Newest DTLT team member Alan Levine joined Jim Groom as invited speakers at the March 6-8, 2012 SXSWedu conference in Austin, Texas. Sharing their experiences in teaching the ds106 Digital Storytelling Conference, Levine and Groom joined Philipp Schmidt (P2PU) and Karen Fasinpaur (K12 Open Ed) in a lively panel discussion on Developing a Culture of Openness.
Levine also led a hands on session, Create Something from the StoryBox where participants explored a storytelling digital time capsule project he conducted during a year of travel in 2011.
I think UMW (and higher education in general) needs more of what this class has to offer. The experience applies to all fields, because this is the medium in which the world sees what each individual (or organization) has to offer. Mastering the digital frontier is something every college student should know how to do before they graduate. I wish there was a ds106 major! I don’t think it fits entirely in one department (i.e., computer science, communication, new media, etc).
Professors Levine and Groom are paving the way for a richer and more relevant education at UMW with this program. I hope they get all the support the university could possibly offer to grow this program even further. And then some.