I now feel that I can identify how the role of a Teacher Librarian in digital environments has evolved up to this point. I thought that librarians were now concerned with supporting students in critically evaluating online sources and discerning credible information. This course has shown me how the future of libraries in schools will mean accommodating creation using technology into classes, with the teacher librarian having a very active role in promoting literacies in a school. I think the library now has a responsibility to get students confident with using online databases, e-books, digital storytelling platforms, and educational apps to prepare students for the knowledge economy, especially in skills with multimedia and online collaboration so students experiment with technology beyond a google search. But the behavioural switch from using technology for entertainment to using it as a learning tool (Bauerlein, 2009, cited in Combes, 2012) does feel to me a premise of private education, with the efforts and hours that would need to be put into a school’s curriculum by already overworked teachers as at the moment, my places of work are based around ‘substituting’ technology (using iPads for pencil and paper) rather than using technology to expand learning (Morgen, 2023). 

Digital literature was not a genre that I had been familiar with, now I appreciate it and can see a need to create a library resource for digital literature, perhaps in a different section of the library designed specifically for this to encourage student engagement. My initial feelings towards digital literature were me wondering what the difference would be between it and a novel with additional online features? It felt very much like someone trying to develop a new genre from insubstantial material. I am a strong believer in books and I feel like the animations in book form gets in the way of my imagination. 

A turning point for me was with the video ‘PICNIC’ which contained some very sophisticated examples of the genre and made it clear that online texts do follow the practice’s own conventions, in a similar way that say, short stories do; and that by getting students to use multimedia to create. They are being prepared with soft and hard skills for the future job market, as well as experiencing and creating for a different form of reading: an aesthetic reading (reading for lived experience) rather than efferent reading (Rosenblatt, 1994). I am excited by the possibility of bridging the gap between students who like science and technology, and students who prefer the arts (Alderman, 2015). 

I chose to use Youtube.com as a focus for my students basically because they use it so much. I teach Ancient History and I often have to correct them over inaccurate information garnered from Youtube.com videos. I think I did not really consider the genre of ‘digital literature’ and was more concerned with getting my students to see how easy it is to create a Youtube.com video with inaccurate information. I did not consider the need to get the students to be creative with technology, which I now think would have covered my initial concern. I significantly missed the point of including the Australian Curriculum (2023) three sub elements to plan and design, create content and respect intellectual property. 

Based on comments and further reading of digital literature, I realised I really needed to come up with something which would encourage students to be creative – so I first changed the context and decided to create a task for my English class, and base that task into the mentality of creation rather than transferring the skills my students are using socially with technology (Zincke, 2023). I then looked at other examples of digital literature and thought that creating a child’s comic strip based on re-vamping fairy tales would be an interested inquiry learning task for our stereotypes, and would hope that students would internalise the idea of how reductive stereotyping is and how most people are very literate in this area. I chose to use app that I did as I know that this activity would be very much a starting point for many of my students. It is extremely easy to use and requires little technical skill. The main considerations are fitting images to the story and considering how to divide the story into panels and changed the ending of the fairy tale so it subverts the stereotype. 

As a result of this course, I feel that I would want to help students become more creative in their use of multi-media creation, especially by finding more examples of digital literature and analysing these for their conventions and devices.  I feel that this would be more beneficial than a lot of the basic skills that I cover on my English course (such as letter writing) as our economy now, and in the future, looks posed to derive economic value from ideas and creativity (Mortazavia & Bahramib, 2012).  

Word count: 828 

References 

ACARA (2021) General Capabilities: Digital Literacy. Australian Curriculum Review. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/media/7024/gc_digital_literacy_ict_capability_consultation_curriculum.pdf 

Alderman, N. (2015) The first great works of digital literature are already being written. The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/13/video-games-digital-storytelling-naomi-alderman 

Combes, B. (2016). Digital literacy: A new flavour of literacy or something different? Synergy, 14(1). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v14120163 

Morgen, K. (2023, September 02) Authentic Digital Literacy in Primary Education. Module 5.2 Digital Tools. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?course_id=_68469_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&requestType=unread_user_forum&conf_id=_140370_1&action=collect_forward&origRequestId=512974501_1695962413998&forum_id=_323707_1&status=unread& 

Mortazavi, S., & Bahrami, M. (2012). Integrated Approach to Entrepreneurship – Knowledge based Economy: A Conceptual Model. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 41, 281–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.04.032 

PICNIC. (2009, September 23). PICNIC ‘09: Once upon these times – New stories for new audiences with Matt Locke and Jeremy Ettinghausen [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/7181425 

Rosenblatt, L (1994) The transactional theory of reading and writing. In Ruddell, Ruddell, & Singer (eds) Theoretical models and processes of reading (4th ed) pp 1057-1092. Newark. DE: International Reading Association

Zincke, A. (2023, September 17) Reflecting on Creating a Digital Story. (Comment on the online forum post ‘Module 7.1 Digital Story Telling) https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68469_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140370_1&forum_id=_323758_1&message_id=_4588797_1 

The Subject Area 

Updating a Fairy Tale as a Storytelling Project 

English class (year 7) looking at how stereotyping is used as a persuasive device in the media.  

Objectives and Justifications  

• Digital Literacy: Teaching students how to adapt traditional narratives into digital formats helps them develop vital digital literacy skills. They learn how to use various digital tools, software, and platforms for storytelling. 

• Creativity and Critical Thinking: Rewriting a fairy tale for digital media encourages students to think critically and creatively. They must analyze the original story, identify elements to retain or modify, and consider how different media elements (graphics, audio, interactivity) can enhance the narrative. 
• Multi-modal Learning: Creating digital adaptations requires students to work with multiple modes of communication, such as text, images, audio, and video. This fosters multi-modal learning, enhancing comprehension and expression skills; creating a link between story and technology literacy (Banaszewski, 2005). 
• Collaboration: Digital storytelling projects often involve collaboration, as students may work in teams to create multimedia content. This fosters teamwork, communication, and negotiation skills (Yang & Wu, 2012). 
• Cultural Understanding: Fairy tales often have cultural and historical significance. When students rewrite these tales, they will recognise the use of stereotypes, and look at how these alternatively crop up in media from the modern world (Rubegni, 2022), promoting empathy. 
• Personalisation and Differentiation: This class allows for personalisation as students can choose which fairy tale to adapt and how to express it digitally.  

Program Implementation Value. 

Social reading is a highly public endeavour, encompassing digital interactions among two or more individuals. This concept broadens readers’ engagement by enabling them to share thoughts and provide each other with feedback.  

Diverse Learning Needs and Community Use: 

The task’s project-based nature aligns with rhizomatic learning, a philosophy that acknowledges learning as an intricate sense-making process wherein each learner contributes their unique context and specific needs. This approach is particularly advantageous for readers facing learning challenges, as it encourages diverse reading approaches through explicit activity engagement. Learning is not structured solely around content; rather, it is a collaborative social process where students learn alongside and from one another. This could meet the new demands of the job market, where soft skills can be arguably as important as hard and different models of education could be required for this. 

The task’s project-based nature aligns with rhizomatic learning, a philosophy that acknowledges learning as an intricate sense-making process wherein each learner contributes their unique context and specific needs. This approach is particularly advantageous for readers facing learning challenges, as it encourages diverse reading approaches through explicit activity engagement. Learning is not structured solely around content; rather, it is a collaborative social process where students learn alongside and from one another (Dreier, 1999 cited in Penuelet et al, 2017) arguably the skills needed for the global ‘knowledge economy.’ 

Carbo and Cole, (1995) list ‘display’ as one of 7 essential elements for a school library. In terms of teaching to different diverse learning needs and community use, the display of students’ finished work on the library screens would add to the atmosphere of a place of reading for pleasure as a significant part of promoting reading (Dike, 1998). Krashen (2004) suggested that the primary factor most strongly linked to reading success, surpassing socio-economic status and instructional methods, is self-motivated reading. 

 Creation is useful for institutions in terms of student/patron needs. 

A study in Lithuania (Kaminskienė & Khetsuriani, 2019) on personalised learning which used a digital story telling method suggests that students’ active participation increased as it strengthened peer to peer collaboration, although a study by Munajah et al (2022) found that it was the ‘fun’ aspect of the activity that encouraged participation. 

A recent school I was teaching at was experimenting with linking together English work with Modern Languages as part of an endeavour towards a more holistic curriculum in accordance with recent Finnish educational strategies, which push for ‘faculty workshops’ style lessons rather than the teaching of basic skills individually (Poindexter, 2003) that concludes that student enjoyment leads to higher results, it can be assumed from an establishment of intrinsic motivation amongst students (Piaget, 1970, cited in Genovese, 2003). Therefore, I believe that this activity could work in a Modern Languages class as well as an English one.   

Teachers face time constraints due to the necessity of covering their class content, limiting additional chances for enhancing reading skills. The role of the teacher librarian can provide additional opportunities for students to improve their reading. This could make a significant difference to student results, as research through direct observation indicates that both students with and without learning disabilities in secondary social studies classes allocated about 10% of instructional time to engage with written material (Swanson, Wexler, & Vaughn, 2009). Additionally, Capin and Vaughn (2017) cited collaborative strategic reading (Klingner, Vaughn, Dimino, Schumm, & Bryant, 2001). 

Word count: 810 

References 

Banaszewski, T. M. (2005). Digital Storytelling: Supporting Digital Literacy in Grades 4 – 12: A thesis. techszewski.blogs.com. Retrieved September 6, 2023, from https://techszewski.blogs.com/techszewski/files/TBanaszewski_DS_thesis.pdf

Capin, P., & Vaughn, S. (2017). Improving reading and social studies learning for secondary students with reading disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 49(4), 249–261. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059917691043

Carbo, M and Cole, R. U. (1995). What every principal should know about teaching reading. Instructional Leader, 8(1) 1-3,12.

Dike, V.W. (1998). The role of the school library in reading promotion. In D.F. Elatmroti (Ed). Nigeria school librarianship: yesterday, today and tomorrow, 73-188. Ibadan: Nigerian School Library Association.

Dike, V. W. (2004). The role of the school librarian in implementing the curriculum. Nigerian School Library Journal, 5 (1) 21-28.

DiPerna, J. C., & Elliott, S. N. (2002). Promoting Academic enablers to Improve Student Achievement: An introduction to the Mini-Series. School Psychology Review, 31(3), 293–297. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2002.12086156

Genovese, J. E. C. (2003). Piaget, Pedagogy, and Evolutionary Psychology. Evolutionary Psychology, 1(1), 147470490300100. https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490300100109

Kaminskienė, L., & Khetsuriani, N. (2019). Personalisation of learning through digital

storytelling. Management: Journal of Contemporary Management Issues, 24(1), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.30924/mjcmi.24.1.10

Krashen, S. D. (2004). The power of reading: insights from the research (2nd Ed.). West Part CT: Libraries unlimited/Heinemann.

Munajah, R., Sumantri, M. S., & Yufiarti, Y. (2022). The use of digital storytelling to improve students’ writing skills. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 3(1), 579-585. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2023.01.006

Penuel, W. R., Van Horne, K., DiGiacomo, D. K., & Kirshner, B. (2017). A social practice theory of learning and becoming across contexts and time. Frontline Learning Research, 4(4), 30–38. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v4i4.205

Poindexter, S. (2003b). The Case for Holistic Learning. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 35(1), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380309604741

Rubegni, E., Landoni, M., Malinverni, L., & Jaccheri, L. (2022). Raising Awareness of Stereotyping Through Collaborative Digital Storytelling: Design for Change with and for Children. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 157, 102727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2021.102727

Swanson E. A., Wexler J., Vaughn S. (2009). Text reading and students with learning disabilities. In. Hiebert E. (Ed.), Reading more, reading better (pp. 210–230). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Samdal, O., Dur, W, and Freeman, J. (2004) School In: Currie et al. (eds) Young People’s Health in Context: Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children: WHO Cross-National Study (HSBC), Internation Report from the 2001/02 survey. WHO, Copenhagen.

Yang, Y. C., & Wu, W. (2012). Digital storytelling for enhancing student academic achievement, critical thinking, and  learning motivation: A year-long experimental study. Computers & Education, 59(2), 339–352.                              https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.12.012

part B

Please click on the ‘part B text’ above.

Story-telling project example:

Students create an appropriately designed trailer for a book of their choice.

Lesson Plan: Creating a Book Trailer as a Storytelling Project 

Grade Level: Secondary School  

Objectives: 

• Students will analyze a selected book’s plot, characters, and themes. 
• Students will develop creative and analytical thinking skills. 

• Students will learn about the elements of storytelling and visual communication. 
• Students will create a compelling book trailer using multimedia tools. 
• Students will present and share their book trailers with the class. 

Materials: 

• Copies of age-appropriate fiction books. 

• Access to computers or tablets with video editing software (e.g., Animoto) 
• Internet access for research and multimedia resources 
• Classroom projector or screen for presentations 
• Rubrics for assessment 

Preparation: 

• Select the book for the project and ensure copies are available for students. 
• Familiarize yourself with the selected book to guide discussions and provide support. 
• Choose a video editing tool that is accessible to your students and ensure they have the necessary accounts or permissions. 

Lesson Plan: 

Day 1: Introduction to Book Trailers and Book Selection (45 minutes) 

• Begin the class by discussing the concept of book trailers and their purpose: to promote a book by providing a visual and emotional teaser. 
• Show examples of book trailers from different genres to inspire students. 
• Provide a list of book options for the project or allow students to choose their own book (with your approval). 
• Explain the project goals and assessment criteria. 

Day 2-3: Reading and Analysis (90 minutes) 

• Allocate time for students to read their chosen book or a specific book assigned by you. 
• Encourage students to take notes on key plot points, characters, themes, and emotional moments. 
• Engage in class discussions about the books, allowing students to share their initial impressions and thoughts. 

Day 4: Storyboard and Planning (60 minutes) 

• Teach students about the importance of planning before creating a book trailer. Discuss the elements they need to include, such as visuals, text, and music. 

• Have students create a storyboard that outlines the scenes they want to include in their trailer. 
• Emphasize the need for a clear narrative structure. 

Day 5-6: Video Creation (120 minutes) 

• Provide a brief tutorial on the chosen video editing software. 
• Allow students to work on their book trailers, incorporating their storyboards and utilizing multimedia resources. 

• Circulate and provide guidance and support as needed. 

Day 7-8: Editing and Refinement (90 minutes) 

• Encourage students to review and refine their book trailers, ensuring they convey the book’s essence effectively. 
• Discuss techniques for editing, including transitions, text overlays, and music selection. 
• Peer review: Have students exchange trailers for constructive feedback. 

Day 9-10: Finalization and Presentations (90 minutes) 

• Instruct students to make final edits and polish their book trailers. 
• Allocate time for each student to present their trailer to the class. Encourage them to explain their creative choices. 
• After each presentation, facilitate a brief class discussion about the book and the impact of the trailer. 

Assessment: 

• Use rubrics to assess students’ book trailers based on creativity, accuracy in representing the book’s content, storytelling, visual appeal, and overall presentation. 
• Consider peer evaluations for presentations and constructive feedback. 

Extensions: 

• Organize a film festival-style screening of the book trailers, inviting parents or other classes to attend. 
• Encourage students to share their book trailers on a school website or social media platforms to promote reading. 

• Discuss the role of book trailers in the publishing industry and the art of marketing books. 

Homework: 

• Assign students to write a brief reflection on the book they read and their experience creating the book trailer. 

By the end of this lesson plan, students will have not only engaged in creative storytelling but also gained valuable skills in multimedia production and presentation. This project promotes literacy, critical thinking, and teamwork, making it an enriching experience for secondary school students.