How digital storytelling builds 21st century skills

Czarnecki, Kelly. "Chapter 3: How digital storytelling builds 21st century skills." Library Technology Reports 45.7 (Oct 2009): 15(5). Educators 200 Collection. Gale

Summary:
As part of a multi-chapter series in the publication, Library Technology Reports, Czarnecki describes the qualities of digital storytelling that make students ready to build 21st century skills applicable to any curricula. Highlighting the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) standards, Czarnecki goes to show how digital storytelling satisfies each one:
-creativity and innovation
-communication and collaboration
-research and information fluency
-critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
-digital citizenship
-technology operations and concepts
In satisfying these standards through digital storytelling, Czarnecki shows how students will be better prepared to join the 21st century workforce, which according to the 1999 Department of Education report called for a more technologically-oriented workforce equipped with basic, technology, creative and problem solving skills. The article also features a digital storytelling project in the Scott County schools in partnership with the county library and how digital storytelling created the bridge between the schools and the community.

Reflection:
This article really opened my eyes to the changing role of libraries in the community. I've seen how librarians are now considered in many places to be new media specialists and library media technicians, and it is no wonder why when there are more and more libraries opening their doors to digital storytelling project collaborations. This led me to research further the Scott County schools project and it was interesting to find out that it's been almost a decade since digital storytelling has been developing and practiced in schools. It makes me more aware of a growing sense of digital storytelling, becoming almost a social necessity for our need to express real human stories.

Quotes:
"Digital storytelling, like traditional storytelling, is an exercise in communication and a creative process that requires participants to visualize and use their imaginations."

"By creating a video as the end result, participants had to use critical thinking and problem solving in order to convey a coherent message."

"By using digital media to research a serious issue and then convey messages about it to other people, the students participated in a commendable act of teaching and awareness-raising."