We Learn in the Form of Stories

Abstract

This article discusses the use of digital storytelling to enable pre-service teachers to develop critical digital literacy skills. Digital storytelling and new literacies share the same set of abilities: 1) finding, evaluating and consuming digital content; 2) exploring identity and cultural landscapes; 3) creating new digital materials drawing from multiple media; and 4) communicating what was found or created with an audience. The study is based on the essays of pre-service teachers enrolled in Cultural Foundations of Education, who produced two digital stories. Responses showed that they believed the assignments helped them become more reflective, culturally aware and media savvy, and led them to a critical and practical knowledge of multimodal content production. Digital storytelling, then, utilizes almost all of the critical digital skills and literacies pre-service teachers are expected to bring to diverse, globalized, and technology-infused 21st century classrooms.