For the most part, I’ve been focusing on the theme of adversity in my critique of digital stories in my Learning With Digital Stories class (INTE5340) at the University of Colorado-Denver. This week, however, I’m going to take a break from this theme. At times, I like to hear stories about people discussing pride in their work. The StoryCorps video “Clean Streets” is a perfect example. For this critique, I judged this digital story on the following assessment traits (as established by Jason Ohler in his book Digital Storytelling in the Classroom):
Story – Sanitation workers Angelo Bruno and Eddie Nieves do an impressive job of telling their short story about working together in Manhattan’s West Village. It’s very much a first-hand account of how both loved their job and enjoyed working together. Bruno shares an interesting anecdote about his early days on the job when an old-timer showed him the value of a good day’s work.
Originality, Voice, Creativity – There’s an genuine earnestness in hearing Bruno and Nieves tell their story with their New York accents. Their voices give the listener a definite sense of place. Their camaraderie shines through when they mention requesting vacation time together and how Nieves misses “my partner” after working with him for nearly 10 years.
Media Grammar – Excellent. The StoryCorps production team created a first-rate story. In addition to the high-quality vocal recording that NPR is known for, the animation team, The Rauch Brothers, draws vivid animations that compliment the richness and tone of Bruno and Nieves’s narration.
This is the second digital story I have enjoyed on the StoryCorps site. I look forward to delving into more stories.