ABSTRACT
In this chapter the authors explores many ways of building authentic, productive teams. When educators talk about team building, they are referring to a complex web of partnerships that interact at various times during the project from the four strategic partners to small student groups to their own pairing. Educators help digital storytellers understand that the historical sites and the organizations are usually operated by volunteers with limited time and resources. From the first day of class, authors focus on community building. They encourage students to develop an authentic sense of responsibility and purpose in their class community by offering the following activities: feedback sessions, historical site visits, overnight research trips, small-group community building, site selection, strengths and weaknesses, and making toast. As soon as the digital storytellers make contact with their historical society or organization, they begin conducting research about the communities their sites serve.
