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Students created digital stories about a defining moment, a message, or a lesson learned from their own lives or the life of someone they know. Through writing, storyboarding, and multiple cycles of critique, students developed their stories and hopefully discovered something new about themselves and others in the process. They collected images, recorded voice-overs and used digital movie-making software to produce their final films, which they shared on their digital portfolios and presented on the big screen for peers and parents at a Digital Storytelling Exhibition Night.

Teacher Reflection
Digital Storytelling has opened up doors to understanding my students better. I thought it would be all about them, their learning, their experience, but I see now that with storytelling, it’s a collective experience. Storytelling is a personal journey and it provides a lens through which to examine how we see ourselves, others, and our world.

The students’ stories had an effect on both the viewers and producers. Many perspectives on the same subject can emerge in these personal accounts of defining life moments. We become witness to one interpretation of a very complex shared story. In the end, these stories are gateways into seeing our students, and learning from and about one another. As we share our stories, we built a community where students are heard and where they listen.

Student Reflection
Over the time we have been studying how to make digital stories, I have learned a lot about myself. The purpose was to really learn who you are and what your milestones or defining moments are. I also learned how to write scripts, use pictures, record my voice, edit, and be a good producer/co-producer. I’m now more comfortable using iMovie and other applications like it. I learned to use the power of digital story telling to get my stories out there. Now I have the ability to show who I am, and express my stories in a whole new way that I never knew existed.

—Rebecca Markowitz, 6th Grade

To learn more visit Zoë’s digital portfolio at
http://dp.hightechhigh.org/~zrandall