Jessica Pack and Georgia Terlaje rejoin the Educator Spotlight to share how digital storytelling impacts the chemicals in our brain that make learning and knowledge retention sticky. Get a first hand look at a series of activities that these two storytelling experts helped design for WeVideo’s assignment ideas library, and learn how to bring the power of digital storytelling into your classroom to enhance your curriculum and help students make meaningful content connections.

Jessica Pack is the ISTE author of Moviemaking in the Classroom: Lifting Student Voices Through Digital Storytelling, released October 26, 2021. Jessica is also a California Teacher of the Year (2014) and CUE Outstanding Educator (2014) who has taught middle school for 17 years. Currently an ISTE Community Leader, she has used digital storytelling as an instructional strategy for 15 years and has presented on the topic at both regional and national conferences. Previous speaking experiences include ISTE Live 2021, ISTE Creative Constructor Lab 2021, California Department of Education STEAM Symposium 2021, Arizona Department of Education Title IV Symposium 2021, ISTE Creative Constructor Lab 2020, the Digital Storytelling Network 2020 Virtual Summit, and CUE 2021. Jessica spent over a decade working as a lead instructor for professional development courses for teachers in the area of digital storytelling. Jessica and Georgia also publish a weekly digital storytelling podcast.

Georgia Terlaje is a seasoned educator who has taught for 33 years and is currently a TK-5th instructional coach for Palm Springs Unified. Georgia is an ISTE Community Leader and has used digital storytelling as an instructional strategy for 13 years. She has presented on the topic at both regional and national conferences, including California Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Teachers, Teaching and Media Conference, the Digital Storytelling Network 2020 Virtual Summit, the 2020 and 2021 Creative Constructor Lab, ISTE 2021, and CASTEAM21 Symposium. She was also instrumental in creating PSUSD's first elementary film festival. Georgia spent 10 years as a teacher-consultant for DIGICOM Learning, a non-profit aimed at promoting and supporting digital storytelling in Southern California classrooms. In this role, she was a lead instructor for professional development courses for teachers in the area of digital storytelling. Georgia and Jessica publish a weekly digital storytelling podcast, "Storytelling Saves the World."

Ryan is WeVideo's Customer Success Enablement and Programs Manager with over a decade of experience in K-12 education. Ryan creates instructional resources, designs and leads teacher training and workshops, and provides all kinds of ideas on how to use WeVideo in the K-12 classroom. Ryan holds a Master's degree in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning with an emphasis in educational technologies from Sonoma State University.

Storytelling and the Brain