EDUC-5333 Week 3
Link to original Week 2 Project Plan
Digital Storytelling Project Plan: Empathy in Action
I have chosen a story to narrate two apparently disconnected lives: a young professional buried under the pressure of his career and a teenage boy struggling with issues like family instability, addiction, and suicidal thoughts. This story is about shifting perspectives, highlighting quiet resilience in the midst of going unnoticed, and showing how small acts of kindness can create ripples of empathy and insight.
My Story Overview
This story unfolds through both characters' perspectives in a bustling urban environment. On one side is the professional, caught up in the whirlwind of his responsibilities and daily routines, his focus narrowed to work achievements and personal success. He’s blind to the lives around him, including the struggles of a teenage boy he encounters in passing. This teenager’s story is one of survival—navigating the shadows of addiction, loneliness, and the absence of a support system. Their worlds soon cross, but only fleetingly, unobtrusively, and even the professional doesn't have time to take much notice.
The turning point of this story is when the adolescent offers a small but genuine gesture to the professional that may have been small and insignificant on its own. It stirs something deep inside the professional who begins to realize what he has missed in pursuing success so intently about the depth of humanity. This experience makes him realize the tremendous inner wars that people wage daily without visible signs. The professional learns that success is not only about titles and accolades but about sensitivity, awareness, and a genuine connection with people.
Educational Focus and Standards
This story could be a reflective tool in an educational context to discuss themes of empathy, mental health awareness, and the importance of noticing and supporting others. It fulfills the Oklahoma Academic Standards in Social Studies—to talk about human behavior and social issues—and English Language Arts, as its narrative form encourages critical thinking and empathy. The product also aligns with ISTE Standards: Creative Communicator and Digital Citizen, as students are motivated to use digital tools to communicate meaningful, reflective narratives.
Story Mapping Approach
Inspired by Dan Harmon's Story Circle, I plan to map the story’s arc to reflect each character’s journey and the moment their lives cross paths. This approach will allow the audience to understand the contrasting viewpoints and build a strong, emotional climax where the professional’s revelation unfolds (Cavannagh, 2022).
Tools and Production
I intend to combine video shots, animation, and symbolic imagery in the development of this narrative. Using applications such as Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, I can capture the contrasts in their lives and subtle nuances of their worlds colliding. Music and sound effects will be infused into the story to establish tone, making the narrative immersive and emotionally appealing.
Reflection and Assessment
From Dr. Shannon, I will make sure that the digital story does not lack cohesion in a narrative structure, does not contain inappropriate multimodal elements, and has relevance in teaching (Shannon, 2024). Sharing this plan with my peers and requesting that they give me some ideas for feedback, I can have a more polished effect from my story and more relevant outcomes toward our objectives for the storytelling activity.
Additionally, I plan on providing resources for those who may resonate with the characters or find themselves in similar situations by including links to local mental health organizations, national helplines, and educational materials that teach how to recognize signs of emotional distress in others. Providing these resources raises awareness to mental health and also equips the audience with knowledge on where to find help and how to offer support. This also aligns with the goal of promoting mental health awareness and contributing positively to the well-being of others.
This project reminds us all to acknowledge others' battles, even if they are invisible to us. It's an opportunity to encourage empathy in a way that deeply resonates with both students and audiences of all ages.
References:
Cavannagh, M. (2022, October 28). Dan Harmon Story Circle: The 8-Step Storytelling Shortcut. Reedsyblog. https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/dan-harmon-story-circle/
Shannon, K. (2024). Week 3 Digital Storytelling Lecture. [Lecture recording]. Canvas. ZOOM URL.
Brad, this is looking great. I love this concept of small actions having profound effects. Also, the forced recognition that everyone is on their own journey. I had a visual idea, but have no idea how easy or hard it would be to pull off. (Let's call it mental vomit.) It would be kind of neat to have side by side screens to start. First, the left side starts with the professional's journey. Then it freezes and the right side starts with the teenager. After, it merges into one shot when their paths cross. As they leave, it returns to side by side as they go their separate ways. The story path makes a big "X." Good luck.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! If I had the time, it would be interesting to entertain. Thank you!
DeleteBrad, this project sounds like it will be interesting to view after. I can see why the relevance to teaching was questioned. This is certainly a story that shows people to slow down and to be more aware of the struggle of others, but it isn't directed at teachers directly. However, I think the message is a good one for teachers to have, we have interactions with students all the time and might not know what they are struggling with. I am not sure how you can make the connection clearlier/more directed to education, since the message you are conveying is a good message for everyone. The only way I could think is if you made the professional have a job related to a school? (College professor deep in research, principal busy putting out fires with a goal of being a superintendent?). But like I said, this message is not directed at educators, but it does apply to them.
ReplyDelete-Sam Kissko
ReplyDeleteThe story titled “Empathy in Action” resonates with current global issues. The climax of the story is sure to impact viewers' lives and enhance their social-emotional skills, which are invaluable. I look forward to seeing the final product created using Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, along with music and sound effects that will complement the story and further develop the concept. Incorporating this story into the classroom will also allow students to engage in reading by making connections to themselves, the text, and the world around them.
Hey Brad I look forward to your end product - this sounds pretty interesting. I agree with Sam when he says that you may need to add a connection to the teaching aspect of it - maybe your characters could be in a school setting - teachers can be professionals too, and whatever happens at the "click moment" could be something in school. Just an idea.
ReplyDeleteI am excited by your idea. Good work using the Dan Harmon's story circle - this was a good choice to help you map the elements of the plot together.