Take Six: Elements of Good Storytelling
After sharing her first story, Ms. Medina said, “See? I almost wasn’t a teacher at all!” Joshua, sarcastic as usual, shouted out, “Good!” After sharing the second story, she turned back to Joshua asking, “Do you still feel like saying ‘good’ after this one?” “No,” Joshua said, “The first one was just a summary, like the words on the back of a book. It’s telling what happened, but not telling it real. But I feel sad after the second one about how that teacher treated you. You had to kinda face a bully, but you won. You made it very real.”

Then something very interesting happened­—Joshua volunteered first to tell his story. Normally, Joshua is a Hockey Player—capital H, capital P, ALL Hockey, ALL the time. Joshua told us very briefly about being six years old and choosing to play hockey for the first time with a traveling team. He talked about getting up at 4 AM, going to practices early in the morning before light and coming home late at night when it was dark. He talked about having no time for family and no time for friends.

In that moment, Joshua became more than just a Hockey Player to us—Joshua became a scared, insecure human being. This is not the boy his classmates are used to—usually wisecracking, quick witted, and sarcastic. This person sounded like he wasn’t so sure that being ALL Hockey, ALL the time was the best choice. This person sounded unsure—not his words—but his voice. At the end of the period, I took Joshua aside. I told him that knowing him as I do, I couldn’t imagine him not playing hockey. I told him this is the reason I find his story fascinating. “You do?” he seemed surprised. “I think you sacrifice an awful lot for that sport, and I think there is a seriously interesting emotional level to your story that other people can relate to. Consider doing it in your group with the Frost poem.” He smiled, “Okay.”

Sharing Stories that Need to Be Told
"After a digital storytelling is shared, it should be remembered for its soul, not the bells and whistles of technology." —Bernajean Porter

Good storytelling reaches down deep into our minds, hearts, and spirits—it connects the humanity in all of us. Through storytelling elements we can craft stories about life, experiences, and understandings into being very real for others. Good storytelling lets our students be deeply heard and honored. And those are the stories that need to be told!

Next Issue: Don’t miss The Art of Digital Storytelling: Part II Digital Storytelling in the Classroom!

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