Article Analysis: Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom

ARTICLE ANALYSIS

Article: 

Robin, B. R. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom. Theory into practice, 47(3), 220-228.

The article, namely Digital Storytelling: A Powerful Technology Tool for the 21st Century Classroom, was written by Bernard R. Robin in 2008. The article discusses the introduction of digital storytelling, which relates to the use of digital media in order to teach in classrooms for teachers and learn in classrooms for students. The article also describes as to how the concept of digital storytelling has been lacking study upon its theoretical frameworks in academic environments. This question has allowed the article to discuss one of the digital storytelling theoretical frameworks, namely the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). Finally, the article also discusses as to what impacts digital storytelling has upon the academic community and how it can be improved in the near future.

One practice that the article discusses is how teachers and students are always involved in the latest technological devices and how the academic community continues to use digital devices in order to aid themselves in studying and learning more efficiently. One argument about this practice by the article’s author is that such interest peaks in teachers and students due to personalization of technology in the current era. The author argues that in previous decades, when technology was not as personalized as it is now, people did not get attracted to it that often, specifically the teachers and students. However, since the personalization of the technology that exists today, such as the change in designs, complete makeovers of layouts, etc, have allowed younger generations to work more effectively with one another. It has also helped them communicate more effectively. These attractions are primarily the reason why the interest of teachers and students alike has increased in technological use in the current era.

There is one main theoretical framework that the article analyzes and discusses in general. This theoretical framework is known as TPCK. TPCK generally is a theoretical framework that has existed for a long time according to the author’s article. However, the framework was not looked upon closely until the rise of digital storytelling in teachers and students of today. The reason why this framework has risen now is because the framework consistently focused upon the correlation between the teaching abilities and skills of an individual and technology-use abilities. Moreover, the cross-connection is what defined the framework and made it answermany questions that the global community could not find questions to. The theoretical framework is much important to me in the manner that I have experience with digital storytelling. Being a student, I completely understand how my attention and usage of technology is much more enhanced in comparison to that of my parents in their era. This makes me identify how the theoretical framework has much value for its reasoning and findings.

The most important point of the article is how digital storytelling is becoming significantly stronger to the academic community and why it should be studied further in order to find better ways to enhance its effects. Digital storytelling, in my opinion, is quite a big leap of faith. While it may be very easy to use and easy to keep records, digital media has a very big vulnerability in that it can be hacked and that there are many security threats that exist to digital storage. This one single disadvantage of digital storytelling is what causes all the other advantages of digital storytelling to get outweighed in my opinion. Otherwise, the article’s author has done a very convincing job of making sure that the readers favor the concept of digital storytelling.

The article also talks about a digital storytelling framework. The strengths of the theoretical framework are many. For example, TPCK is able to finally provide quantitative results as to how there is an existing correlation between teaching abilities and technology use abilities. The disadvantages are merely the fact that the framework lacks more study, is not actually applied anywhere, and hence is not valid or highly reliable.

Based on my analysis, I believe I can use the benefits of digital storytelling, which are mentioned in the article, in my actual academic life. I can also choose to further work and develop on my digital storytelling skills, which can allow me to have a more respectable growth in my career life ahead. As for the theoretical framework, I would not choose to use it as of now since it is highly unreliable until applied to an actual study.

References

Robin, B. R. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom. Theory into practice, 47(3), 220-228.