Storytelling with Special Needs Populations
Special needs students can benefit greatly from storytelling and more specifically digital storytelling. The development of technologies (voice to text, video, stop motion, photos etc. ) to help them tell the stories they want to tell has been an incredibly important step to giving all students with special needs a voice. As inclusive education becomes more mainstream it is necessary for teachers and students to have activities that truly include the special needs student in the regular classroom activities. Digital Storytelling is this activity.
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CultureSpecial Education students come to us with a myriad of physical, mental or behavioural problems. Sometimes a student has multiple exceptionalities. Inclusive education has taken these often marginalized students and brought them into the regular classroom. This hasn't always been a smooth transition. Often special needs students and non special needs students do not understand how to socialize with each other. This is an important first step. When it comes to curriculum often special needs students need modifications to the regular grade level expectations. There are some areas however, where the special needs student can take part in the regular class activities. Digital storytelling is an awesome way for the class to be truly inclusive.
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ConflictThere is often conflict in the education system between what special needs students are capable of and what teachers and other students expect of them. Many students who are deemed exceptional are not challenged and therefore do not progress as they should.
There is also often conflict because the regular classroom teacher feels overwhelmed with special needs students in their classes, often without support. This stress can also lead to less challenging activities being presented to the special needs student as the teacher feels they are incapable of completing it independently. Skill development in the special needs student is dependent on the type of exceptionality. Many students with hearing, sight or other physical impairments are able to complete regular curriculum expectations but they are often not expected to do so. |
Literacy AcquisitionMost special needs students can improve their literacy skills, especially in digital literacy, using digital storytelling as the medium. Even students who have multiple exceptionalities, with assistance can create meaningful stories, videos or cartoons. Expressing themselves through digital storytelling provides students who are often unheard with a voice.
As educators we need to allow all students the opportunity to express themselves and produce a digital media project that they can be proud of. Learning the steps in the story creation process, deciding on the medium that will be used and developing the story itself provides all students with improved literacy skills. |
To learn more about Digital Storytelling Tools please take the link below.