support – Jennifer's reflections 'through the looking glass'

The digital storytelling project Eco Warriors has been created as an engaging hook to support students in their knowledge and exploration of sustainability. It focuses predominantly on the local community level, with specific learning throughout the artefact that is relevant to existing school wide initiatives, with additional supportive inclusions on a national and global scale. The inspiration for the project derived from our primary school being a recipient of multiple environmental awards in the past (Parsons, 2018). However, over the last few years, some practices have unfortunately decreased in efficiency for teachers and students as staffing changes and the education climate has become more challenging and with the focus on other areas such as student wellbeing. There is a recognised need to promote sustainability across the school and encourage students to be the leaders of change. This digital literature piece meets the needs of the school community, as it supports students in investigating and learning about the environment while complementing school programs and values (Hawker School, n.d.). When creating this digital literature tool, Nokelainen’s (2006) ten dimensions for educational usability were considered. The model examines factors including learner control, problem-based activity, collaboration, goals, applicability, value, motivations, prior knowledge, flexibility, and student feedback (p.181-186). The artefact was designed to have real world application, with school-based setting and information, to encourage student direction, leadership and innovation.

Eco Warriors has been produced with consideration of the intended audience of the year 3 and 4 cohorts. Within these two cohorts of 95 students in total, 1 identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, 19 are EALD, 12 are on an ILP (Sentral Education, 2023-b & 2023-c). Student learning data demonstrates the percentage of students achieving above grade level in English for the year 3 cohort is 53% and 56% for year 5, with 96% at level or above in for English in year 3 and 100% in year 5 (Sentral Education, 2023-a). The digital story is accessible to the clientele. Students and teachers are well equipped with digital technology at the school, with 1:1 Chromebooks allocated to students from years 2 to 6 for their class learning, and interactive whiteboards in every learning space. The flexible and visual nature of the story, as well as the creative tools, will benefit a range of learning styles and foster student learning needs (Johnes, n.d., para. 11). For differentiation of learning needs and to assist the 6 students within the cohorts that require reading and literacy support, students can employ accessibility features and screen readers on their device, can work within collaborative learning groups, as well as learn with guidance from teachers and learning support assistants.

[Screenshot of Eco Warriors first page]. (2023). Author’s own photo.

The digital artefact has been designed as a fun and interactive tool, guiding students through purposeful content and learning outcomes. The multimodality of the text will develop transliteracy skills (Holland, 2023, January 17) and support synthesis of content. The story follows a non-linear narrative nonfiction format, combining an engaging and inspiring narrative with informational aspects. The interactive fiction format was chosen as an engaging mode for students to view and interact with, while critically analysing the various storylines, messages and additional information (Kucirkova, 2018, p. 18). The interactivity, meaningful content and gamification components will increase student interest in the topic and support reluctant literacy learners. Digital storytelling promotes creative and critical thinking, decision making, digital technology competencies and collaboration with peers (Warfield, 2016, para. 10-11). The format will inspire active citizenship in the school, with prompts built in for action and response by users.

Eco Warriors supports the Australian Curriculum learning areas of English and HASS for both year 3 and year 4, and authentically embeds the cross-curriculum priority area of Sustainability. The digital story can be used as a mentor text to analyse multimodal elements, structure and purpose. Examination of, and responding to the literature, builds comprehension and personal connections, and extends contextual understanding and vocabulary (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2023-a). Civics and Citizenship content descriptors are directly addressed using the resource, including year 3 descriptors AC9HS3K06 and AC9HS3K07, as well as AC9HS4K07 and AC9HS4K08 for year 4 (ACARA, 2023-b). In these areas, students understand the difference of rules and laws, investigate their purpose and role in society, and examine local government services including waste management (ACARA, 2023-b). In addition, the story and associated material supports the year 4 Geography through exploration of resources and sustainability management (AC9HS4K06). The artefact addresses the Sustainability cross-curriculum priority through the promotion of informed experiences and action, sustainable patterns, responsible resource use, and building awareness for the future (ACARA, 2023-c).

An intention for the future is that students can build upon this artefact to use digital storytelling to create their own stories. This will develop rich connections, sharing and collaboration, whilst promoting ownership and value in the school community (Robin, 2016, p .19).

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2023-a). English – Year 3, 4 (Version 9). Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/english/year-3_year-4

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2023-b). HASS F-6 – Year 3, 4 (Version 9). Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/hass-f-6/year-3_year-4

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2023-c). Sustainability (Version 9). Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/sustainability

Hawker School. (n.d.). Environment program. Retrieved September 23, 2023 from https://www.hawkerps.act.edu.au/Our_Curriculum/environment_program

Holland, J. [Jennifer.Holland] (2023, January 17). Multiliteracies. Jennifer’s reflections ‘through the looking glass’. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennifersjournal/2023/01/17/multiliteracies/

Johnes, S. (n.d.). What is digital storytelling and how can I use it to help my students?. Science and Literacy. https://scienceandliteracy.org/digital-storytelling-in-the-classroom/

Kucirkova, N. (2018). How and why to read and create children’s digital books: A guide for primary practitioners. UCL Press. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781787353473

Nokelainen, P. (2006). An empirical assessment of pedagogical usability criteria for digital learning material with elementary school students. Educational Technology & Society. 9(2). 178-197. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220374935_An_empirical_assessment_of_pedagogical_usability_criteria_for_digital_learning_material_with_elementary_school_students

Parsons, S. (2018, April 24). Kitchen garden: the language of food. The Canberra Times. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6040188/kitchen-garden-the-language-of-food

Robin, B. (2016). The power of digital storytelling to support teaching and learning. Digital Education Review. 30(30). 17-29. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311964446_The_Power_of_Digital_Storytelling_to_Support_Teaching_and_Learning

Sentral Education. (2023-a). Academic Reports (v23.6.15) [Computer Software]. Sentral Enterprise. Retrieved September 25, 2023 from https://sas.ed.act.edu.au/

Sentral Education. (2023-b). Profiles (v23.6.15) [Computer Software]. Sentral Enterprise. Retrieved September 25, 2023 from https://sas.ed.act.edu.au/

Sentral Education. (2023-c). Student plans (v23.6.15) [Computer Software]. Sentral Enterprise. Retrieved September 25, 2023 from https://sas.ed.act.edu.au/

Warfield, A. (2016). 6 reasons you should be doing digital storytelling with your students. Getting Smart. https://www.gettingsmart.com/2016/01/17/6-reasons-you-should-be-doing-digital-storytelling-with-your-students/

Current knowledge and understanding

Teacher Librarians are an integral part of maintaining accurate, engaging and appropriate resources and technologies in a school environment, with libraries promoting opportunities for a range of learning experiences as well as their value for student wellbeing. Early on in this Teacher Librarianship course we learnt about today’s information environment and the impact on teaching and learning. I reflected on this landscape in a blog post, stating that as teacher librarians, we are a source of information, guidance and support, as students and teachers navigate the digital information world in which we live. This includes the need to teach digital literacy and critical analysis skills.

Digital literature is a medium that is constantly evolving, with what we experience today, might become dated or unpopular tomorrow with the emergence of new platforms. A format I remember exposing students to initially was online stories such as Storyline Online on an interactive board, where existing stories are retold in fun, visual ways. Then came the rise of ebooks, and with it student self-selection, which ensured they were excited and engaged in their reading (and quite possibly mainly for the novel opportunity to use a device).

COVID-19 and online learning really evolved teaching and learning practices quickly, including digital communication formats. Students at a younger age were exposed to learning through devices and there were a plethora of apps, tools and content available to utilise and explore (including authors and illustrators creating their own content and sharing of literature). Storytelling on a digital platform was extremely popular and this trend continued as we moved back into the classrooms.

I recently completed the elective ETL402 Literature Across the Curriculum, which touched on digitised literature. This subject introduced me to interactive fiction, transmedia and storytelling through gamification, as well as expanded my knowledge of enhanced ebooks. I discuss our school context in regards to digital texts in my reflective post, including setting my own goal for future pedagogical development.

Tablet showing a word cloud of school related terms — Curriculum by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images https://www.thebluediamondgallery.com/tablet/c/curriculum.html

Concepts to think about: challenges and potential opportunities

Practices

Technology is constantly changing, with new emergent developments occurring and with yesterday’s tools and platforms becoming obsolete. In addition, in an information-driven environment, users expect immediacy and high engagement. This has been evident even more so in the return from online learning, with students in my school context observed to have less resilience and reduced attention to tasks. Innovative digital literature supports student engagement and incorporates new ways of participating in learning experiences (Izati et. al., 2021).

Tools and uses

Some areas that have arisen for me as I begin this subject include the challenges of accessibility and the digital divide in schools, as well as the opportunities for learning support and tools for students. In my blog post on resource selection, I reflected on the premise of 21st century learning and the impact on libraries and resources, to move from the traditional physical holding of books to dynamic environments linking literature, information and digital technology. An area I have thought about when beginning the ETL533 subject is student accessibility to other platforms or sites and remaining engaged in their learning while using digital technology. A school library contains resources that are carefully curated to suit the school context, the learning needs and interests of the community, including print and digital formats. Generally to date in my school context, students have access to subscription services such as SORA, OverDrive and StoryBox Library for digital literature experiences. A question I have beginning this subject is does the use of digital literature open up potential for students to access other online material that may be off task or inappropriate? Is this thinking a form of filtering or censorship?

All school resources are not equal and the digital divide can pose real issues for access to digital literature. Accessibility is a positive at our school, with students from year 2 to 6 being ‘allocated’ a 1:1 chromebook for learning needs throughout the year.

Additionally, learning support using digital platforms, aided Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems and accessibility tools are fabulous, with a range of functions and benefits for students. Our school subscribed to the PM ecollection during the pandemic (and have continued this subscription) for K-2 students in home reading and reading programs, as well as those older students who require reading support or intervention. This platform uses interactive features for questioning, decoding and comprehension. Digital practices and tools are a current and continued feature in student learning support services, with the inclusion of expansion of digital literature genres and formats in the school an enriching opportunity.

The learning and health impacts of digital use for sustained periods are concepts I would like to further examine and collate professional literature on. This includes blue light eye strain, and the differing comprehension and digital literacy skills required for users. Personally, a few years ago I was religiously reading ebooks at night before bed on my Kindle, however at the endorsement of the optometrist, I have ceased this practice due to the deterioration of my eyesight.

Charlie the dog during online learning "using" the laptop — Author’s own photo

So what is the future of literature and reading?

The big picture is currently weighing on me as I complete my studies and return from maternity leave. Sometimes school libraries seem to have a bright future due to the well documented literacy and wellbeing benefits (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011; Merga, 2022; Merga, 2021), and at other times I read, hear and experience the negative impacts on libraries by budgetary decision makers and through staffing and school climates (Heffernan, 2023). This reflection of our school context exposes our reliance on ebooks and subscriptions services to date, and reinforces my aim to discover more about interactivity and connectivity within the differing digital text formats, in which Assessment 1 should support my exploration. I look forward to finding out more about current and future digital trends to implement into the school library for the learning and enjoyment of all.

Commonwealth of Australia. (2011). Potential of school libraries and teacher librarians to contribute to improved educational and community outcomes. School libraries and teacher librarians in 21st century Australia.
https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=ee/schoollibraries/report.htm

Heffernan, M. (2023, July 15). School libraries in Victoria suffer from shortage of resources, qualifications. The Age.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/school-libraries-in-victoria-suffer-from-lack-of-resources-qualifications-20230612-p5dfxo.html

Izati, R. A., Lestari, L. A., & Setiawan, S. (2021). Digital Reading Engagement of Junior High School Students during the Online Learning. Jo-ELT (Journal of English Language Teaching) Fakultas Pendidikan Bahasa & Seni Prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris IKIP, 8(2), 181–.
https://doi.org/10.33394/jo-elt.v8i2.3876

Merga, M. K. (2022). School libraries supporting literacy and wellbeing. Facet Publishing.

Merga, M. K. (2021). Why are teacher librarians an excellent investment in contemporary schools? Scan, 40(2).

Tag: support

Digital Storytelling: Eco Warriors Context (Part A)

A Journey into Digital Literature