Digital Storytelling Workshops
Resource Documents
- 8 Steps to Doing Oral History
- Active Listening Exercises
- Digital Storytelling Beginning Prompts
- Digital Storytelling with WeVideo
- Oral History Editing Tools
Utilizing the CHC Archives
Hosted by CHC, this workshop introduces the College community to the rich local and regional collections housed at CHC and trains participants how to access them.
Reframing History for a Better Future
Hosted by the California History Center and Social Science and Humanities faculty from De Anza College, and incorporating curriculum developed by FrameWorks Institute and the American Association for State and Local History, this workshop invites participants to recognize and reevaluate what History means to them by reframing historical inquiry and composition as an ongoing project that they can participate in to create a more just world for all.
This workshop explores how to reframe history and knowledge production through an expansive lens. It covers the limitations of traditional subordinating narratives, the role of interpretation in understanding "facts", and the use of personal and community sources to incorporate marginalized voices. It positions empathy, justice and respect as core values. There is an experiential activity to check assumptions, and parallels are drawn across disciplines. It highlights instructors modeling curiosity and humility, and validating student identities and knowledge. The goal is to inspire expanded awareness and creative approaches to teaching.
Reframing History Curriculum
1. The Limitations of Traditional History/Knowledge (2-3 slides)
Dominant narratives often marginalize certain groups' perspectives
"Objective facts" have been narrated through particular cultural lenses
This narrow framing limits empathy and understanding
2. Broadening Our Perspectives (2-3 slides)
Recognize history/knowledge as ongoing projects to be questioned.
Explore communities, voices underrepresented in traditional sources
Reframe inquiry to incorporate diverse experiences and viewpoints
3. The Interpretive Nature of Facts (3-4 slides)
No facts exist in a vacuum - they require interpretation
Critical thinking to analyze evidence from multiple perspectives
The "detective" metaphor for examining different accounts
4. Reframing Historical Narratives (3-4 slides)
Highlight specific examples recentering marginalized groups
Local museums, oral histories, community archives as sources
Making space for students' families/cultures in the curriculum
5. Values Like Justice and Inclusion (2-3 slides)
Connect examining diverse histories to realizing greater justice
Use examples showing impacts of marginalization
Embracing empathy and equity as core purposes
6. Decentering the Human Lens (3-4 slides)
Recent research indicates possibilities of plant/animal consciousness
Books like "How to Be Animal", "Finding the Mother Tree" explore this
Highlights our human biases in defining consciousness narrowly
Share recent statement on animal consciousness capabilities
Ethical obligation to consider their experiences, don't ignore risks
7. Reframing Across Disciplines and Subjects (3-4 slides)
All fields involve analyzing evidence through cultural lenses
Biology, ecology, conservation efforts influenced by belief systems
Preparing students to evaluate multiple frames is crucial
8. The Nacarema Activity (2-3 slides)
Use this story to start discussions of human-centric assumptions
Reflect on personal lenses that define sentience, ethical consideration
9. As Instructors: Embracing Uncertainties (2-3 slides)
Be upfront about knowledge boundaries and open questions
The process itself embodying curiosity and humility
Students are co-travelers in this never-ending exploration
10. Co-Creating An Expanded Community (2-3 slides)
Collectively questioning human-centric narratives and assumptions
Making space for new perspectives, oft-overlooked experiences
Empowering students to co-create more just futures within community
CHC Workshop - Reframing History - How to teach 'facts' in a changing world
Oral History
Hosted by the California History Center and Social Science and Humanities faculty from De Anza College, in this three-part workshop series, participants are: 1) introduced to the genre of oral history and its significance; 2) provided with information about where and how to access oral histories as well as examples of oral history use in education and awareness, advocacy and policy, additional research, and more; and, 3) instructed in legal obligations and best practices of creating oral histories.
- Part 1: An Introduction to Oral History
- Part 1: An Introduction to Oral History (short version)
- Part 2: Access and Use
- Part 3: Creating Oral Histories
Local Oral Histories & Storytelling
Hosted by the California History Center and interdisciplinary faculty from De Anza College, and in partnership with local community groups, in this multi-part series participants are: 1) introduced to oral histories and storytelling artifacts from a variety of ethnic and labor groups within the broader Silicon Valley community; and, 2) provided examples of how these histories and stories have advanced efforts in education and awareness, advocacy and policy, additional research, and more. Specific project areas may be customized to be the needs of faculty, students, or community groups.
- Local Oral Histories & Storytelling: Japantown
- Local Oral Histories & Storytelling: Chinatown
- Local Oral Histories & Storytelling: Indigenous Communities
- Local Oral Histories & Storytelling: Agriculture and Labor in Silicon Valley
An Introduction to Digital Storytelling
Hosted by the California History Center and interdisciplinary faculty from De Anza College, and in partnership with StoryCenter, this workshop introduces digital storytelling, examines underlying principles and ethical considerations, and explores examples of actual and potential societal impact resulting from this genre. Participants will craft and produce a two to four minute digital story based on a 300 word narration script.
- Digital Storytelling Spring 2023 Session One
- Digital Storytelling Spring 2023 Session Two
- Digital Storytelling Spring 2023 Session Three
- Digital Storytelling Spring 2023 Session Four
- Digital Storytelling Spring 2023 Session Five
- Digital Storytelling Fall 2024
Student Projects
Growing Up In The Valley
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CIS 35 Silicon Valley Pressure Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: Growing up in Silicon Valley made me feel like success had to mean working in tech, since that’s what everyone around me seemed to be aiming for. I tried to follow that path by taking coding classes and joining tech clubs, but I didn’t enjoy it. Eventually, I realized I was more interested in creative work like writing and video editing. While I still feel pressure sometimes, I’ve learned that success can look different for everyone, and it’s okay to follow a path that feels right for me.
Silicon Valley Pressure: Stories from the Valley
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CIS 35 Silicon Valley Pressure Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: This digital story project shows how Silicon Valley has shaped my perspectives on “Success” and describes personal difficulties while working/studying in the tech world with the breakthrough.
An Iranian Immigrant's Path to Becoming a Doctor and Business Owner
Interview Date: June 2025
Assignment: ANTH D002 Cultural Anthropology Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: In this interview titled "An Iranian Immigrant's Path to Becoming a Doctor and Business Owner in Silicon Valley,” a Cultural Anthropology student interviews a 62-year-old physician and small business owner based in San Jose. The interview is conducted in the physician's private clinic office, where he sits at his desk and speaks about his life, identity, and professional journey.
The physician recounts his multicultural path, beginning with his upbringing in Iran and his immigration to France. He shares insights into his time studying and working in France before immigrating to the United States, eventually settling in Silicon Valley. Through answering questions based on migration, identity, religion, cultural values, and socio-economic mobility, he reflects on how his Iranian roots, French experiences, and American life have shaped his worldview and also his medical practice.
This interview explores the topic of cultural conditioning, particularly how the physician’s trilingual abilities, Christian faith, and diverse cultural experiences influence the way he interacts with patients and runs his clinic in one of the most diverse regions of the U.S.
Double Shift: Cultural Identity & Hustle in Silicon Valley's Food Service
Interview Date: June 2025
Assignment: ANTH D002 Cultural Anthropology Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: This interview explores the experience of a Filipino American woman working 2 jobs in Silicon Valley service industry. She shares her thoughts on cultural identity, code switching, community belonging and work life balance.
Getting to Know Pamela - From Sao Paulo to Silicon Valley
Interview Date: June 2025
Assignment: ANTH D002 Cultural Anthropology Assignment (Spring 2025)
Inside Google: A Googler's Perspective on Culture
Interview Date: June 2025
Assignment: ANTH D002 Cultural Anthropology Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: I had the opportunity to interview a Googler based in Mountain View, CA with six years at the company. The Googler offered a unique perspective on Google's corporate culture. The interview explores topics such as the influence of office perks, leadership's role in reinforcing culture, and personal experiences within Google's distinctive work environment.
Interview with Ethan Huang
Interview Date: June 2025
Assignment: ANTH D002 Cultural Anthropology Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: I will conduct this interview by sitting down at a cafe and asking him about his pros and cons of living in Silicon Valley as a self-sufficient Asian American. I want to know more about his life and the struggles of being a self-sufficient Asian American.
Interview with Nghi Tran
Interview Date: June 2025
Assignment: ANTH D002 Cultural Anthropology Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: This is an audio interview conducted by Ngan Tran and the person interviewed is Nghi Tran. This is an ethnographic interview of a Silicon Valley resident discussing about how their culture, ethnicity, religion, and nation of origin to further find out about their upbringing and how it has affected their personal values and norms.
Surviving Silicon Valley: Identity, Work, & Fatherhood in a Displaced Community
Interview Date: June 2025
Assignment: ANTH D002 Cultural Anthropology Assignment (Spring 2025)
Asian American Identity In Silicon Valley
Interview Date: June 2025
Assignment: ANTH D002 Cultural Anthropology Assignment (Spring 2025)
My life in San Jose “Silicon Valley”
Date: June 2025
Assignment: PSYC 9 Digital Storytelling Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: My everyday living has been focused in maintaining a living space, doing chores, cleaning, cooking and eventually find a job. My life in San Jose started since my baby was born, growing up to her adolescence, now in her young adulthood years. My family life has been revolved around the hours of my working husband, and the demands of looking for a career, while working full time as a mother, wife and daughter of my family in Los Angeles.
Digital Story
Date: June 2025
Assignment: PSYC 9 Digital Storytelling Assignment (Spring 2025)
The Darker Shade of Brown
Date: June 2025
Assignment: PSYC 9 Digital Storytelling Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: This is my experience growing up as a dark-skinned Mexican American in 1990s San Jose, shaped by early exposure to cultural dissonance and identity confusion. Raised in a predominantly white neighborhood by a light-skinned mother and a white-Japanese stepfather, I often felt like an outsider within my own family and culture. I didn’t speak Spanish, which led others to question my authenticity as a Mexican, while my physical appearance still subjected me to bias and stereotyping. The constant feeling of unacceptance fractured my self-concept and created the misconcept that the more intelligent I was, the less Mexican I am. I often minimized my abilities to gain social acceptance, suggesting early signs of identity suppression and a lowered sense of self-worth. Teachers recognized my potential but didn’t understand the internal conflict rooted in cultural rejection and belonging uncertainty. Psychologically, I now see how these early experiences impacted my motivation, self-esteem, and emotional development. But rather than letting those wounds define me, I’ve used them as fuel for growth. Through fatherhood, education, and music, I’ve begun rewriting the narrative and creating a space where my children can grow up with a clear sense of identity and worth. What once felt like alienation has transformed into purpose and a personal challenge, to build something new, grounded in self-awareness, healing, and generational change.
My Story and Belonging in Silicon Valley
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: This is a short video of a condensed story of my life from childhood to young adulthood. It shares my experiences and feelings about my time living in Silicon Valley.
Life in Silicon Valley
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: This story is about my friend and me and our life in Silicon Valley. We both belong to some country, and now we are living in the same place in Silicon Valley. But our perspective and family support are different. So, because of that our lives are different from each other. But still, we are best friends and find time to explore Silicon Valley together.
My Story
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: I am a mother of two who has been living in Silicon Valley since 2019. My husband's job brought us here from Japan. It was the most dramatic and important life event for me. My sons were five and nine years old at that time. My husband and I had never experienced living outside Japan in our lives. It was a brave decision as I was anxious about the differences in language, culture, and school systems. I had no relatives or friends who were living in CA at that time.
The very first day we arrived here, my son got severely sick. He had a high fever. We needed to take him to a doctor, but I struggled to find one. We were totally overwhelmed by the situation. I could not understand what the telephone automated voice machine said, and I could not get any help. I realized how hard it is to live in a place where you do not speak the language. It was just the beginning.
Since then, I have had to face so many difficulties in adopting a new life. Likewise, my sons also faced hardship in getting familiar with their school. Especially, my elder was a fifth grader. He felt outcast and emotionally depressed by the language barrier.
No sooner had we settled into our new apartment and our sons' school lives than the pandemic hit. I had to know updated and reliable information. The pandemic urged me to learn English because English literacy was essential to survive the pandemic. My sons and I strived to study English grammar, sight words, and listening practice every day. We took advantage of the distance learning period to learn basic English. We appreciated plenty of online free resources for learning new skills.
Moreover, my family enjoyed the wonderful nature in California. Not only nearby hiking trails such as Rancho San Antonio or Quick Silver, but also we visited Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada to explore nature.
After five years had passed since we came here, we found it comfortable to live here. My elder son started playing football and enjoying mingling with teenagers. My younger son started becoming passionate about wrestling and public speaking. I started my educational journey to gain AA degree.
Journey from Kolkata to California
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: A story of life, struggle after coming from one country to another.
My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: I am a mother, wife, student, and preschool teacher. My journey into early childhood education began with a powerful visit to a friend’s preschool, where I discovered my passion for nurturing young minds.
Living in Silicon Valley has been both inspiring and challenging. While I appreciate its diversity and opportunities, I often feel out of place in a world dominated by technology and speed.
In an interview with my husband’s cousin an immigrant in the tech industry I found many shared emotions: homesickness, cultural adjustment, and the search for belonging. Despite our different career paths, we both find pride and meaning in our work and communities. Together, our stories show that true belonging comes not from blending in, but from holding onto our values, building connections, and embracing who we are.
Silicon Valley: Two Sides of the Coin
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
My Story and Belonging in Silicon Valley
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: I am living in mountain house, I interviewed my colleague , she is from our mother land and she shared the same feeling with me.
A Girl from Guam
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: "A Girl from Guam" is a personal reflection on my journey from the island of Guam to California. In this story, I share the deep connection I have with my home, culture, and traditions, and what it's been like to leave my family behind in order to pursue my goals. As I work towards becoming a teacher, I carry my roots with me finding strength, and where I come from while building the future I dream of.
Bay Area: A Culturally Diverse Paradise
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: I shared how the region makes you feel at home, acknowledges your unique identity, and encourages meaningful social connections. However, the country is required to consider the plight of alien immigrants on H4 visas. They need a chance to thrive professionally. There are many H4 visa holders stranded like me, who are qualified to contribute to the nation professionally in fields like education but due to the lengthy paperwork process are left with long gestation periods of wait.
My Story and Belonging in Silicon Valley
Date: June 2025
Assignment: CD67 My Story & Belonging in Silicon Valley Assignment (Spring 2025)
Summary: Discussing my experience and my husband’s experience working in Silicon Valley/San Francisco area in education.