For my ancient history class, we do not have the relevant textbooks at my campus. It is possible to find a suitable textbook at other campuses, but they are often missing or borrowed. There are very few books on ancient history available in the TAFE library,but they are often on a very specific subject, the tomb of Tutankhamun for example, and do not match the current NSW syllabus. This situation would imply the view that the on-line world can offer sufficient resources to high school students. To what extent is this true?  

The objectives of the HSC Ancient History course in Australia asks students to: 

• “develop the application of knowledge, skills, understanding, values and attitudes in the fields of study they choose” 
• “ to analyse different interpretations and representations of the ancient world in forms such as literature, film and museum displays” 
• “to engage with a range of sources.”  

So to start with, it is reasonable to assume that an ancient history course would need to have books that reflect the demands of the course which at the moment covers the study of ancient historical sites across the world, Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Fall of the Roman Republic with a focus on the life and contribution of Julius Caesar and The New Kingdom of Egypt, the 18th and 19th Dynasties.  

This is further complicated by the students needing to have a developed and clear idea of the historical concepts: sources, evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, significance, perspectives, empathy and contestability to the point where they can apply these creatively to exam questions (School Curriculum and Standards Authority, 2015).  Additionally, trying to uncover all sources related to “ancient” cultures on the Internet will prove to be, at best, annoying and, at worst, frustrating. The terms used are inconsistent not only across the Internet and the World Wide Web but also among various institutions, professionals, and cataloging systems (Eckhart, 2002). 

Oddone (2016) emphasizes the continued relevance and significance of school libraries despite the prevalence of online resources like Google. Girard et al. (2020) found that secondary history teachers in the US determined the historical content’s historical significance is their main consideration while choosing which subjects to include in their curriculum, but without resources beyond the online, it is difficult to imagine a teacher having this kind of freedom. This is because of the nature of online material in relation to academic study. While it has been seen that students can be more motivate through the self-directed study mode of online research, their work suffered from the contrast between the lack of organisation and editing (Ng & Gunstone, 2002) and their belief that online material is accurate, and that the internet contains ‘all the information on a given subject’ or conversely sometimes coming to the conclusion that ‘the internet does not have information on that particular topic’ when their search skills were ineffective. Ng and Gunstone (2002) conclude that teachers were indispensable to student learning success in this context. Online academic research has also additionally neccessitated me to provide additional lessons on historical inquiry, effective search terms, how to use Google Scholar and advanced search, how to use journal articles and navigate log in options and paywalls.  

I am currently looking for alternatives for printed textbooks, such as e-textbooks and various access to more in-depth online resources.  

Girard, B. J., Harris, L. M., Mayger, L. K., Kessner, T., & Reid, S. F. (2020). “There’s no way we can teach all of this”: Factors that influence secondary history teachers’ content choices. Theory and Research in Social Education, 49(2), 227–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2020.1855280 

Ng, W., & Gunstone, R. (2002). Students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the world wide web as a research and teaching tool in science learning. Research in Science Education, 32(4), 489–510. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1022429900836 

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2017). NSW Syllabus for the Australian curriculum Ancient History Stage 6 Syllabus. https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/assets/ancient_history/ancient-history-stage-6-syllabus-2017.pdf 

Oddone, K. (2016). The importance of school libraries in the Google age. SCIS Connections, (98). Retrieved from https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-98/the-importance-of-school-libraries-in-the-google-age 

School Curriculum and Standards Authority. (2015). Humanities and Social Sciences: Key Concepts. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved March 12, 2024, from https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/34884/HASS-P-10-Key-concepts-exemplification.PDF 

Forum 1.2 

Are teacher librarians an endangered species?… and other thoughts… (Forum 1.2 post)  

My move to choosing to study librarianship was not sparked by a desire to move up the career ladder, I just really enjoy being in libraries. Looking at images of school libraries, who would not? (Chrysanthos, 2020).  In the UK, budget constraints and shifting priorities (and neo-liberal policies!) have reduced the number of libraries, and also their quality; and I was stunned at the quality of public libraries in Sydney (even though the news in complaining that they are dying over here) (Hefferman, 2023).   

I also could predict the confused reactions of friends when I said I had to study for an MA to be a teacher librarian. I think it is impossible to shake the stereotype of a librarian as a ‘spinster book worm mouse’. I remember the joke in ‘The Mummy’ where Rachel Weisz’s character lists the achievements of her family, and then proudly says she wants to be a librarian. But I understand where Rachel’s character was coming from. Especially if the new role for the TL is accurate: A role that works technology integration and information literacy into students’ study, and the opportunity to work alongside classroom teachers.   

References  

Chrysanthos, N. (2020, November 23). “It’s a crucial role”: Teacher librarians push to boost their numbers in schools. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-s-a-crucial-role-teacher-librarians-push-to-boost-their-numbers-in-schools-20201110-p56dbi.html  

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 

The role of teacher librarians (TLs) has for a long time been recognised as a promotor of literacy (Lance, 2023). Meanwhile, the internet was predicted by many to lead to the demise of the library as an academic source (Odlyzko, 1995) or a supplier of paper books (Kinney, 2010) but it seems instead that it has just differentiated the TL’s role. After reading through the modules, I asked Chat GPT if the role of the TL would end up being susceptible to automation. The bot suggested that AI is unlikely to replace TLs as it acknowledged that AI cannot offer the personalized service that librarians provide (Chat GPT, personal communication, 2023). 

Online texts have expanded the TL’s responsibilities in working with different formats as school libraries often house more digital than physical resources (as could be argued of many households) leading to an evolved meaning of the concept of ‘literacy’ in the digital age. This shift has given ‘literacy’ a whole new meaning in the digital era. According to reports, academic librarians are expected to dive deeper into digital services and online resources by 2030 (Merga, 2020. Scholars have been talking a lot about the new roles TLs are taking on, from being advocates to managing all sorts of things like content, knowledge, and even web design (Halder, 2009; cited in Momoh and Lanre, 2019). It’s like the job got more complex, demanding extra skills to keep up.  

Effective search strategies now extend beyond the Google search bar to include advanced techniques, while resource-based learning encourages students to gather and compare information critically. Anderson’s analysis (2006) emphasizes the importance of these key concepts in upskilling learners for success in a knowledge-driven society, highlighting the need not only for knowledge acquisition but also an understanding of how knowledge is socially organized. I was struck by Floridi’s (2007) point that now the idea of common knowledge has arguably grown in size because so much information is available. I would argue that this evolution of information literacy concepts, paralleling advancements in information technologies, will continue to be affected by chat GPT, which is depending on online content for its output (Saravanan, 2023). 

The obvious link between chat GPT and plagiarism has been the most recent point of the discussion (Perkins, 2023; Halaweh, 2023; Cotton, Cotton and Shipway, 2023; Azouley, Hirst and Reches, 2023).  However, I would argue that the advancement of study aid tools could very quickly introduce another new role for the TL as not only do TLs need to address the use of AI chatbots in assessments and research, moving away from mere plagiarism detection toward fostering constructive relationships with technology but also to foster an appreciation for creativity and originality.  

My current work on a university preparatory course has highlighted for me students’ dependence on technology. The students initially were shocked to be asked to write their assessments without their suite of translation tools, chat GPT, predictive text and other extensions and plug-ins. The general consensus was that this type of writing was common practice at education institutes in Asia (my students are Chinese international students.) Therefore, TLs also need to promote the creation of honest, original and creative texts. 

Word count: 530 

References 

Andersen, J. (2006). The public sphere and discursive activities: information literacy as sociopolitical skills. Journal of Documentation, 62(2), 213–228. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410610653307 

Azoulay, R., Hirst, T. and Reches, S. (2023). Let’s Do It Ourselves: Ensuring Academic Integrity in the Age of ChatGPT and Beyond. [online] www.techrxiv.org. doi:https://doi.org/10.36227/techrxiv.24194874.v1. 

Chat GPT, personal communication, 2023. 

Cotton, D.R.E., Cotton, P.A. and Shipway, J.R. (2023). Chatting and cheating: Ensuring academic integrity in the era of ChatGPT. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, pp.1–12. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2190148. 

Floridi, L. (2007). A look into the future impact of ICT on our lives. The Information Society, 23(1), 59-64. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972240601059094 

Halaweh, M. (2023). ChatGPT in education: Strategies for responsible implementation. Aau.ac.ae. [online] doi:https://doi.org/1309517X. 

Lance, K. C. (2023, March 15). Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us – kappanonline.org. kappanonline.org. https://kappanonline.org/lance-kachel-school-librarians-matter-years-research/ 

Kinney, B. (2010). The internet, public libraries, and the digital divide. Public Library Quarterly, 29(2), 104–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616841003779718 

Merga, M. K. (2020). What is the literacy supportive role of the school librarian in the United Kingdom? Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 53(4), 601–614. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000620964569 

Momoh, E. O., & Lanre, F. A. (2019). The evolving roles of libraries and librarians in the 21st century. Library Philosophy and Practice. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/2867/?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Flibphilprac%2F2867&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages 

Perkins, M. (2023). Academic integrity considerations of AI Large Language Models in the post-pandemic era: ChatGPT and beyond. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 20(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.53761/1.20.02.07. 

Odlyzko, A. (1995). Tragic loss or good riddance? The impending demise of traditional scholarly journals. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 42(1), 71–122. https://doi.org/10.1006/ijhc.1995.1004 

Saravanan, A. S. (2023). The Limitations of Chat GPT. Medium.  https://medium.com/@asarav/the-limitations-of-chat-gpt-8b73f5859bb4 

Part C: Reflective Practice

A linguistics professor has claimed that the rapid expansion of icon communication qualifies as a language appropriate for classroom study (Russell, 2015). Arguably, definitions of the term ‘literacy’ have multiplied (Gabanski-Sykes, 2023a) but most in terms of information literacy: the multi-media component of which is now a learning standard (ACARA, 2015). Information literacy now has to deal with a greater proliferation of modality with the integration of various communicative resources (Leeuwen, 2011). Is it possible for TLs to influence student and teacher participation in this area, the same way as traditional books? Especially when there are multiple complaints that students tend to passively accept such stimuli (Gorman & Eastman) instead of engaging in information literacy practices. At the moment, my experience of TL and teacher collaboration has been limited to TAFE library information sessions, yet these are simply booked by the teacher for their class and led by the TL. At TAFE, the TL still has invisibility (Bonnano, 2015; Gleeson, 2023).  

As a current English teacher, I have been thinking about how TL collaboration and inquiry models would work in my teaching practice. How would this necessary content fit into my already full curriculum? Hay (2012) excitingly proposes an alternative iCentre, a multimedia production facility, but my sentiment is matched by Garrison & Fitzgerald’s (2019) observation of ‘one interested teacher at a time’, as I can sympathise with both TL and teacher perspectives of the seemingly mammoth task of introducing TL-teacher collaboration. I realise that inquiry learning using library facilities must be student-centered, but in doing so, it ironically would demand sufficient effort and planning from school staff. 

In response to this, I can additionally see that inquiry learning models have their use also with the quantity of academia claiming their success in exam results. I think this would be very much needed to establish collaborative teaching relationships with other teachers, as using an inquiry model could be a very different way for the students to do school work. I can imagine resistance from high and low achievers alike. Using a specific inquiry model gives a standard for the whole school to follow but would also give credence to the exercise, as support from school leaders and TL autonomy would be necessary (Lance & Manilotes, 2020; Yanamandram & Noble, 2005). To this list I would also like to add teaching staff effort and dedication. As a current teacher, team-teaching is a practice that I dread as it is so dependent on the combination of teacher personalities, and the same combined with information literacy and inquiry models would be required to be a school’s key focus (Whittle, 2023). Could success in this area be mainly determined by the culture of the school? Would an appropriate role for the TL in curriculum development (Gagen- Spriggs, 2023), creating policies (Lewis, 2023) and establishing practice be decided by the TL, the principal, teaching staff, or already be established by the previous TL?

This unit has made me realise that observation at a school library would be very important for me, as I have not been at a school that has these practices and do not have a clear idea of to what degree TL and teacher collaboration using inquiry models happens in schools. The academic success results of a school due to a well-resourced library and sufficient TL staff points to the private schools rather than public, as there are only 1486 full-time teacher librarians in New South Wales’ 2317 schools (Chrysanthos, 2020). Tellingly, NSW has around 1000 private schools.

References

ACARA – Technologies. (n.d.). https://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/foundation-year-10/learning-areas-subjects/technologies#:~:text=the%20validation%20process.-,2015,the%20subject%2Dspecific%20achievement%20standards.

Australian Library and Information Association, & Australian School Library Association. (2016, July). Statement on teacher librarians in Australia. Australian Library and Information Association. https://read.alia.org.au/alia-asla-statement-teacher-librarians-australia

Bonnano, K. (2015). A profession at a tipping point – revisited. Zillmere: Australian School Library Association, 29(1). https://www.proquest.com/docview/1672921504?accountid=10344&parentSessionId=0JgMS6QHWpBdogzJvTsPYf4Q2zM2nCwJZ6olPs3AmKw%3D

Chrysanthos, N. (2020, November 23). “It’s a crucial role”: Teacher librarians push to boost their numbers in schools. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved September 8, 2023, from https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-s-a-crucial-role-teacher-librarians-push-to-boost-their-numbers-in-schools-20201110-p56dbi.html

Garrison, K. L., & Fitzgerald, L. (2019). “One interested teacher at a time”: Australian teacher librarian perspectives on collaboration and inquiry. In J. L. Branch-Mueller (Ed.), Proceedings of the 48th Annual Conference of the International Association of School Librarianship and the 23rd International Forum on Research in School Librarianship, Dubrovnik, Croatia, October 21-25, 2019 (pp. 1-11). International Association of School Librarianship.

Gabanski-Sykes, P. (2023a, October 3) RE: optional blog- Multiple Literacies (Comment on the online forum post ‘Module 3: Information Literacy) https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316471_1&message_id=_4535695_1

Gabanski-Sykes, P. (2023b, October 3) RE: Forum activity 5.1: Managing people (Comment on the online forum post ‘Module 5.1: Managing people)

             https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316475_1&message_id=_4454058_1

Gagen- Spriggs, K. (2022, June 18) Forum activity 4.3: The TL and curriculum (Post on the online forum post ‘Module 4.3: The TL and Curriculum) https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316474_1&message_id=_4454055_1

Gleeson, L. (2023, September 13) RE: Forum activity 5.2: The Principal and the TL (Comment on the online forum post ‘Module 5.2: The Principal and the TL ) https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316475_1&message_id=_4454058_1

Gorman, R., & Eastman, G. S. (2010). “I See What You Mean”: Using Visuals to Teach Metaphoric Thinking in Reading and Writing. The English Journal, 100(1), 92–99. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20787700 

Hay, L. (2012, 06). Experience the “Shift”: Build an iCentre: A Spotlight on What’s Trending in Australia. Teacher Librarian, 39, 29-35. https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/experience-shift-build-icentre-spotlight-on-whats/docview/1024433458/se-2

Lance, K. C., & Maniotes, L. K. (2020). Linking librarians, inquiry learning, and information literacy? Phi Delta Kappan, 101(7), 47-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721720917542

Leeuwen, T. (2011). Multimodality and multimodal research. SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446268278

Lewis, T. (2023, September 16) RE: Forum activity 4.3: The TL and curriculum (Comment on the online forum post ‘Module 4.3: The TL and Curriculum https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316474_1&message_id=_4454055_1

Russell, C. (2015, May 29). Emoji: The text fad that won’t go away. Independent.ie. Retrieved October 1, 2023, from https://www.independent.ie/life/emoji-the-text-fad-that-wont-go-away/31259005.html 

Whittle, R. (2023, September 3) RE: Forum activity 5.2: The Principal and the TL. (Comment on the online forum post ‘Module 5.2: The Principal and the TL) https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316475_1&message_id=_4454058_1

Yanamandram, V. K. & Noble, G. I. (2005). Team teaching: student reflections of its strengths and weaknesses. In R. Atkinson & J. Hobson (Eds.), Teaching and Learning Forum: The Reflective Practitioner (pp. 1-10). Australia: Murdoch University. https://ro.uow.edu.au/commpapers/1390/

historical sources for part B

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.