Week 3;Effectiveness of Storytelling

I found the article on the Science of Storytelling to be interesting in explaining that storytelling has more effectiveness than reading information off of a computer screen or reading it through text because all areas of the brain are being used to process the information opposed to reading words and using your frontal cortex to understand the language information that is being read. It makes sense that when listening to a story you are more engaged as a listener because you have an emotional connection and understanding because of the sensorial areas of the brain are giving a sense of feeling as if we are experiencing what is being told. I can relate to this concept when someone is telling me a story or even when I am watching a movie about someone being terminally ill, a strong emotional feeling of sadness overcomes me because I relate a sad tragic experience of someone passing with my own experience I went through with my mother who passed away from cancer. 
 
I do agree that having an emotional understanding does have more of an effect than just reading words because sometimes we are not entirely engaged in what is being read and therefore, are not fully comprehending the information that is presented. I found this to be true while introducing a the topic to my students. As I work with younger children 3 to 6 year old, I realized that when I am just blabbing away about something they are unable to fully focus, and I could see the boredom because they start to play and not pay attention.  Then I started to talk about myself relating my experiences to the topic, and they show more interest.  After I read a story book that is relevant, I found the effectiveness of both telling my experiences and reading a story to them as another way to explain the daily lesson because they become more focused and are actively listening, which shows when asking questions or sharing their own experiences. Therefore, I found agreeably interesting when the article stated that story tellers are able to plant ideas, thoughts, and emotions into the listeners. Teachers should use storytelling as another way to a captivate the interest of the students so that information can be fully understood and remembered.

As far as digital story telling, this concept was completely new to me until it was introduced in class, and after reading the articles. It seems that this digital method of story telling brings an even more emotional sensual understanding with the use of visual images, sounds, and music to depict a deeper connection between the storyteller and the listeners. As the article The Art of Storytelling says, that a story teller reaches deep down into our minds, hearts, and spirits, and it gives a more personal connection and understanding about the storyteller and their experiences. This method of digital storytelling is a useful tool for both teachers and students alike to express themselves and share their life experiences as another way to educate.