Digital Storytelling Week 3


For my DST project, I am going to share a personal story/narrative as a tribute to my late grandfather and how he impacted my life. My grandfather was a great math teacher and was a major influence in my decision to go into education for my career. Not only did he make me realize I have a passion for teaching, but he also taught me so many valuable life lessons that I will forever be thankful for. From him, I learned to be patient, kind, and how to encourage the importance of lifelong learning. I want to share what an amazing person he was to others by creating this story in his honor. I am the person and teacher I am today because of my grandfather. The purpose I want my story to have is the lasting impact educators can have on people. I hope this story makes readers think back on educators or other influential people in their lives and remember all they have learned from that person. 


Using Ohler’s (2023) framework, I will include the following story elements:

  • Characters- My grandfather and I

  • Problem- I am not sure what life path I want to take

  • Transformation- All of the impactful acts my grandfather did in his life to help me and others.

  • Solution-I look up to my grandfather for guidance, and can find a purpose in myself and what I want to do with my life because of the kind a patient man he was. 

I will also utilize Ohler’s (2023) “Story Mapping” process to develop and map out my project. I will do this by creating an outline of the most important events I want to include in my project. By focusing on the key moments, I can go back and see what moments need voice, overs, animations, visuals, etc. to make the most out of my story and connect with my audience. My goal is to have my audience feel like they know my grandfather and what a great man he was, just like I do. 


In my 4th-grade class, one of the writing assignments we complete is a story about how someone has impacted your life or taught you a lesson. I would love to extend this assignment and add a digital storytelling aspect to this writing piece, so every student can add a personal touch to a personal story, and also always have something to remember that person by. After completing this project myself, I would love to use it as a model/reference for my students to use to create their own. 


This project aligns with the following content area and ISTE standards:


Content-

  • ISBE (2016) Standards for Media Art

    • Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Enduring Understanding: Media artists plan, organize, and develop creative ideas, plans, and models into process structures that can effectively realize the artistic idea. Essential Questions: How do media artists organize and develop ideas and models into process structures to achieve the desired end product?

      • 4th MA: Cr2.1.4 a. Discuss, assemble, and experiment with ideas, plans, and models for media arts productions, considering the artistic goals and the presentation.  


ISTE Standards for Students (2025)-

  • 1.6 Creative Collaborator

    • I can tell my story using a digital platform and other technology tools.

  • 1.1 Empowered Learner

    • I am able to choose the technology tool I feel is most appropriate to create my project.


For this project, I am considering using the following:

  • Audacity- to use for voice recordings

  • Canva- to create visuals with real-life images that fit in the story

  • Adobe Express- to create animations cohesively

  • YouTube- to upload the final project


To assess digital stories, I would use a rubric that is shared with students prior to creating them, so they know exactly what is expected of them. The narrative structure, media use, emotional connections, overall theme/lesson, and visual organization should be assessed through the rubric. There should also be a reflection for the creator to fill out for them to express how they feel about their final product, and teacher feedback, so they know what they can improve on next time. 


Cardello (2022) shares 10 examples of digital storytelling and what can be included in mine. I have created digital posters and slideshows in the past, but telling a story digitally is new to me. When I first heard about the final project and what it entails, I had no idea where I was even going to begin. To be able to see different examples of how I can share my story has been a huge help, and I feel like I have a good idea of what I want to use to create mine. 


References:


Cardello, J. (2022, October 14). 10 digital storytelling examples (and techniques to try). Vev. https://www.vev.design/blog/digital-storytelling-examples/


Illinois State Board of Education. (2016). Illinois arts learning standards: Media arts. IllinoisArtsLearning.org.


International Society for Technology in Education. (2025). ISTE standards: For students. https://iste.org/standards/students 


Ohler, J. (2023). How to make a story - Process notes. Retrieved from: http://storyconcepts.blogspot.com 

Comments

  1. Mr. FryNovember 1, 2025 at 3:18 PM

    Hi Emma, great read! I too come from a lineage of teachers and find it equally powerful in my own journey. It makes sense we are in the same group, because the reader having a certain feeling is my end goal as well. Seems like you have some good options technology wise to make it the best possible presentation. Great idea on sharing this as a way for students to see it and make their own.

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