My digital story will serve two main purposes: to share the historical narrative of a significant figure in Australian history and to act as a model for students, who will use a digital platform to create their own stories. This project will be part of our library unit, which integrates digital competencies through the framework of the history curriculum, particularly focusing on the stories of early settlers and Indigenous people during the colonial period.
(Smelda et al., 2014, pg. 2) discusses that digital storytelling is recognised as an effective pedagogical approach that enhances student motivation and supports story creation through benefits like collaboration and reflection. I will use Book Creator to create a story which will centre on the life and accomplishments of Mary Reiby, a prominent historical figure studied in the Year 5 History syllabus. It will incorporate key features of historical fiction—such as plot, authentic historical settings, dialogue, and characters—by transforming key events from Mary’s life into a narrative format students will be guided to identify as historical fiction. Book Creator offers different book formats, such as comics and a variety of layouts, alongside the option to upload your own images and record audio. It is an intuitive platform to use, and its customisable options means that I can ensure that the main elements of the story are the focus, rather than unnecessary digital add ons that take away from the readability of the text.
After reading the story, students will be asked to identify major challenges, achievements, and events in Mary’s life, designed to gauge their understanding and comprehension of the text. They will also be prompted to reflect on and discuss the digital skills required to create a similar story.
References
Smeda, N., Dakich, E., & Sharda, N. (2014). The effectiveness of digital storytelling in the classrooms: a comprehensive study. Smart Learning Environments, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-014-0006-3
Hi Belinda,
I really like your idea! I think combining the story of Mary Reiby with a model for students to create their own stories is such a clever way to link curriculum and digital skills. It’s great that you’ve chosen something so relevant to the Year 5 History syllabus—it gives the project clear purpose and meaning.
Book Creator feels like a perfect choice here. It’s easy to use, but still offers enough flexibility for you to include the historical details, images, and audio without cluttering the story. Robin (2016) talks about how choosing the right tool can help students focus on content rather than getting lost in the technology, and I think you’ve nailed that balance.
I also like how you’ll get students to reflect on both the content and the process afterwards—it ties in nicely with Smeda et al.’s (2014) point about digital storytelling encouraging deeper engagement through reflection.
One thing you could even build on is having students compare your Mary Reiby story with primary sources or other accounts. It could make the activity even more inquiry-based while still keeping it fun and creative.
Overall, I think your project will be really engaging and a great mix of history and creativity. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
References
Robin, B. R. (2016). The power of digital storytelling to support teaching and learning. Digital Education Review, 30, 17–29. https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/der/article/view/16104
Smeda, N., Dakich, E., & Sharda, N. (2014). The effectiveness of digital storytelling in the classrooms: A comprehensive study. Smart Learning Environments, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-014-0006-3
Hey Belinda,
I think this is a great project idea. I love the choice of book creator, particularly with the customisation controls it offers you that allows the teacher to minimise potentially distracting ‘seductive design’ elements that could otherwise detract from your student’s learning (Schugar et al). The decision to pair storytelling with the history backed up by your research into digital literature is an informed choice well connected to the syllabus.
I’m wondering if it would be appropriate to allow students to choose alternative perspectives to explore in their storybook using your Mary Reiby text as their model. Gee notes how powerful agency and choice can be as a driving factor for student engagement and ownership over the text and I feel it may allow students to identify with and explore alternative historical perspectives (2007,p.7).
Looking forward to seeing the final product!
Liam
Reference list:
Gee, J. P. (2007). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy (Rev. and updated ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Schugar, H., Smith, C., & Schugar, J. (n.d.). Teaching with interactive picture e-books in grades K-6. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/teaching-interactive-picture-e-books-grades-k-6
(Trimmed my response a little to fit in the word count if you could please approve when you have a minute :))
Hey Belinda,
I think this is a great project idea. I love the choice of book creator, particularly with the customisation controls it offers you that allows the teacher to minimise potentially distracting ‘seductive design’ elements that could otherwise detract from your student’s learning (Schugar et al). The decision to pair storytelling with the history backed up by your research into digital literature is an informed choice well connected to the syllabus.
I’m wondering if it would be appropriate to allow students to choose alternative perspectives to explore in their storybook using your Mary Reiby text as their model. Gee notes how powerful agency and choice can be as a driving factor for student engagement and ownership over the text and I feel it may allow students to identify with and explore alternative historical perspectives (2007,p.7).
Looking forward to seeing the final product!
Liam
Reference list:
Gee, J. P. (2007). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy (Rev. and updated ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Schugar, H., Smith, C., & Schugar, J. (n.d.). Teaching with interactive picture e-books in grades K-6. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/teaching-interactive-picture-e-books-grades-k-6