A stepping stone to the future
CyberSmart Africa uses digital storytelling as a method to gain the initial confidence and support of parents and community leaders. Extending traditional storytelling customs through the process of digital storytelling is a way of introducing 21st century learning to them. Students work collaboratively in pairs to sharpen their writing and creative thinking while learning to use multimedia tools.
Using their stories in your classroom: Creating global awareness
Understanding others perspectives and cultures is a critical curriculum competency standard. These 1-3 minute digital stories were written, narrated and filmed by rural Senegalese students. Their village is representative of other Sub-Saharan African villages, home to about 55% of the population in this region. The stories reveal the students’ daily life in a rural village, their challenges, and their dreams for the future. Selections from these digital stories were made into a documentary short film — nominated for the 2011 Student Academy Awards.
Inspired by their stories: An internationally acclaimed feature film
The internationally acclaimed feature film, TALL AS THE BAOBAB TREE (Grande comme le Baobab) was inspired by these digital stories. The movie comes with free materials correlated directly to the CCSS curricula standards for Gr 8-12, plus guided discussions for community groups and universities. The movie can be watched in whole (82 minutes) or in 20 minute increments followed by discussions.