Digital Storytelling: Creativity of the future.

Digital Storytelling is an innovative way for stories to be presented that includes the narrative, images, sound, and even video.  "Digital stories can be instructional, persuasive, historical, or reflective" according to the article 7 Things You Didn't Know About Digital Storytelling. Storytelling has been around for a long time, giving it a high prestige within cultures. In languages that don't possess a system of writing, storytelling takes its place in recording the history of the cultures. Storytelling can evoke a variety or emotions and/or provide valuable information. 

As more and more material for the classroom turns towards computers, digital storytelling can provide a creative outlet for teachers and students to use. On the website Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling, there are a few main uses and benefits mentioned for both teachers and students. For teachers who are interested in using digital storytelling in their classrooms, "Teacher-created digital stories may also be used to enhance current lessons within a larger unit, as a way to facilitate discussion about the topics presented a story and as a way of making abstract or conceptual content more understandable." If the students have the chance to view a digital story, it can potentially clarify or reinforce the material that is being discussed/taught in class. When students use it, "digital storytelling can also be a potent tool for students who are taught to create their own stories." This is a creative means of alternate assessment. It engages students in the lesson, regardless of the unit. It allows students to have a distinct voice in creating this, all while using technology that most students use on a regular basis. Some examples of activities include: giving their point-of-view on an issue, provide a cohesive argument with visuals,  tell a story that focuses on a specific sequence of events, etc. All of this requires a use or practice of the target language. Teachers must always find creative ways to engage students, and if done correctly, this type of project can be used to activate many different learning styles and can also teach skills that can be transferred to other subjects.