Learning, stories and transmediation
Here’s an interesting essay about the ways in which narrative shapes learning, and how important transmediation has become in that process.
Examples
NPR reports on digital stories and faith
In the wake of YouTube viral sensation Jefferson Bethke’s “I love Jesus but hate religion” video, NPR reporter Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports on the impact of digital stories — particularly music videos — in religious contexts. An excerpt from her story: No matter what you think of Mitchell’s interpretation of Christianity, one thing is clear. …
Simple digital stories with young kids
Caroline Cerveny, the “Cyber pilgrim,” points to this nifty free site that supports adults in helping kids tell stories and share them digitally. It’s called Little Bird Tales, and Caroline suggests some simple ways to use it in religious education.
The Work of the People
“The work of the people” has long been a phrase used to describe liturgy. Now it’s also the name of a thoughtful website which gathers up the work of artists who produce media for communities of faith. They also produce a video magazine, Alter Video, which is chock full of interesting digital stories. They’re a …
More than that
A recent Diane Sawyer special, Children of the Plains, prompted a group of school kids in the Todd Country School District (which serves the Rosebud Sioux Reservation), to create this alternative digital short telling their own stories: (Hat tip to Dakota O’Leary unplugged)
Storying Advent
One of the challenges for Christians living into a liturgical calendar, is that the Christian season of Advent is one of waiting and thoughtful reflection yet it occurs at the height of the commercial pressures of the holiday season. Here’s a lovely small piece by Maggi Dawn that attempts to offer a different reflection for …
Temple Emanuel
Temple Emanuel was one of the first groups that Lynn Clark and her team at Denver University worked with in creating a digital story as a form of faith formation. Here is their story:
Christ Lutheran
Christ Lutheran Church in Denver, CO was one of the first groups that Lynn Clark, Jill Dierberg and the team at Denver University worked with in this project on digital storytelling as a form of faith formation. Here is their digital story:
Spaghetti invites anyone?
Here’s an example of a Lutheran church in the Denver area (Ascension Lutheran) which has created very short video pieces showcasing youth as a way to invite/entice people to be involved with their spaghetti fundraiser. While these are not formal “digital stories” nor are they focused on explicit faith formation, they do offer an interesting …
Jim Gilliam
Here’s a short video that is essentially just a recording of a talk that Jim Gilliam gave at the Personal Democracy Forum in NYC on June 6, 2011. It’s a fascinating example of personal witness, however, and one’s that been very controversial in various contexts. I think it’s a great video to use as a …