Digital Storytelling is for All Ages

“If interactions with digital media blur academic boundaries for experienced professors, what effect does it have on younger generations who grew up with it?” (Sukovik 2014). 

Digital Storytelling is used to tell short stories using technology. They can include text, pictures, sound, and video, but have an overall narrative. 

A study was done in Australia, encouraging high school students to read and write while boosting creativity and interest in reading. They were to take a part of a favorite book, focus on something in the book that was not explained or focused on by the author, then expand on that topic. It could explore a background character, provide an alternate ending or go off in another direction entirely. The students simply had to include different elements in digital format, whether it be photos, movie editing, video, etc.

 “While an ability to work ‘across’ the field does not necessarily make one creative, it is nonetheless a powerful enabler of creativity” (Sukovik 2014).

While the studies found that confidence with electronics and group and individual work ethic impacted the work, all students gained knowledge and ability in categories that were measured, such as Writing, visual expression and modes of communication and IT Skills.

Works:

M. (2009, June 11). Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU1SkaTsv78

Suzana Sukovic (2014) iTell: Transliteracy and Digital Storytelling, Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 45:3, 205-229, DOI: 10.1080/00048623.2014.951114

M. (2009, June 11). Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU1SkaTsv78

Presentation Tools in Libraries

                                           Image from PCMag


One of the main concepts I’ve learned as a student in the LIT program at Palomar College is the importance of information literacy.  According to the ALA, information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” It is a necessary skill to cultivate as a librarian and it is becoming clearer and clearer how important it is for people entering the job market as well as for those hoping to advance in their careers. In their benchmark study, Information Literacy and Office Tool Competencies: A Benchmark Study,  John Heinrichs and Jeen-Su Lim list proficiency with presentation tools as an important component of information literacy and a necessary skill in the current knowledge-based economy, particularly for the library or information professionals.  Employers want employees who are knowledgeable in information technology.
     Libraries and librarians as information professionals should be at the forefront of this technology.  Academic and school libraries such as the Luise V. Hanson Library at Waldorf College found Prezi was perfectly suited to demonstrate "concept mapping" to their student population and found it particularly useful when creating a presentation that walks students through the decision-making process entitled  "When Should I Cite?" (Kiscaden)
     As libraries continue to change and evolve into community centers and offer programs geared toward their users needs it would seem that presentation tools should begin to take a front seat in library programming.  Wouldn't it be great to have an area where people could come and create and learn? 

Interested in the latest and greatest presentation tools out there?   Click here to read about 20 of them: 20 Tools for Creating and Delivering Amazing Presentations 

Listen to a Librarian run down her favorite presentation tools and why!

Works Cited

ALA. “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.” Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, American Library Association, 20 July 2007, www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&template=%2FContentManagement%2FContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=33553.

Heinrichs, John H. and Lim Jeen-Su. "Information Literacy and Office Tool Competencies: A Benchmark Study." Journal of Education for Business, vol. 85, no. 3, Jan/Feb2010, pp. 153-164. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/08832320903252371.

Kiscaden, Elizabeth. "Promoting Information Literacy with Prezi." Computers in Libraries, vol. 34, no. 2, Mar. 2014, pp. 4-7. EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=95005737&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Presentation Tools in Libraries

The Every Child Ready to Read tool kit was first introduced in 2011, however, the second edition is currently available and can be purchased through the American Library Association. According to the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA), “the tool kit includes research information that enables public libraries and early literacy centers to present workshops which help parents/caregivers with the development of early literacy by incorporating five practices: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing to develop language and pre-reading skills in children from birth to age five.”

In the article, “Every Child Ready to Read,” Dorothy Stoltz, an outreach coordinator for Carrol County Public Library uses the kit to instruct parents in low income and low education communities as a tool to help parent and children learn fundamental principles and skill of early literacy development. She uses PowerPoint slides from the kit to create fun activities at the library. (Stoltz 25)

Every Child Ready to Read took kit is a great source to build relationships with parents and caregivers at a public library. A library changes with time and adapts to the needs of the community. The library environment has changed to include play times, sing-a-long-time in order to create a more inviting place for children and parents while developing educational skills necessary for early development in children.

The toolkit is available in English and Spanish and can be purchased through the American Library Association webpage.

Work Cited

American Library Association. “Every Child Ready to Read, Second Edition Kit.”

      https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/every-child-ready-read-second-edition-kit.

Seminole County Public Library Systems. “Storytime Reading.” Youtube, 2 Dec. 2015,

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8DSmpCsx9Y&list=PLPei7-8-BknGiA8dkM90OHrQQtagMHsHM.

St. Mary’s County Library. “Introduction- Every Child Ready to Read.” Youtube, 27 Feb. 2015.  

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrOrvGUKydQ&list=PL5uUHbiUciHwlbgMwzgwenJAjG1TlR1Dv

Stoltz, Dorothy. “Every child ready to read engaging parents, reenergizing librarians.” Eric, Children

    Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Services to Children. Summer/Fall 2013, pp.

    25-26.

     http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.palomar.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

     vid=8&sid=31c8e70b-0123-4faa-8858-dbff5b6622b0%40sessionmgr120. Accessed: 26 Apr. 

     2018.

Digital Storytelling

           Storytelling in one form or another has been part of being human since man drew on the walls of caves.  It is an ancient tradition that is still alive and well today although in decidedly different forms.  In the technological age telling your story is as common and simple as posting pictures of what you had for lunch on Snapchat or Instagram.   There’s even a component of both apps specifically for telling your “story”…digital storytelling at its most basic and personal. 

            What is also true about humanity is the drive to make our lives easier and better using the advances in science and technology.  You’ll find it in classrooms, libraries, community centers, museums, business of all kinds, and more.  Digital storytelling is being used by educators, librarians, and business people.  It is being used to “integrate technology into the classroom, support language learning, facilitate discussion, increase social presence, and more” (Robin, pg. 18).  The list of uses and the people who create them is long and growing. 

            Why is this medium so popular? Throughout the articles I read and the videos I watched I found a common thread, visual information evokes emotion.  We connect emotionally to the material and it sticks in our brains making it a useful tool to persuade, instill, and connect.  In Enter Here: Personal Narrative and Digital Storytelling Sara Kajder challenged her students who were from a diverse and socioeconomically challenged area to create a 3-5 minute personal narrative on a question of their choice.  Her students began to read as a way to relate their own personal experiences—“they were reading to relate, to understand, and to transform their understanding of texts” ( 65).  This is a personal connection to learning, and that is a powerful tool.

            

 An infographic that illustrates the effects of storytelling on the brain.

                                              Image courtesy of the Copy Collective

 

This short and fun Tedx Talk from Ashley Fell gives a great message about why storytelling is so powerful in the digital era.

Interested in trying out digital storytelling on your own?  Here is a recent article on storytelling platforms from Uncubed, Our 9 Favorite Multimedia Storytelling Platforms for 2018.

                                        

                                       

 Works Cited 

Sara B. Kajder. “Enter Here: Personal Narrative and Digital Storytelling.” The English Journal, vol. 93, no. 3, 2004, pp. 64–68. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4128811.

Robin, Bernard R. "The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning." Digital Education Review, no. 30, 01 Dec. 2016, pp. 17-29. EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1125504&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Libraries in the Digital Age

This era is influenced by our digital environment, students access information much differently than in other periods in time, and library sources and services must meet their needs.  School libraries can meet the needs of students by modernizing or adapting a library web page.

In “Your Library Goes Virtual,” Audrey Church, recommends using “the school library webpage as an opportunity to inform, guide, and instruct.”

The goal of libraries is to promote reading and supporting research which can be achieved in a virtual setting in today’s digital environment.

There are some different ways to promote reading by adapting a virtual library, such as,

·      Access to Online Catalog, 24/7

·      eBooks, providing and having accessibility to different materials in different formats

·      Reading List, having suggestions for different reading sources for different Reading Grade Levels

·      Book Recommendations, giving students the opportunity to have a voice in their school community by providing opinions and suggestions.

Supporting Research can be achieved by

·      Subscription Databases, having links & basic description for students for educational research

·      Curriculum Related Web Sites, subscription link to a product,

Examples: NetTrekker & Gale’s Web Feet

·      Information Literacy Skills, a pathfinder for everyday research having instructional 

     guides for effective research.

Keep in mind the importance of having a webpage that has a mission, easy access to search and simple navigation. 

http://www.knovationlearning.com/solutions/nettrekker

Work Cited

Church, Audrey. "Your Library Goes Virtual: Promoting Reading and Supporting Research." Library 

     Media Connection, vol. 25, no. 3, 01 Jan. 20006, pp. 10-13. EBSCO host, 

     login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

     direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ762347&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.