Digital Storytelling & School Discipline
Book Summary
School discipline is a leading cause of inequities in educational opportunities and contributes to the achievement gap. To understand where these disparities originate and what can be done to ensure students have an equal education, further study must be done. It is crucial for schools and educators to adjust their discipline policies in order to promote social change and support the learning of all students.
Approaching Disparities in School Discipline: Theory, Research, Practice, and Social Change considers theory, research, methods, results, and discussions about social change and describes the school discipline quandary by presenting numerous frameworks for understanding disparities in school discipline. Covering a range of topics such as cultural bias, education reform, and school suspensions, this reference work is ideal for academicians, researchers, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.
The many academic areas covered in this publication include, but are not limited to:
Academic Disparities
Cultural Bias
Digital Storytelling
Discipline Disparities
Education Reform
Exclusionary Discipline
High Discipline Rates
Restorative Justice Practices
School Counseling
School Suspensions
Transformational Change
Chapter Abstract
Storytelling is an effective technique for resolving disputes and conflict while preserving relationships, self-image, and cultural standards. With increased access to the internet and social media, digital storytelling has become instrumental in spurring awareness and change in areas of social injustice and inequality. This chapter briefly examines the science and culture of storytelling and explores the use of digital storytelling in multiple contexts. The author establishes evidence-based support for the use of storytelling and/or digital storytelling 1) to mitigate educator bias in school discipline policy and practices; 2) to counteract and/or reduce negative psychological, emotional, and cultural impacts of excessive or disparate disciplinary practices; 3) to increase cross-sector awareness, advocacy, and engagement on exclusionary discipline issues. The author also proposes a counter-storytelling method for enhanced qualitative and quantitative data-gathering in school discipline cases.