In March and April 2022 we run our first Digital Storytelling (DS) workshop as part of the project “Connecting through Voices” at Erasmus University Rotterdam in collaboration with Durham University. “Connecting through Voices” has been granted financial support from the application programme Building New Blocks of the Erasmus University supporting equitable educational opportunities.
And what can I say, as the coordinator and participant myself of the DS workshop, I am still bouncing through the hallways with a big smile on my face and (post)enjoying the outcome of this workshop. It almost felt like magic …every single story was so beautiful, so intense, so touching. Students connected, stories resonated, feelings were shared.
Admittingly, I was very sceptical of the technical skills to be learned in making a story digital. I had to get acquainted with a video-editing program in such a short time? Also, I somehow expected that my students would be way more experienced in this, which they also were in fact. But, I did it as well and my worries were unnecessary. There are various programs I learned and one can choose from very simple to more sophisticated programs.
A key take-away from participating in the DS workshop and telling my story as a teacher is that I carry my own experiences with me and how hard it is to get detached from these experiences and consequently ask students to engage in behavior that I myself disliked as a student. This reflective element was an eye opener.
This has been a wonderful experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to get a glimpse into the lifeworlds of these brave students!
