where the teachers come in! This chapter really talked about how the concrete knowledge of textual structure can be combined with the digital literacy of the students to create a powerful tool for learning. Many people have commented on the enlightenment of the DAOW but it is truly a great way to approach the concept of digital story telling and learning. The great amount of knowledge that students have access to before they even step into the classroom has transformed the role of the teacher from a provider of knowledge to a facilitator. Ohler said it well regarding teachers with different levels of digital proficiency,

"A non-technically oriented teacher with an open mind and good classroom management skills can be very successful in a digital age classroom. On the other end of the spectrum, teachers can decide that they need to have an advanced understanding of new media in order to be truly responsible and helpful. As long as they see themselves as a resource and not a gateway through which students need to pass to gain access to resources and knowledge, they too can be very successful."

Jason B. Ohler. Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity (p. 43). Kindle Edition. 

Bottom line is that students need what teachers in today's classrooms have to offer regardless of their digital literacy. If teachers can be honest with themselves about their own abilities and have the right attitude they can adjust to the classrooms of today and help students master their own skills and channel them in a constructive and positive way.