Digital Storytelling Topic Proposal
For my digital story, I am creating a non-fiction narrative of the life of a child in the 1960s. The story will centre around a seven-year-old girl and share stories and artefacts about what life was like for her during this time. Digital artefacts, such as videos and photographs containing hotspots, will be created using artefacts and stories from my mother’s childhood. This digital story is inspired from an interview that my 2018 Year 1/2 class conducted with my grandmother on what life was like when she was a child. Using the information gathered from the interview the children then identify similarities and differences between her life as a child and their lives today.
The main character in the story is seven years old, making it relatable to a junior primary cohort. It aligns with the Australian Curriculum learning area of Humanities and Social Sciences, in particular the Year One History content descriptors of AC9HS1K01 and AC9HS1K02 (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.).
I have chosen Genially (Genially, n.d.) as my creative platform. Genially allows presentations to be presented in an interactive and non-linear way, making it possible for younger students to take control of the story, explore topics of interest and revise content as needed. Supporting digital elements, such as embedded narration, are available within Genially to support early readers in accessing the content. Genially also comes with a vast array of graphics to make it visually appealing to a younger audience.
References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). The Australian Curriculum. https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Genially. (n.d.). Genially. https://genial.ly
4 thoughts on “Digital Storytelling Topic Proposal”
This is such a great idea on a way in which to present a history topic and engage students. I hadn’t previously heard of Genially, but it sounds like a valuable program for teachers and students.
It would also be a great starting point for students to interview their own parent/grandparent/relative and create their own family history storytelling project. Obviously, this would need to be something which is age/level appropriate, but I do remember doing a family history project book on my mum when I was in school and it was such an enjoyable and interesting assignment that it stuck with me – in fact, I still have it packed away somewhere.
Whether students would also be able to use Genially, or a similar program more suited for younger students to use, or complete a paper-based assignment would be something to consider for further learning.
This sounds like an interesting idea, Amanda, and your proposal demonstrates a clear purpose and audience for the proposed digital product created. User needs are succinctly presented and it is very clear where the digital artefact fits in terms of student/patron and institution needs, though I would have liked to see some support from the literature on the value of the digital story as part of this.
I encourage you to consider the reading level of your text while you create, and think about accessibility as you progress your project. I look forward to seeing your assessment piece!
Amanda, your proposal sounds fascinating and has the potential to be a memorable and meaningful learning experience. Connections to the curriculum are clear and concise with the digital story being personal and unique for your students by the addition of artifacts from your mother.
I had not heard of Genially prior to your proposal, but having now explored it online it appears to be a fantastic choice for your age group. You mention that this program allows students to navigate and explore, do you envisage using that function with your students or will it be more teacher-instructed led viewing? Depending on device access, students could work in small mixed-ability reading groups, and report back to the whole class on what they have discovered from your story. Considerations of the reading levels of students and the IT capabilities they possess would need to be factored in.
I think your proposal is very exciting and authentic, with the potential for engaging discussion and learning experiences for your students.
Hello Amanda,
What a special subject you have chosen, how beautiful to create the story of your mum’s childhood, and be inspired by your lovely grandmother. A terrific way to make children’s learning relevant and authentic.
I love the way you will be able to personalise the text with recorded narration (maybe by your mum?), which will also increase accessibility to younger readers.
After comparing their lives with that of a child of the 60’s, it would be lovely to see students responding by creating their own text.
Thank you for introducing me to Genially! I’ve had a look at it and will be having a good play when time permits. Looks like a very versatile platform.
I really look forward to seeing your finished work.
Leonie