Module 3: Storytelling & Creating Video

Meaningful Learning Through Storytelling

In watching a TED Talk by America Ferrera, I was provided with a meaningful learning experience about how individuals all around the world, regardless of their occupation, are impacted by their identity. As America Ferrera is widely known as a famous actress, many do not know the struggles that she faced amid stardom. She starts this talk by detailing her childhood home, as this is where her passion for performing and acting started. She then goes on to explain how from the moment she started acting, no matter how big the role, her identity as a Latina was never enough for the producers or casting agents. They would often ask her to change various aspects of herself to better fit the stereotype that they were trying to portray. In the end, Ferrera explains the strength in her identity and the importance of having the courage to stand against the negative values that are engrained in the workforce.

This story that Ferrera shared was extremely impacting to me, as it not only changed my perspective of who I previously knew as a successful actress, but it allowed me to see that we often only see things for what they are, and the importance of storytelling in shifting our perspectives. In her storytelling Ferrera used her voice to sing when describing her childhood performances, actualizing the story that she was sharing. Additionally, she used imagery to describe the floor tiles of her childhood home, where her passions first came to life. Tapping into these senses within the story allowed me as the watcher to feel a more personal connection to her story and created a deeper meaning as I was able to relive the story through her narration. Thus, I would say that Ferrera definitely used the technique of creating an immersive experience for the watcher. Additionally, she utilized the technique of using a personal story to teach the audience and get her message across. Similarly, her use of imagery and photos aiding the story used the technique of showing, rather than telling. Overall, I felt this story did an amazing job of engaging the audience and leaving a lasting message for them.

Experiences of a Branched Narrative

Through the use of a branch narrative, the learner is able to interact directly with the story and circumstances, creating much more engagement and focus on the material. In doing this, learners are likely to retain the information more readily as they are actively contributing to the experience, rather than simply feeling like they are learning. In addition, I feel that branched narratives are able to mirror real-life decision making. In life, we are faced with many choices, and we have to deal with and learn from the choices that we make. Furthermore, we see branched narratives in various other aspects of life such as interactive movies, games, and even flowcharts used to explain various circumstances. Thus, the experience of a branched narrative creates a learning environment that is natural to the reader and allows them to retain information in an unconscious manner.

My Twine Story

In creating my Twine story, I found myself struggling a bit with creativity, but then decided to tell a story that most people have experienced, or will experience within their life. With practice, I feel there are definitely options to make my story more complex, however starting out I tried to keep it simply while I was learning. I tried my best to experiment with some of the options regarding text colour and alignment. While I am not super familiar with coding and it can be confusing for me, I am intrigued to continue to try new things and learn as I go.