Digital Storytelling Video Review

As I sifted through the videos posted on www.storycenter.org/, I couldn’t help but notice how heavy much of the content was. The stories’ themes tackled the difficult loss of a loved one, relocation due to destruction of homes and war, and personal sacrifice. These stories were sad, but with poignant, teachable moments.

The video that struck me the most, the one I chose to reflect upon for this assignment, was entitled “Helpless” by Adrian Nava. I think it hit me the hardest because it was created by a young boy, just a kid, reflecting on the horrors of growing up in a neighborhood that was, as he said, “swarming,” with violence and fear. Whereas many of the digital stories were sobering and sad, this video made me cry because, unlike many other videos, there was no glimmer of hope at the end. No message of a brighter tomorrow. When asked where he would like to live, where he might feel safe, he said that he would have to name a place that is fake, for every place has its problems and the only place in which he could feel safe was in his imagination. And I cried. I cried for the young boy who has given up hope of a safe, happy childhood when he is still just a boy. I cried for the child who has experienced so much fear and violence that he does not believe in the possibility of a home in which he could be out of harm’s way.

This could be a great piece for students when learning about other’s perspectives and the difficulties that children around the world have to endure. This child lives in Denver, CO, not a community that one would commonly associate with violence and oppression. It would be an eye opener for many students who think that these conditions couldn’t exist in their own backyard.

So, as an educator, how would I attempt to assess this piece? As I said, this video was done by a child. His age is not revealed, but you can hear in his voice that he is still quite young. That said, it does state that he had help completing this project through workshops and a community group. Although the description states that he had support in taking the photographs, I’d like to believe that the verbal content of his story is his alone. As a teacher, you could assess this content. Listen for the elements of a good story. Did he create a strong beginning, middle, end? Did he create a hook to grab the audience’s attention? Was his word choice and the overall focus of the piece age appropriate? You could also assess on the visual content. Was the student able to insert the pictures? Did the video flow from image to image in a way that made sense and was pleasing to the eye? Assessing a digital story does not seem to be too different than assessing a story written with pencil and paper. The teacher needs to ensure that all elements of a solid story are still present in the digital format.