What is digital storytelling? According to the site Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling it "…revolves around the idea of combining the art of telling stories with a variety of multimedia, including graphics, audio, video, and Web publishing." What makes digital storytelling so dynamic is that it can be used to cover any topic from personal experiences to current events, the possibilities are endless.
Another site, The Center for Digital Storytelling emphasizes the transformative social effect that digital storytelling can have stating that "Whether online, in social media or local communities, or at the institutional/policy level, the sharing of stories has the power to make a real difference." I think this is very true because through sharing people of diverse experiences and backgrounds can come to understand different perspectives. Also, visual imagery can be very powerful. By combining digital imagery with a written or oral narrative it makes the story that is being told that much more vivid and alive to the audience.
There are multiple uses for digital storytelling in the EFL classroom because it is so adaptable to just about any topic. It is a tool that can be used by either teachers or students. I think that as a teacher I might use it to increase student interest in and attention to a topic. For example I could make a video to tell a story or interview someone that tied in with a lesson or unit covered in class. This could make the topic more alive to the students. Also, with the availability of sites such as Skype it is possible to interview and video tape people across the world. Another option for digital storytelling is to have the students work individually or in groups (depending on the availability of equipment) to interview English speakers on a specific topic or to interview each other. This is what I really like about digital storytelling, this element of sharing experiences.
Using interviews as a basis for digital story-telling sounds like a great idea.
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