October 2024 – Talk Wordy To Me

ETL533: Critical Reflection

Bianca Bertalli ETL533 October 8, 2024 0 Comment

Part D: Critical Reflection

The changing role of the teacher librarian (TL) as a facilitator of information literacy in an evolving digital environment, has been a concept consistently central to my reflective practices (Bertalli, 2023; Bertalli, 2023 ; Bertalli, 2024). While initially, I was not confident on how to apply criteria to determine whether a digital text could be classified as literature (Bertalli, 2024), ETL533 enabled me to engage with a variety of scholarly definitions of digital literature (Combes, 2019; Kearney, 2011; Kingsley, 2007; Lamb, 2011; McGill, 2022; University of Houston; 2013) and I became better able to articulate my own understanding of various narrative structures, only possible in the digital world (Bertalli, 2024; Bertalli, 2024; Bertalli, 2024). This new learning provided me with the knowledge to address an issue I have been grappling with for some time. How do I make impactful changes in my own collection development practices to enhance a primary school library that consists of 99% physical resources (Bertalli, 2024)? Combes (2019) points out that inevitable changes in the infosphere requires recurrent monitoring and assessment of the library collection to ensure it continues to address patron needs and evolving information literacy requirements. Being equipped with the confidence to identify and select quality digital literature, is a notable turning point in my professional development as an early career TL and has already had visible outcomes in my school library with the addition of audiobooks, eBooks and iPad viewing/ listening stations added to our library this term, inspired by ETL533.

While previously studying collection development, the educational benefits that a balanced, hybrid collection could have for my students, especially in supporting the acquisition of information fluency skills, became clear (Bertalli, 2024; NSW Department of Education, 2022). However, ETL533 further unpacked what constitutes a quality digital literary resource, where to locate them and even how to use numerous content types as powerful teaching tools for reading, text response and composition. Through this subject I have gained practical knowledge that I have applied in my work as a primary school TL this term. Not only was I inspired to address the digital deficits in our library collection, I also developed a curriculum unit of work in multimodal storytelling, based on the digital storytelling requirements of this subject. This has allowed me to explore firsthand the evolving nature of narratives through tools and platforms suggested in this course, as well as troubleshoot and debug my way through this unfamiliar genre. Kingsley (2007) acknowledges that as teachers begin to weave digital tools into their teaching to address curriculum outcomes, they are also better catering to diverse student needs. I certainly found digital storytelling to be an engaging topic for all students, with the collaborative nature of the task appealing to the varying strengths and interests of all my individual students. The largest challenge I have faced in teaching my students about digital literature, is convincing teacher colleagues to see the value added to students’ transliteracy development through digital literacy. I believe that this is an area of focus for me in the future as I work to gain the confidence and skills to collaborate and share these insights with my teacher peers.

Digital literature provides an opportunity for collaboration unparallel to traditional storytelling methods. This was particularly evident in the use of peer feedback to refine our digital storytelling proposals. I appreciated the insightful comments from likeminded educators to support strategies that enhanced my project and better addressed the needs of the audience (Weibye, 2024), reminiscent of the collaborative development process applied to the Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.). Kingsley (2007) acknowledges that collaboration and training are two ways that teachers can improve their own technology skills. ETL533 discussion boards, videos and modules were also extremely valuable aids in helping me break down barriers to new learning and understand challenging concepts.

Prior to ETL533, I had not really considered the impact of social reading communities despite being a follower of many author accounts, BookTok reader profiles and literary inspired fan artists. As a TL always looking for ways to improve school reading culture, I met with my library leaders (year 5 and 6 students) to begin a discussion on how to initiate an online social book club across our small network of rural schools (Bertalli, 2024). This too was motivated by the content of ETL533 and is bound to have a positive impact for my professionally, as I communicate with TLs from other schools, as well as educationally for my students.

The role of the TL is dynamic, exciting and marked with creative potential. Allan (2021) affirms that a fixed definition of digital literature is impossible due to the ever-shifting nature of the digital domain. It is for this reason that I am determined to remain engaged in professional communities and professional learning opportunities that will support me to keep informed with evolving literature trends, continuing the creative journey that ETL533 has taken me on.

References:

Allan, C. (2017). Digital fiction: ‘Unruly object’ or literary artefact? English in Australia, 52(2), 21-27. https://search-informit-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/doi/epdf/10.3316/aeipt.216171

Bertalli, B. (2023, March 8). Teacher librarians- it’s time to renew our role. Talk Wordy To Me [Blog Post]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2023/03/08/teacher-librarians-its-time-to-renew-our-role/

Bertalli, B. (2023, May 20). Looking back on chapter one…. Talk Wordy To Me. [Blog Post]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2023/05/20/looking-back-on-chapter-one/

Bertalli, B. (2024, May 20). CDP- The Tool for Change. Talk Wordy To Me. [Blog Post]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/05/20/cdp-the-tool-for-change/

Bertalli, B. (2024, August 12). Review 1: The Beehive- “Can an artwork also be classified as digital literature?” Talk Wordy To Me. [Blog Post]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/08/12/review-1-the-beehive-can-an-artwork-also-be-classified-as-digital-literature/

Bertalli, B. (2024, August 12). Review 2: Dark Citadel- The interactive story forging its own path. Talk Wordy To Me. [Blog Post]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/08/12/review-2-the-dark-citadel-the-interactive-story-forging-its-own-path/

Bertalli, B. (2024, August 12). Review 3: twisted tales- digital storytelling to develop empathy. Talk Wordy To Me. [Blog Post]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/08/12/review-3-twisted-tales-digital-storytelling-to-develop-empathy/

Bertalli, B. (2024, March 6). 99% there- yet so far to go! Talk Wordy To Me. [Blog Post]. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/03/06/99-there-yet-so-far-to-go/

Bertalli, B. (2024, July 2024). Simulated social networking. [Discussion post]. https://learn.csu.edu.au/d2l/le/17892/discussions/topics/34952/View

Combes, B. (2019). Digital Literacy: A New Flavour of Literacy or Something Different? (2019). Synergy, 14(1). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v14120163

Kearney, M. (2011). A learning design for student‐generated digital storytelling. Learning, Media and Technology, 36(2), 169–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2011.553623

Kingsley, K. V. (2007). Empower diverse learners with educational technology and digital media. Intervention in School and Clinic 43(1), 52-56. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10534512070430010701

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and leading with technology, 39(3), 12-17. https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/bitstream/handle/1805/8636/39-3.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

LC Publishing. (n.d.). The Dark Citadel [Alexa Skill Game]. Amazon Skills. LC Publishing. https://www.amazon.com.au/LC-Publishing-The-Dark-Citadel/dp/B079MH4L12

McGill, K. M. (2022). The digital lineage of narrative: analyzing interactive fiction to further understand game narrative. In Bostan, B. (2022). Games and narrative: theory and practice (pp. 77-90). Springer.

New South Wales Department of Education. (2022). Information Fluency framework. https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/media/documents/Information_fluency_framework.pdf

University of Houston. (2013). Educational uses of digital storytelling: What is digital storytelling? http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/page.cfm?id=27&cid=27

Weibye, A. (2024, August 26). I really like the sound of your proposal! Creating a website that families can access from home is a clever. [Comment on the blog post “ETL533 Digital Storytelling Project Proposal: Starting School Social Story Website”]. Talk Wordy to Me. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/08/12/etl533-digital-storytelling-project-proposal-starting-school-social-story-website/#comment-13

PART A: Context for Digital Storytelling Project

Bianca Bertalli ETL533, Uncategorized October 8, 2024October 10, 2024 0 Comment

Digital Storytelling Project: Starting School Digital Social Story

Overview and Intended Purpose

Quality literature is widely accepted as a valuable tool for learning however the evolving nature of narrative challenges teachers, and teacher librarians, to redefine reading and the processing involved in composing and responding to texts. In a project aiming to introduce digital storytelling (DS), via the Canva (Canva, 2024) platform, year 5 and 6 students will develop an interactive website that allows forthcoming Kindergarten students, and their families, to follow a character around a map of their prospective primary school (GGPS). The website will introduce preschool students to places, spaces and routines and serve as a social story to enhance student wellbeing and support the social-emotional challenges of transitioning to primary school (Raising Children Network Australia Limited, 2024).

Subject Area

This DS project supports learning in English and Geography for Stage 3. The English outcome of Creating Written Texts, EN3-CWT-01, will be addressed as students ‘…choose multimodal features suited to a target audience and purpose… [and create] hybrid texts for target audiences, using print or digital tools…’ (NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA], 2024). Further, students will use Geographical tools such as maps, photography, satellite images, multimedia and web tools to work towards the Stage 3 Geography Outcomes of GE3-1 and GE3-2 (NESA, 2024). Preschoolers who engage with this text as reader and viewer, will familiarise themselves with the concepts ‘Place’ and ‘Space’ which feature in the Early Stage 1 Geography syllabus. They will also interact with spatial technologies and visual representations of information, preparing them for formalised learning (NESA, 2024).

Audience

Given the audience will be children aged 4-6, as well as adult carers, the website will be created with Canva (Canva, 2024) to encompass multimodal text types. Canva’s (Canva, 2024) website building function is free for NSW Department of Education teachers and students and can be published for public viewing with a URL or QR code, making it a practical and accessible platform for DS. Using a visual map, overlayed with hyperlinked icons, young viewers are able to choose how to navigate the website and the areas they wish to explore. In response to peer feedback (Weibye, 2024) the website accompanies written text with recorded audio narration allowing young readers, and those with other specific learning needs, to make meaning from each page (Kingsley, 2007).

Needs of the community

The GGPS Strategic Improvement Plan (Gol Gol Public School, 2024) identifies students’ sense of belonging and engagement as an important focus and this DS project attends to both of these values. The DS site will be available online, as well as face-to-face in a library open day event where Year 5 buddies and preschool students will navigate the web page together, fostering a special peer connection. Additionally, the Canva (Canva, 2024) platform is configurable to both handheld devices and computer screens, maximising accessibility for families who are joining the school community and enhancing a culture of inclusion. As a learning tool, this will be the first time that Stage 3 students have engaged in a small-group, collaborative project to co-create a multimodal text, offering a valuable educative experience in DS and scope for the development of vital digital citizenship skills, including fair use and copyright issues (Kingsley, 2007).

Fit with the Current Collection and Value for Program Implementation

GGPS is undergoing a transition towards a balanced, hybrid collection. The school has recently supplemented the physical collection with an eLibrary of eBooks and audiobooks. Additionally, the teacher librarian has introduced a shared physical space for iPad viewing and listening stations. This DS project reflects the adaptive nature of the school library, challenging students to engage with literature in a way that responds to a rapidly changing information landscape (Combes, 2019). The DS project will enable the community to recognise the GGPS library as an innovative space that promotes both information literacy and student wellbeing (Australian Library and Information Association [ALIA] and Australian School Library Association [ASLA], 2016; Child, 2018). As a multimodal text, the DS website will offer a level of interactivity and engagement for families not previously utilised during school orientation materials, adding value to current programs.

Influences and Factors for Consideration

A recent influence that has impacted storytelling in digital environments is the idea of a non-linear narrative. By navigating with the visual map through the eyes of the main character, the young reader is able to explore the school, according to their interests. Lamb (2011) notes that interactivity is likely to increase enhance reader engagement by assisting the reader to be immersed in the virtual narrative setting. Additionally, multimodal texts may enhance the meaning making occurring. For students, the combination of visual, auditory and textual elements simultaneously engaged in the transmedia reading process may enable a deeper understanding of what is being read (Allan, 2017; McDonald, 2023; Tan & Chik, 2022). The potential educational impact that transmedia storytelling offers is an area that teacher librarians must continue to explore with their students and further expound with teacher colleagues.

References:

Allan, C. (2017). Digital fiction: ‘Unruly object’ or literary artefact? English in Australia, 52(2), 21-27. https://search-informit-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/doi/epdf/10.3316/aeipt.216171

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and Australian School Library Association (ASLA). (2016). Statement on Information Literacy. https://read.alia.org.au/alia-asla-joint-statement-library-and-information-services-schools

Canva (2024) Canva [Web App]. https://www.canva.com/

Child, J., (2018). School libraries enhancing student wellbeing. SCIS Connections (105), 8-9. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-105/school-libraries-enhancing-student-wellbeing/

Combes, B. (2019). Digital Literacy: A New Flavour of Literacy or Something Different? (2019). Synergy, 14(1). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v14120163

Gol Gol Public School. (2024). Strategic improvement plan 2021-2025. https://reports.sparo.schools.nsw.gov.au/plan-report/2021/2027/2021-2025_Gol_Gol_Public_School_SIP.pdf

McDonald, L. (2023). A new literature companion for teachers; teaching mentor texts (3rd ed.). Primary English Teachers Association (PEETA).

NSW Education Standards Authority (2024) English K–10 Syllabus. https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/learning-areas/english/english-k-10-2022/content/stage-3/fae233967c

NSW Education Standards Authority (2015) Geography K–10 Syllabus. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/hsie/geography-k-10

Raising Children Network Australia Limited. (2024). Social Stories. https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/therapies-guide/social-stories

Tan, L. & Chik, A. (2022). Between worlds: Extending students’ multimodal literacy practices with augmented reality. Primary English Teachers Association (PEETA).

Transmedia Storytelling. (2016, January 26). Ep 71: Learning in the wild with transmedia storytelling: How to use transmedia storytelling for informal and blended learning [Audio podcast]. Podomatic.