Tim’s Blog

“This year I have learned that places are not just physical matter but emotional places in peoples’ hearts. iMovie has made all my thoughts and feelings come alive in an awesome movie”. This is a reflection made by a fourth grade student in the USA who participated in a project designed by educator, Tom Banaszewski and serves as a fantastic endorsement for the use of digital storytelling in the classroom and the effect it can have on a primary school student. Banaszewski explains that before he facilitated an iMovie task with his students, 60% of his students claimed they were storytellers whilst on completion of the iMovie task 99% of his students stated they were storytellers. This highlights the impact digital media can have on students not only from an e-learning perspective but from a wider educational perspective.

This article is proof that the use of digital media can give students the confidence in their capabilities as scientists, mathematicians and in this case authors. Banaszewski declares with pride that: “For the first time in my teaching career, not one student wrinkled a brow and declared ‘I don’t have something to write about’” He goes on to talk how he stood in awe of his students’ response to the task of composing a story about places they felt comfortable, happy or at home in. Banaszewski states that 50% of the writing battle is getting students something to write about and with the use of iMovie as a stimulus providing extra excitement and motivation this battle was won. This article supports the notion that digital storytelling can extend and broaden students’ motivation in the various KLAs the syllabus provides the teacher with.

Banaszewski, T. (2002). Digital storytelling finds its place in the classroom. Multimedia Schools, 32-41.