Wading In the Water

Based on our class discussion on Monday, and the links Dr. Cebula shared on the blog, I predict this class will be both liberating and frustrating. In our effort to define "Digital Storytelling" and the variety of descriptions we found online has demonstrated the flexibility of the medium, which seems to be lacking any sort of boundary. The "digital" part seems to be self-explanatory, however this is a digital world. Almost everything can be described by the adjective. All the links Dr. Cebula provided are examples of different types of digital stories on a variety of topics. We will have a lot of decisions to make, techniques to learn, and programs to explore. It is daunting to think of the possibilities. This is obviously a field not limited to public history, as shown through some of the links from Dr. Cebula. Each has their pros and cons, but might be a perfect fit for their context and message.

The first video was the most helpful because it provides some type of structure to help us focus the development of our projects. Having key elements to consider makes the process less overwhelming as well as providing guidance to create a clear and concise message to our audience. The Stony Brook website will probably be a widely used resource at first, but as we become more comfortable with our direction and requirements I hope this resource will be reduced to a reference.

The article on Brown University’s website is a reminder of the movement toward digital everything. If you are not a part of the digital world then it seems as if you might as well be irrelevant (an exaggeration perhaps). Not only does “going digital” mean streamlining, but also a wider audience. The idea of less work required to reach more people must sound like a good one to everyone.

The Spokane Historical site is a perfect example of digital storytelling. I didn’t realize there were so many around the country (two for my part of the country!). It will be interesting to explore these in-depth and find new ideas and inspiration that we can incorporate into our projects.

The scariest and most exciting part of a new adventure is getting started. Hopefully with these resources and examples, we will have some help wading into the ocean of digital storytelling, unless Dr. Cebula decides to go with the Sink or Swim approach (I hope not!). By the end of this class we should have the basic skills, knowledge of available tools, and confidence to use digital storytelling as a means of outreach and communication in whatever field we decide to pursue. 

(This was the result of the Sink or Swim approach.  http://crystalcomments.com/graphics/10/p/3/cat)