What is a "Digital Native?"
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| Attribution: The Berkman Center for Internet and Society |
I enjoyed the above video example of Digital Storytelling especially as it attempts to illuminate the permanence of items we choose to place into various online social media. It has a consistent presentation format, a neat piece of xylophone music and a clear textual message. The series of digital images/photographs were clearly and deliberately chosen to narrate a story with a particular message or viewpoint. The music builds in association with the time-lined imagery and gives a sense of adventure, activity, and constant movement and change: neatly echoing the message.
This digital story records the changes in online identity of one supposed "Digital Native" as she develops and alters her looks, interests, and emotional and intellectual personality. As the creators metaphorically summarize, " Her identity is a performance and social media platforms are her stage." The video also concludes that despite the ongoing personal changes that develop with age and maturity, all previous identities remain in their wake: they all exist online at the same time.
Representing research in this digital manner, with carefully selected visuals and related text, tells a particular story: the recording presents one telling of the story, or one perspective/viewpoint toward the public-ness of much of our digital world and interactions within it. The "authors" of this narrative hold a definite stance toward the social-media world and the situation of individuals within it: they have also made particular choices regarding the best way to share the results of their study and the conclusions they have reached. And so, the video expresses a particular understanding of the experience of others and self. It illustrates the power of digital multi-media to communicate meaning. In addition, by uploading to a public platform there is a possibility that the message is received by many and in many disparate places.
This example of digital storytelling uses the Prezi online application to create an interesting mix of text, images, and non-linear progressions to tell the story of the increasing use of online games as social and learning spaces. Discussion forums allow players to collaborate on designing new games, share ideas, consult on strategies, and explore each participant's online creations. As the video producers claim, here we experience how "play and learning go together."
These videos belongs to a collection of such interpretations produced by interns at The Berkman Center at Harvard University. The task was to create a set of videos to accompany and represent each chapter or topic of the John Palfrey and Urs Gasser book, Born Digital. Each video is available on the Born Digital, In Video site where students' own perspectives and experiences are digitally narrated. The creators are represented as Reporters in the Field.
There are amazing examples of digital storytelling techniques as well as amazing stories to watch and listen to--some will make you cry--here at the Center for Digital Storytelling
I'll close this post with an amusing, clever example of very effective use of a simple combination of gentle music, video, and vocal narration: It underscores the power of the oral storyteller to this day! I loved the careful choices of color setting in the background for most of this video and just a few inserts that help to underline the message. You'll love this!
The Thumber from Nathan Ross on Vimeo.
There are many web resources for samples, examples, and useful connections referencing digital storytelling, whether as research narrative or purely a sharing of ideas and the like, such as:
Center for Digital Story Telling at URL http://www.storycenter.org/index1.html
Digital Storytelling at URL http://electronicportfolios.com/digistory/
The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling at URL http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/
Creative Narrations: Multimedia for Community Development at URL http://www.creativenarrations.net/stories
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