DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN THE CLASSROOM CURRICULUM

Since 2001, Bridges has worked with classrooms worldwide to teach a myriad of academic and media literacy skills while building citizenship among global peers. Bridges to Understanding: Digital Storytelling in the Classroom Curriculum was developed with the invaluable input and collaboration of many teachers in the Seattle area and around the world, along with their students.

Bridges to Understanding uses digital storytelling to:
Empower and unite youth worldwide. Youth are empowered through the intense process of making their stories, a process can change their perspective on themselves and what they are capable of, and through sharing those stories with a real audience of peers in their own communities and around the world.

Enhance cross-cultural understanding. The digital stories give youth a chance to learn directly from the authentic stories of their peers around the world about their lives and communities, stories that are not represented in mass media.

Build global citizenship. As youth build critical thinking skills and learn more about the issues that matter to them during the projects, they are inspired to act to make change in their communities.

The Bridges to Understanding: Digital Storytelling in the Classroom Curriculum, written by Jennifer Geist and Tania Westby, includes our nine-lesson process for making digital stories in the classroom. It comes with black line masters, a CD with student handouts and a PowerPoint presentation for the photography lesson, and a DVD with selected digital stories. The appendix include a Global Competence Matrix, and alignment with National and Washington State standards.

The Curriculum is intended for all teachers who wish to produce digital stories in their classrooms. It also provides information specific to our different programs.

Order our Digital Storytelling in the Classroom Curriculum online.

For more information about the curriculum, please email tania@bridges2understanding.org.