ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of cultural and storytelling which includes a summary of cultural orientations and technology, traditional culture-based storytelling, foundations of learning about and through culture, and the nature of digital storytelling. Eastern traditions of storytelling often convey a socially responsible message from a moral, social, governmental, or religious perspective. The griot or jeli of Western African tradition has historically been an inherited role passed on between generations, and has provided great entertainment as well as education. Educators who are aware of cultural differences are better equipped to tell a story that will resonate with an audience and to understand those stories told by learners from varied cultural backgrounds. Traditional education typically reinforces dominant culture through dictates of curriculum, referential materials and instructional methods that are similar across educational contexts, even in higher education. Higher education focused on teacher preparation programs and media production programs.
