When I was in the classroom a few years back, one of my favorite units, and a unit my students looked forward to with excitement and a bit of trepidation, was the unit I taught on storytelling. We would talk about the history of storytelling, discuss the elements of a great story and as a culminating activity the students would chose a story to tell to their classmates. The basic parameters were the story had to be 3-5 minutes in length, told orally and students could not use props of any kind. Stories were told with words, sounds, motions and expressions.

The stories they chose to tell could be old favorites. I remember some classic versions of Goldilocks, or they could tell stories they created on their own.

I also remember a few classics performed by yours truly. The kids really liked them. ;-)

We would video the storytelling and then we would all watch them again for feedback. I can vividly remember kids cringing as they got the opportunity often for the first time to see and hear themselves on tape, yet as they watched they gained a great appreciation for themselves and their classmates as they were forced way out of their comfort zones.

As I read and explored the information on digital storytelling, I kept seeing many of the elements that I taught but I felt like the digital tools could take away some valuable learning experiences. Students need to learn how to speak and present in front of audience. Digital storytelling could give them an opportunity to tell a story but to hide themselves at the same time. I have mentioned frequently in this blog how important I believe communication skills are for success in the 21st century and I have also stated that communication can take on many shapes and sizes. Digital storytelling is certainly another shape and size but I would hate for it to become a way for students to avoid having to speak and present in front of an audience.

Perhaps it is my old school nature, but I worry and want everyone to remember to keep technolgy in it's place. Technology can make teachers better but it still can not replace great teaching. Let's make sure that technology doesn't become the driving force in the classroom. It is a tool for teaching not the teacher.

Now on to Kerpoof!