The pedagogical journey of digital storytelling: an innovative teaching and learning procedure using non /-formal education method through Digital Story Telling (DST). Case study: 5th Vocational evening School of Thessaloniki was introduced the method through an Erasmus+ project (DIG IT 2015-2017)

Περίληψη

This study focuses on cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices between educators, schools and organizations. It covers a variety of topics which link to labor market issues, youth unemployment, early school leaving, combating failure in education, entrepreneurial learning, implementing ICT technologies, digital tools and social media into education, enhancing both teachers’ and students’ digital competences. It specifically targeted students and introduced a new innovative teaching and learning method using non /-formal education methods through Digital Story Telling (DST) used in terms of an Erasmus+ project DIG IT (2015-2017). The key element of the project was the method of Digital Storytelling used as a way to reflect and document the workplace visits students attended during the transnational events of the Erasmus+ project. Students gained knowledge about the labor market skills and entrepreneurship through interviews and discussions with professionals and high-profile decision makers in Europe. These experiences have been shared by Digital Stories, which combined the art of telling stories with a variety of digital multimedia, such as images, audio and video. The project aimed to empower students and teachers, raise students’ awareness of their character and abilities, to improve their IT and digital skills while working on Digital Storytelling, to raise attainment of underachieving students, to increase the knowledge of the labor market and broaden their horizons about the variety of jobs available. Participating VET staff, cooperated in adapting DST method into lessons, shifting their traditional teachers’ role into coaches, integrating entrepreneurship and other important issues in their teaching, reaching today's students, engaging them in their own learning and inspiring them to become lifelong learners. Digital Storytelling Method enhanced on both students and teachers literacies as Digital literacy, Global literacy, Visual literacy, Technological literacy, Information literacy, Social and cultural skills, Collaborative skills, Critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making. In this context and in order to be used for teaching in the classroom, the teachers of the 5^th evening vocational school were introduced the method in order to make digital stories. On the other hand, students with the help of their teachers and by using digital storytelling tools prepared and presented 2-3 minute stories, in relation to what they learned through the visits in terms of entrepreneurship, inspiration and innovation, cultivating their digital skills and soft skills. The project involved vocational partner schools from 5 countries, 100 students and 20 teachers. It continued through DIGIT 2 Erasmus+ project, aiming to exchanging good practices in matters related to (a) team coaching, (b) career guidance, (c) youth entrepreneurship and (d) digital storytelling.