Meridian Stories

Message From the Executive Director

Hello Colleagues, Collaborators and Friends,

I want to share this fascinating passage from a novel I just completed: Flights by Olga Tokarczuk. This moment in the book is about language – the ubiquity of the English language:

There are countries out there where people speak English. But not like us – we have our own languages hidden in our carry-on luggage, in our cosmetics bags, only ever using English when we travel and then only in foreign countries, to foreign people. It’s hard to imagine, but English is their real language! …How lost they must feel! …They may be understood by anyone at any moment, whenever they open their mouths. …Wherever they are, people have unlimited access to them – they are accessible to everyone and everything! I heard there are plans in the works to get them some little language of their own, one of those dead ones no on else is using anyway, just so that for once they can have something just for themselves.”

I share this because first, I find it to be a remarkable passage that shifts my reality ever so slightly – an extraordinary accomplishment for a paragraph – and second, it opens up this topic of language fluency in an unusual way.

I would argue that most American youth today are bi-lingual: English and Digital. Digital is a language in which youth must be fluent to succeed. From coding to the creation of Instagram stories, Google Suite fluency to iMovie editing, youth need to know all these tools to communicate effectively.

The catch? This ‘second language’ isn’t by choice (Oh, I think I’ll take, umm, Finnish!).

It’s by necessity.

Digital is a language – your students’ ‘natural’ second language.

Digital requires fluency.

Meridian Stories is one vehicle to help fully integrate the Digital language into the educational trajectory of your students. If you haven’t visited the site in a while, check out the new design and offerings.

Thanks for taking a bi-weekly moment with me!

– Brett Pierce [email protected]

Featured 2020-21 CompetitiveDigital Storytelling Challenge

“Rivers and Society: An Expo Fair”

History

Let’s hawk some river products!!! This Challenge looks at rivers from a historical and economic perspective – trying to get at the essential question: why have humans historically flocked to rivers?  In order to explore these questions, students will focus on a particular human-made innovation or river utilization – i.e., water wheel, canal, logging, canoe – that had the effect of making the river facilitate humanity’s survival and well-being. 

[This Challenge is part of an interdisciplinary trio of Challenges that has The River as a core element, to be explored through a Language Arts, Historical and Scientific lens.To see all the Competitions, click here.]

Featured Support from The Digital Storytelling Resource Center

“Creating a Commercial/PSA”

Commercials are designed to accomplish two things:

  1. Communicate knowledge about a product — could be a car, shampoo, a law firm, or a person, like a political candidate – or a behavior, such as not smoking, getting vaccinated or healthy eating; and
  2. Persuade or induce the viewer to like, want, need or support that product or behavior.

Check out this guide to learn more about how to create persuasive messaging inside of this format.

Featured Submission from Narrative Flashpoint – “Dark Region Reflection: A Self-Portrait”

Narrative Flashpoint is a Meridian Stories pandemic initiative that provides students with a variety of narrative prompts that seek to creatively elicit their perspectives on the world during these challenging times. It began last spring and will continue through the school year. The initiative is free and submissions are accepted – and commented upon by Meridian Mentors – on a rolling basis.\

Check out this incredibly thoughtful story from a Pennsylvania high school student, submitted in April, 2020.