Chung Summary

Jessica Cordes, Darrin Gailey, Matthew Anderson

Chung, “Art education technology: Digital storytelling”

                  Summary:

The article examines the role of digital storytelling in the classroom. It is presented as a critical tool for helping students understand, be critical, and make meaning of their world. It gives a general background about how it came about, then discusses different classroom approaches. Students should first explore ideas, then create a script and storyboard before producing it.

Main Points:

-        In a time when multidisciplinary education is being stressed, digital storytelling is very fitting for students to explore many different disciplines and dimensions of creating.

-        Digital storytelling, a process of presenting stories through digital technology, is credited to Dana Atchley and the Center for Digital Storytelling in California.

-        It is important to be aware and respectful of ownership rights, copyright laws, etc.

-        Students should start by exploring topic ideas.

-        The script is prepared by asking questions about the story.

-        Storyboarding is a process of visualizing, like a blueprint for the story.

-        Production is the next phase, and it entails using multimedia programs to actually create the story.

-        Work should be evaluated based on instructor’s expectations regarding the formal and conceptual elements of the story.

-        Critique enables students to participate in a meaningful discussion about their work.

Example:

Jerita’s digital story, as described in the last section before the conclusion, asks about the benefits of art education by interviewing faculty, particularly the principal. Her classmates thought it was a productive way to advocate for art education. This was a good way to use digital media to promote an idea.

Response:

This article was very informative in terms of step-by-step preparation that students should take to learn and understand the process of digital storytelling. Through digital storytelling, students develop and apply multi-literacy skills to their work and their thinking about the world. It raised a lot of questions about the digital age, digital technology in the art world and the role that they play together not only for students, but for the community at large. It was curious how the article, published in 2007, included specific computer programs that may be obsolete even today.