Storytelling With Purpose: Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity

by Michael Hernandez

Learn how to embrace the power of digital storytelling with your students, and reframe the learning process as one based on curiosity, purpose and joy.

Storytelling enables us to make sense of the world and bring order to our thinking. Now more than ever, students are hungry for authentic learning experiences that offer opportunities to make an impact beyond the classroom. With practical advice and examples of how to plan, create, publish and assess student stories, this book offers a fresh approach to digital storytelling. And it includes evidence-based, classroom-tested guidance on how to provide students with the tools and structure they need to develop a mindset of curiosity, agency and purpose.

Establishing digital storytelling as a framework for learning rather than a separate add-on project or a way to record work being done in other subject areas, the book covers various types of digital storytelling — from infographics and social media posts to podcasts and video documentaries — and demonstrates how to choose the best ways to incorporate digital storytelling into curricula.

Student examples and teacher case studies provide inspiration on how to integrate the practice into classrooms of all grade levels and subject areas.

The
 

More than a practical edtech guide, this book explores the why behind digital storytelling as much as the how. Educators will learn how to help students explore cultural and historical context, develop social emotional resiliency, and develop the skills they need to become engaged global citizens.

Elementary and secondary educators; learning coaches

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published February 6, 2024

Reviews

[Adrian Neibauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Hernandez's book, "Storytelling with Purpose: Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity" is awesome! I intentionally saved this book for my summer reading pile because I knew that I would need something to help spark my creativity before the next school year. I did not expect to highlight nearly the entire book and create dozens of sticky notes with ideas for learning experiences in my classroom. This book has it all: the WHAT, WHY, HOW and examples of digital storytelling projects. This book has be excited for the fall so that I can start designing using student storytelling to support learning in my classroom! I will be referring back to this book quite often once school starts.

[Deanna Fioresi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was required reading for a graduate course. If you’re wondering how you can create meaningful, creative assessments that aren’t easily plagiarized or written with AI bots, this book’s for you!

[Wendy Post · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very comprehensive guide to creating visual and audio digital stories with students. Everything you need to get started or take your students to the next level is in this book.