Trying out new activities in the classroom can either be a great success or a huge disappointment. We, as teachers, as well as our students, are often so used to traditional classes that it is sometimes difficult to see how things could be done in a different and more interesting way. At the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, we experimented with digital storytelling – and achieved better learning results.
Learning adventures for students and teachers
Trying out new things in class is always an enormous learning adventure for students, of course, but also for teachers because we, as educators, are always learning too! When I accepted the invitation to participate in this Digital Storytelling challenge, as part of the Learn to Change project, I did not know what to expect. I was, however, glad to have the opportunity to try something new.
Knowing that this was something that had never been done before with my students in any class, never mind a foreign language class, I realised I was taking a risk, but I was looking forward to it. After all, what could go wrong?
I chose one of my classes to participate in the challenge, knowing that the students were creative, adventurous and open-minded. They also had a good working knowledge of the English language and were quite comfortable with the idea of doing such kind of work fully in English, so that the language wouldn’t be a barrier.
English-language storytelling to explore sustainable tourism
The students I worked with in the challenge were in the second year of their degree in Tourism at the Higher School of Management from the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco. This was their fourth semester studying English overall, and their second with me as their teacher.
From the get-go, everyone in class was excited to participate in this challenge, as they were willing to try different activities to practise their English. Being Tourism students, they were also very interested to explore the subject of sustainability and sustainable tourism in their project work.
My class was organised in three different teams, which resulted in three different projects: three different stories, told in video form, that, although different in style, were all very interesting to see flourish and finalised.
Digital storytelling created fun learning experiences
The best part of this project was how much I realised the students had fun doing their projects and how different the class dynamics was, as we dedicated the most part of the semester to this challenge. When I asked the class to reflect on their activities and this kind of work, I was surprised, happily surprised, by their answers.
Overall, they all said they had fun, but also learned a big deal about sustainability and sustainable tourism. They also felt that it was good to practise their English in a different way. Some of them said this was the most fun they had learning in class and, even more surprisingly, that they also felt that through these activities they were treated more like adults than in traditional classes.
In the end, it was, for me too, one of the most interesting experiences I have ever had as an EFL teacher, as I too, learned a lot about the subject, as well as learning a lot about my students, having had the opportunity to have a closer interaction with them. The risk was worth it.
Text: Miguel Ruivo, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Portugal
Image: Learn to Change project archives