Share Paper: Personal Sense of Place as Reflected in Rural Students’ Digital Stories

  1. Nancy Luke, Western Carolina University, United States
  2. Russell Binkley, Western Carolina University, United States
Wednesday, March 8 2:05-2:25 PM Capitol B

Abstract: It is important to investigate and understand the lived experiences of rural children and their views of themselves as members of rural communities. One strand of this study is the way that children can use digital tools to express and represent their perspectives as rural citizens. A sense of place has been defined as a sense of belonging, civic engagement, spiritual connection and interdependence with land, and integral to identity (Eppley, 2011; Spring, 2013). This may be particularly the case in rural contexts. Sixth grade students created digital stories that focused on their rural community including family histories, work and ...