Utilizing narratives in the digital realm to foster self-assurance
In a groundbreaking educational approach, Iqra Educare, a renowned early childhood education centre, is leveraging digital storytelling to foster self-confidence, self-worth, and a strong sense of identity among its young learners. According to centre director Maria Sammons, this method is crucial for the holistic development of the children.
The children at Iqra Educare are passionate about their identity and heritage, and digital storytelling provides them with an engaging platform to express this passion. Through this creative process, students actively create and share their own narratives, empowering them to develop a sense of their personal voice and style. This creative empowerment further boosts self-confidence as children successfully communicate their ideas in meaningful ways.
Digital storytelling also activates natural communicative instincts and emotional involvement, helping children explore and express their identities more deeply. By engaging with rich digital content and crafting personal stories, students connect their learning to their own life experiences, promoting a sense of self-worth and belonging.
Sharing personal digital stories not only helps children reflect on their own experiences but also connects them with peers, educators, and the wider community. This shared storytelling fosters empathy, appreciation of diversity, and a sense of institutional or community belonging. The media source for this article, Referencing Hub, reports that emails have been received from overseas praising the videos and recognizing shared traditions.
The integration of storytelling into literacy instruction supports social-emotional learning by encouraging self-reflection, emotional expression, and empathy. This holistic approach helps children develop both literacy skills and emotional intelligence, which strengthens self-worth and identity development.
Digital storytelling also serves as a bridge for educators to connect with families and community members, sharing children’s narratives beyond the classroom. This expands the audience for children’s voices, reinforces positive identity formation, and cultivates wider community support and understanding.
The Teaching and Learning Research Initiative Fund, managed by the New Zealand Council for Education Research, supports Iqra Educare in its innovative educational practices. The fund recognizes the potential of digital storytelling to transform the relationship between educators and their wider community.
Maria Sammons emphasizes the importance of a child's sense of self-worth over academic skills. She believes that this sense of self-worth stays with the children forever. To further this goal, digital stories have been used to record and share students' role-play experiences, providing a platform for children to express themselves creatively while building their confidence.
In summary, digital storytelling empowers children to express their unique identities creatively, nurtures their self-confidence and self-worth through emotional engagement and skill development, and fosters stronger, more empathetic relationships between educators, students, and the community at large. This makes it a powerful pedagogical strategy for holistic development and community building.
In the holistic approach at Iqra Educare, digital storytelling is utilized to enhance children's self-expression, allowing them to creatively narrate their personal narratives, thereby fostering a sense of their personal voice and style, as well as bolstering their self-confidence. This innovative strategy also encourages interpersonal connections, as children share their stories with peers, educators, and the wider community, fostering empathy, appreciation of diversity, and a sense of belonging.
