Blog 3- DST Project Plan

· What story would you like to explore? 

The story I want to explore is related to culture, reasons for immigration and identity: a current dilemma in my life. As an American expat and feeling torn between two countries and having a child, who I wish could benefit from both worlds, is no easy task to balance. This personal narrative will deal with themes of culture clash and the idea that ‘grass is always greener’. I hope through this story I can convey the message that life exists everywhere and ‘better’ is subjective.

In the article of Digital Story Telling by Brailas (2016) phrased the importance of storytelling: “man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun.” Bouchrika(2023) claims that for adult learners, digital storytelling can provide practical applications for professional growth, and sharpen their ability to articulate ideas effectively. Perhaps my journey, while may not be original, may provide some insight and reference for those in the midst of uncertainty and searching for their own belonging and purposeful life.

Based on Ohler’s(2023) story concepts, my story is a Psychological/ Social realization. The story will follow the basic story map components:

(1) Problem - Does culture/identity matter? Where do I belong?

(2) Transformation - leaving home, traveling, assimilating, finding a community

(3) Solution - moving back to the U.S. and realizing that identity and home is a web of significance that one builds, not obtained through external achievements

For my story mapping and development, I will first start with searching data on immigration trends of Chinese to America, as well as Americans emigrating abroad and reasons for their decisions. Then I will start to write my own reasons for leaving/ returning to the U.S. Having enough background information and ideas laid out, I will be able to focus on significant details and events for writing a script. Once the script is mature, I will begin to consider which digital tools and formats would be most effective to convey my message.

· How might you use this story in an educational environment?

This story could be used in an educational environment as an example of personal narrative, which Kubravi et al.(2018) states that students can learn about people from diverse backgrounds other than their own, gain appreciation of the types of hardships faced, can facilitate discussion about current issues in multiculturalism, and even the story teller can benefit from sharing that story with others.

· Which content and technology standards (ISTE) could be addressed?

The ISTE Standards that could be addressed include:

1.2.a Digital Footprint Students manage their digital identity and understand the lasting impact of their online behaviors on themselves and others and make safe, legal and ethical decisions in the digital world. Sharing this narrative online provides the potential for sharing personal details that can be viewed by a wide range of demographics and having a direct reflection on myself.

1.3.c Curate Information - Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions. Through this project I will need to explore digital tools to create this digital story and make a cohesive project that not only requires I think critically of my own decision making, but also ties into an effective story with a clear message for a perceived audience.

· What tools are you considering to capture, edit, and communicate your story?

I am thinking of utilizing some digital tools that I am familiar with such as Capcut ( video editing software), Doubao (豆包）， a multi-media AI generating platform for creating music and image enhancement, as well as exploring some other interactive platforms such as Scrollytelling. I hope to use imagery and sound from real life as these artifacts will be key as they are both portraying a personal narrative and should be as close to ‘realistic’ as possible.

· How might you assess digital stories?

Assessment of the DST will be developed and based off a rubric that evaluates the following: Rationale for choice,organization and pacing, creativity and engagement, media application, and expression and emotional conveyance.

Which of the readings/resources have been most useful to you in this process?

The most useful readings in development of this process so far have been Ohler’s(2023) Story Concepts, as it is practical, straightforward and a good reference for building a solid story foundation. Also the article by Kubravi et al.(2018), was insightful and listed empirical data for Digital Story Telling and it’s effectiveness in educational settings. This data provided me with confidence and direction for building a DST based off personal experience. I have not had time to explore all of the digital story examples and variety of tools, but for me this project based learning has been informative as I have already been able to utilize a few digital tools like Pixton and Storyboard That. Also being actively involved in creating a rubric for assessing the very stories we are creating has been an engaging assignment that has helped me think more deeply about my own story and consider how I will implement digital tools to achieve my goal.

References:

 

Bouchrika, I. (July 28, 2023). Digital Storytelling: Benefits, Examples, Tools, & Tips Retrieved from: https://research.com/education/digital-storytelling

Brailas, A. (2016). Digital storytelling in the classroom: How to tell students to tell a story. Int. J. of Teaching and Case Studies, 8(1), 16-28. http://doi.org/10.1504/IJTCS.2017.10003059

 

Crompton, H., Burke, D. The Nexus of ISTE Standards and Academic Progress: A Mapping Analysis of Empirical Studies. TechTrends (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-024-00973-y

 

Kubravi, S. U., Shah, S. O., & Jan, K.Links to an external site. (2018). Digital story telling: The impact on student academic achievement, critical thinking and learning motivation. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science, and Management, 1(12)

 

Ohler, J. (2023). How to make a story - Process notes. Retrieved from: http://storyconcepts.blogspot.com/