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. 

Blog Post 3: Flight Paths: a Networked Novel by Kate Pullinger and Chris Joseph (2012) 

Hooper and Herath (2014) divide the effects of online material on students into positive and negative outcomes: literally, students are reading more due to the quantity of online material, and they found that skimming abilities have increased. However, on the downside, they report readers’ lack of patience and a habit of scanning and shallow reading of facts, rather than comparing information across different websites/platforms. As such, the introduction of digital texts and multi modal forms allow students to ‘read’ using the skills in Bloom’s taxonomy skills, rather than simply passively receiving information. Additionally, digital texts have extended the definition of ‘literacy’: which now goes beyond simply the ability to read and write, to the ability to find, evaluate and use information from the media and additionally communication tools and networks (Lynch, 2019). Flight Paths uses images, sounds and texts to prompt the reader to move through each episode and follow Yacub and his transition to life in Dubai as an immigrant from Pakistan.  

‘Flight Paths: a Networked Novel by Kate Pullinger and Chris Joseph, in support of Refugee Week, follows Yacub and his transition to life in Dubai as an immigrant from Pakistan and his unusual meeting with a woman in a parking lot, to his home in the woman’s pantry.  It is divided into 6 very short episodes. Considering the way this story is formatted, and the level of technology that my students are accustomed to, I am not sure if Flight Paths would be enough to keep them intrigued. It is difficult to read it without thinking of ways in which the simple format could be improved, especially with resources now available online. 

Even though the sliding images at the beginning now feel very outdated, the theme of socio-economic inequalities and labour expectation is not. Yet for high school students, it is unclear whether they would be suitably interested in the characters used to tell the story.  As it lacks a narrator, imagery and different font styles are used to define which character is speaking, yet it fails to create an atmosphere beyond the language of the text. This is used to great effect with the introduction of the second character, the women who finds Yacub, where the imagery becomes more sophisticated with moving footage, and it becomes apparent that the creators wanted to visually create contrast between the two lives of the very different characters. I feel that the use of the woman going to the supermarket in the UK and worrying about her shopping is to establish the contrast between the life of the assumed reader in a developed country and the character of Yucub. The low-level ability text clashes with the sophisticated premise and context of the story.  

This work feels to me more like an artwork rather than a piece of literature. In this sense, I would get students to try to recreate a story in a similar way, by analysing ‘Flight Paths’ and how imagery has been used to take out the need for a narrator. Digital texts can be unique in how they can be used to foster critical thinking and reward technological literacy, but the main problem with this text is that it has not been able to stand up to the test of time, although with the speed of technological progress, this is not surprising. 

Word count: 555 

References 

Hooper, V. A & Herath, C. (2014) Is Google Making Us Stupid? The Impact of the Internet on Reading Behaviour. Bled eConference. Accessed on 19 Aug, 2023 from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Is-Google-Making-Us-Stupid-The-Impact-of-the-on-Hooper-Herath/53cd8cd32d3fc2dce12e950f5161e949b1ed6c94 

Lynch, M. (2019) What are the 13 Types of Literacy? The Edvocate. Accessed on 09 Aug, 2023 from https://www.theedadvocate.org/what-are-the-13-types-of-literacy/ 

Pullinger, K. & Joseph, C. (2012) Flight Paths: a Networked Novel. Accessed on 09 Aug, 2023 from https://www.flightpaths.net/stories/yacubindubai.html 

Blog Post 2: Alan Bigelow “How to Rob a Bank” (2016)  

Literature resources and promotion was named as one of the most important topics for a teacher librarian in O’Connell’s (2014) study. I would like to argue that this also includes online literary texts. An electronic literary creation can be described as an artistic expression made from computer processes (Heckman, 2018). I think this could be an important genre to introduce to students, as in my experience, students are largely dependent on using Google search or social media as their only avenues of online behaviour. The prevalence of smartphones and similar devices has contributed to superficial reading habits and the habit of multitasking, which can overshadow the ability to engage in profound reading and sustain focus for extended periods. There is a strong need to encourage more in-depth reading habits. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2013) has discovered a decline in the academic performance of Australian 15-year-olds in reading comprehension, in contrast to the improving performance of their counterparts in other countries.  Students need to be exposed to a diverse range of literary materials for their intellectual growth. 

Alan Bigelow’s creation, “How to Rob a Bank” (2016) reimagines the Bonnie and Clyde story to suit the contemporary digital era. This piece can be experienced either on a smartphone or within a web browser, with users moving through the story by touching the screen or space bar. The storyline is uniquely told only through the interface of the main characters in iPhone web searches, text conversations, and interactions with various applications. The most convincing part of the story is how the main character’s frenetic changes between social technologies managed to convey his emotions and state of mind, as well as the main action. The speed keeps the story interesting as it moves through a string of surprises.  

The story is cut into search queries, applications downloaded, mobile games and text exchanges, resulting in a substantial volume of information despite the limited use of direct conversation. This storytelling technique offers an engaging insight into the characters’ thoughts and embraces a modern style of narrative presentation. Because of this method, this digital text cannot employ varied hypertext (beyond a next or back) and does not allow the reader to explore or make changes to the evolution of the narrative. We still need to answer the conundrum: how to have the sophistication of narrative and production alongside a level of interactivity and reader autonomy. 

The use of simple images from highly recognisable online interfaces to tell the story creates a string of indexical codes for the reader to derive meaning from, which gives the work a very ‘movie-like’ feel and tone. By making the reader connect the dots, the work becomes a higher order thinking skill, according to Bloom’s taxonomy (1956). Additionally, the suspense created between the images is truly funny (for example, the main character googles how to stop a female hostage from complaining after he kidnaps a woman from the bank).  

The work shares the elements of serious literature when we look at the fundamental theme or idea conveyed by the narrative which is closely intertwined with its structure: the concept of media plays a pivotal role. Throughout the entirety of the story, media remains an integral and essential component. The utilization of platforms like Instagram to display the places Ted and Elizabeth have visited, coupled with online maps and Google searches for directions, serves to offer readers insights into their locations, activities, and the progression of the robberies. Yet this also directs us to the realisation that all of this is achieved exclusively through the media accessible on their phones. “How To Rob a Bank” leverages our dependence on media, particularly through cell phones, to create a narrative that resonates with contemporary society. As cell phones have become indispensable in the lives of many, telling a story through this medium provides an intimate glimpse into the characters’ perspectives. Remarkably, Bigelow achieved this without relying heavily on written text or dialogue, instead utilizing instrumental cues in the background to complement each segment of the narrative. 

The character has to rely on a Google search to learn how to rob a bank; the irony of this is amusing and on top of this, the reader will have the knowledge that Google uses cookies to track online users – your online behaviour is recorded and can be used against you in a court of law.  He even uploads, and through this he is essentially promoting, his actual walk to the bank to rob it on Instagram complete with captions. 

It is subtly sophisticated as the work also effectively reflects the psychology of our online behaviour in the form of social mirror theory. Social mirror theory states that our own self-perception is dependent on how others respond to us (Fishwick, 2016). Attention paid to our social media posts is inevitably incorporated into our own level of self-worth, through a trend to believe that mundane, ordinary events are worthy of sharing, within a subconscious competition to win the approval of strangers. The user also performs another very recognisable behaviour in feigning happiness online. His girlfriend ignores his texts, yet he posts positive captions on Instagram. Each of these behaviors have been normalized, and the final irony is that the reader is being directed to this realisation by further use of their phone.  

Word count 914/1651 

Bigelow, A. (2016) How to Rob a Bank. Accessed on 06 August, 2023 from https://webyarns.com/fjfjjf/  

Bloom, B. S. (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: Davis McKay Co Inc. 

Fishwick, C. (2016) I, Narcissist – vanity, social media, and the human condition. The Guardian. Accessed on 08 August, 2023 from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/17/i-narcissist-vanity-social-media-and-the-human-condition 

Heckman, D. S. (2018) Electronic Literature: Contexts and Policies. Literary Studies in the Digital Age: An Evolving Anthology. Accessed on 01 August, 2023 from https://cora.ucc.ie/items/4b5f6dc2-cbc0-4087-bd0a-44436513279e 

O’Connell, J (2014) Researcher’s Perspective: Is Teacher Librarianship in Crisis in Digital Environments? An Australian Perspective. School Libraries Worldwide. 20 (1) Accessed on 06 August, 2023 from https://heyjude.files.wordpress.com/2006/06/1oconnellfinalformatted1-19.pdf 

OECD (2013) A country note: Australia. Accessed on 06 August, 2023 from https://www.oecd.org/skills/piaac/Country%20note%20-%20Australia_final.pdf 

Blog Post 1: Duolingo 

Digital literature is generally agreed to encompass any narrative or poetic form using the specific characteristics of a computer device. In this definition, we can include apps and other learning resources (NSW Government: Education, 2022) as the digital form means that the narrative can be created by the user being guided through the learning space, and these depend on an electronic code to exist. They are not printable. None of the definitions for digital literature specify whether this narrative needs to be fictional or non-fictional, and indeed, there seems to be a blend in definitions between ‘multi-modal texts’ and ‘digital texts’. We can imagine these terms will continue to blur as technology progresses. As such, it is questionable whether it is ethical or relevant to compare such texts to literary and/or historical standards, especially when we look at what is the motivation behind making our words digital or not.  

School libraries could benefit language courses by supplying a range of materials to aid study (Vuzo, 2022).  Online resources have increased access to learning materials beyond the audio library of a school’s language department, often for free or at reduced rates. The low price of Duolingo is extremely competitive in comparison to purchasing popular new books in languages other than English which can be prohibitively expensive (Murphy, 2018). Duolingo offers a selection of 37 languages, including specialized courses like English for Arabic speakers with the aim to cater to learners both seeking to acquire a new language and those looking to reinforce their previous studies. Users can freely switch between different languages without any restrictions. Duolingo offers a sequential list of modules, each dedicated to specific topics such as grammar or themes. Within each module, there are multiple lessons, where a certain number of lessons must be completed to unlock the next set of modules. On average, each lesson takes about three to four minutes to finish. Lessons are largely drill activities presented by characters with little explicit grammar.  

The learning process mostly follows a chronological order, and offers the flexibility to revisit and redo previously completed lessons. This approach prevents skipping ahead to more challenging content before the user is ready. Earlier learned words and concepts resurface as the user progresses, while new words are highlighted. There is a placement test to make sure the lessons challenge the user, this and the app’s use of data created through its own users ensure that the Zone of Proximal Development is accurate (Levy Vygotsky, 1978). 

Lessons are based on reading to learn but in small chunks, which is based on Gough’s data driven model (Bruning et al, 1996) where letter by letter ,word by word analysis of the text leads to the understanding of the language’s structure. The lack of overt teaching of grammar and vocabulary encourages the student to use both contextual knowledge and definitional knowledge (Bruning et al, 1996.) The design of Duolingo is based on the theory of the spacing effect (Ebbinghaus, 1885) where shorter practices are encouraged over cramming. 

According to Reinders & Wattana’s research in 2015, digital games have the potential to reduce the emotional barriers and foster communication in second language (L2) classrooms. Their study of students with an online role-playing game named Ragnarok found that willingness to communicate (WTC) improved with game integration. Duolingo gives constant feedback, progress tracking along with rewards and scores to keep users motivated along with notifications. Leaderboards create the sense of competition. However, Duolingo is not a full-scale language-learning program. It does not have the content or diversity demanded by one. Worldwide, there is a consensus that students should engage in extensive reading of captivating texts to enhance their vocabulary, spelling, reading skills, and overall linguistic proficiency (Singkum & Chinwonno, 2021). The focus is on the production of structurally accurate sentences, as vocabulary sometimes feels randomly generated and at times it is impossible to rely on context for understanding. This means that it does sometimes have some very weird sentences which might confuse users such as: ‘The cows washed the dishes last night.’  

Duolingo’s lessons depend on the user working with translation of L1 to L2 and vice versa. Translation has been considered old-fashioned in a language class for decades. Academics have failed to conclude if it hinders the development of fluency and inhibits communicative language usage (Newson, 1998) or if it can be beneficial to language learning when used considerately. Uzawa’s (1996) study shows that students are more likely to adopt an ‘accurate by accurate sentence when involved in a translation activity. Yet the purpose of the grammar translation method was to help students read and understand foreign language literature (Larsen-Freeman, 2000) rather than fluency.  

Duolingo could be improved by more lengthy conversations for the user to work with. A chat AI feature could allow Duolingo to respond to the users’ language, as the user currently is always reproducing language with the structure and words that Duo gives. The user is never having to produce language as spontaneously as one would in a conversation. 

Word count: 839 

References: 

Bruning, R.H., Schraw, G. J., Ronning, R. R (1996) Cognitive Psychology and Instruction. Third Edition. Macmillan. 

Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology. New York: Dover.  

Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Second Edition. Oxford University Press.  

Murphy, P. H. (2018). School Libraries Addressing the Needs of ELL Students: Enhancing Language Acquisition, Confidence and Cultural Fluency in ELL Students by Developing a Targeted Collection and Enriching Your Makerspace. Knowledge Quest 46 (4). Accessed on 06 August, 2023 from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1171688  

Newson, D. (1988). Making the best of a bad job: The teaching and testing of translation. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Association for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. Edinburgh, Scotland. Accessed on 06 August, 2023 from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Making-the-Best-of-a-Bad-Job%3A-The-Teaching-and-of-Newson/c583b14375acb1f54803136e24358a6330d3e8fd 

Reinders, H. & Wattana, S. (2015). Affect and willingness to communicate in digital game-based learning. ReCALL, 27, (1) pp 38-57. Accessed on 02 August, 2023 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272004822_Affect_and_willingness_to_communicate_in_digital_game-based_learning 

Singkum, R. & Chinwonno, A. (2021). Implementing EFL Extensive Reading for Thai Vocational Students. Learn Journal: Language and Acquisition Research Network. Accessed on 02 August, 2023 from https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/LEARN/article/view/248690 

Uzawa, K. (1996). Second Language Learner’s Processes of L1 Writing, L2 Writing and Translation from L1 to L2. The Journal of Second Language Writing. 5 (3) pp 271-294 Accessed on 06 August, 2023 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1060374396900053 

Vuzo, M. (2022). The Role of School Libraries in Enhancing Extensive English Language Reading Skills. University of Dar es Salaam Library Journal, 17 (2) pp 171-181. Accessed on 06 August, 2023 from ajol-file-journals_164_articles_240001_submission_proof_240001-1957-578212-1-10-20230118 (2) 

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 

Topic:  

English: Digital Literacy, Year 10 

Task:  

Students choose a news story and create 2 You tube videos on the same news story. Each must feature a commentary aspect on the news story, which represent different perspectives. 

Platform:  

Youtube.com 

Rationale:  

My students appear to have very limited experience of using online tools to create, rather than consume. Svensson, Wilk & Gustaffson Aman’s (2022) study concludes that students are stronger in basic skills such as information search and source criticism rather than advanced and arguably the more useful skills of critical thinking and analysing, interpreting, and creating information. The study suggests that a worthy solution would be to increase collaborative teaching of the skill across librarians and school faculties (Svensson, Wilk & Gustaffson Aman, 2022).  

Hopefully having the opportunity to create online material in the same format as their consumption will develop their digital literacy, once they have followed the steps of the Youtube creators. Beckman, Bennett & Lockyer (2019) found that technology practices show distinct disparities across high school students and suggest that this could be explained more accurately through how the students are using technology at school and outside of school.  

72% of Australian high school students use Youtube. For this reason, rather than using an educational platform to create their material such as Elementari, I have decided to use this extremely well-known platform instead. I was inspired by the Netflix ‘Depp vs Heard’ (Cooper, Lazarus & Sanderson, 2023) a documentary on the Hollywood domestic abuse case, which focuses on the massive and unprecedented influence social media content and its audience had over the court case. Joyce (2019) acknowledges the importance of digital literacy skills renaming the core foundation skills as Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy (LLND) skills.  

Word count: 267 

References

Beckman, K., Bennett, S. & Lockyer, L. (2019) Reproduction and Transformation of Students’ Technology Practice: The Tale of Two Distinctive Secondary Student Cases. British Journal of Educational Technology. Accessed on 14 Aug, 2023 from https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjet.12736​

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Cooper, E., Lazarus, S. & Sanderson, G. (2023) Depp Versus Heard (limited TV series). Netflix.  Accessed on 17 Aug, 2023 from https://www.netflix.com/ ​

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ESafety Commisioner (2021) The Digital Lives of Aussie Teens. ESafety Research. The Australian Government. Accessed on 14 Aug, 2023 from https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/The%20digital%20lives%20of%20Aussie%20teens.pdf​

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Joyce, S. (2009). Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Educational and Training System. Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The Australian Government. Accessed on 14 Aug, 2023 from  https://www.dewr.gov.au/expert-review-australias-vet-system​

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Lei, J. (2010) Quantity versus Quality. A New Approach to Examine the Relationship between Technology Use and Student Outcomes. British Journal of Educational Technology. 41 (3). Accessed on 14 Aug, 2023 from https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00961.x​

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Svensson, T., Wilk, J. & Gustafsson Aman, K. (2022) Information Literacy Skill and Learning Gaps – Students’ Experiences and teachers’ Perceptions in Interdisciplinary Environmental Science. The Journal of Academic Librarianship. 48 (1) Accessed on 14 Aug, 2023 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0099133321001567