ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the historical and universal value of storytelling and how 21st-century storytelling departs from traditions. The value and power of storytelling is universal across cultures, across disciplines, and over time; there is evidence that preliterate cultures relied on storytelling to educate their members and that these oral retellings were exceptionally accurate. In the 21st century, Internet-based stories are published, shared, modified, and critiqued with little or no effort on the part of the author. Digital storytelling entered maturity in the late 20th century as digital media became more accessible to audiences both within and outside formal educational institutions and the workplace. The Internet has liberated storytellers to make and share their stories for many reasons, most unknown. The National Leadership Council recommends that the power of new technologies be harnessed in order to give all students extensive experience in research, experimentation, problem-based learning, and other forms of creative work, especially but not only in their major fields.
