Jordan Cornett

Digital Story-Written Component

In this lesson students learn about a tool that will help them publish their writing online

through a digital story. A digital story allows computer users to become creative storytellers

through the traditional processes of selecting a topic, conducting some research, writing a script,

and developing an interesting story (Robin, 2008, p. 222). A digital story includes graphics,

recorded audio, and sometimes music that can be viewed on a computer or website (Robin,

2008). Students in the class had previously engaged in a lesson where they located information

online about a community helper of their choice and then communicated the information with the

class. The ultimate goal is that students will create an informational piece about one community

helper using the research. The purpose of this lesson was to model how students would go

through the process of creating their own digital story in order to publish their informational

writing piece.

There are many benefits for utilizing digital storytelling in a classroom. Digital

storytelling is a 21st century skill that can motivate and engage students (Robin, 2008). It also

gives students a voice and provides opportunities for students to speak instead of write (Robin,

2008). According to Ohler (2006) creating a digital story taps skills and talentsin art, media

production, storytelling, project development, and so onthat might otherwise lie dormant

within many students but that will serve them well in school, at work, and in expressing

themselves personally. Providing students with multiple opportunities to display their talents

and skills will motivate, engage, and help them feel successful.

While digital storytelling has many benefits it is important to note that the story should

come first, not the technology (Ohler, 2006). Ohler (2006) stated that digital stories need to be
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tied to the curriculum and used to strengthen students' critical thinking, report writing, and media

literacy skills.

ILA Standards

This lesson meets ILA standards 1.2: candidates understand the historically shared

knowledge of the profession and changes over time in the perceptions of reading and writing

development, processes, and components and 5.1: candidates design the physical environment to

optimize students use of traditional print, digital, and online resources in reading and writing

instruction. The purpose of the model lesson is to demonstrate the steps students will complete

to create a digital story. The goal is for students to eventually create their own informational

writing digital story about a community helper through this process which will be explicitly

modeled in order for students to be successful (ILA 1.2). By using the digital story as a

platform for the final product students will be using a 21st century skill to publish their writing

after completing the appropriate pre-writing phases using traditional print (ILA5.1).

ISTE Standards

This lesson addresses ISTE standard 1. students demonstrate creative thinking, construct

knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology by (a) applying

existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes and (b) creating original works

as a means of personal or group expression. The goal of this lesson is to model how students

will take the information they learned from their community helpers online research (ISTE 1a) to

creatively compose their own informational writing piece about a community helper by utilizing

technology (ISTE 1b).

Kentucky Teacher Standards

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In this lesson I used available technology to design and plan instruction (KTS 6.1) and

also used available technology to implement instruction that facilitates student learning (KTS

6.2). For this lesson I used the Doceri app, since I have access to eight iPads in my classroom, to

model how I composed my writing piece into a digital story versus writing my final draft with

pencil and paper. I had to learn how to use the app effectively in order to be at a point where I

could create my own digital story model and also teach students how to use this app in the future.

By using the technology to compose a writing piece I am using available technology to provide

students with another mode of publishing.

Common Core Standards

This lesson also meets Common Core Standards. In this lesson students see a model of

an informational writing piece that they will eventually compose themselves (W.K.2). The

expectations will be that they choose a topic and supply facts about the topic using the research

gathered from a previous lesson. With support from adults, students will use a digital story to

publish their writing piece (W.K.6) in which they will describe a familiar people and add detail

(SL.K.4). In the Doceri app students will add their own illustrations (SL.K.5) and also include

audio recordings for each page of the story where they will need to speak clearly (SL.K.6).

TPACK

When deciding the most effective way to have my kindergarten students compose a

digital story I considered content knowledge and pedagogy in order to determine how to

supplement the writing unit with technology. Knowing that students need to compose an

informational piece in kindergarten in which they name a topic and supply information about that

topic I decided to use the topic of community helpers that students had previously researched.
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The research on each community helper had already been conducted so the next step is that

students would compose an informational piece about one of the helpers in our community.

Being aware of other writing standards where students must use digital tools to publish

writing I decided to use the Doceri app to model how students would compose their own

informational piece after the pre-writing process. After reviewing a few digital storytelling apps

I used my pedagogical knowledge to determine that the Doceri app would meet the needs of my

students best. Doceri offers students the opportunity to take a picture of their own illustration

with the iPad placing the image on the page right after taking the picture. There is no extra step

of having to teach my students how to place the image onto the page. Students also can use their

finger to write words versus having to type. In kindergarten keyboards can often be intimidating

to students because the letters are not in the traditional alphabetic order. For students who are just

learning the alphabet a keyboard can be frustrating. While keyboarding skills will be an

important skill for students to be familiar with, the goal of this writing unit is to allow students to

successfully create a writing piece.

Lastly, the technology supported a standard in which students should speak and express

thoughts clearly. The app allows students to record audio for each page of their story. Without

the technology this support could not be put in place. Many students in my class speak another

language and they are less intimidated by speaking than writing. The technology gives the

opportunity for all students to be successful and tell their story which helps them master the

content. Without considering the pedagogy and the use of technology it would be impossible to

meet the content needs of all students in my classroom.

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References

Ohler, J. (2006). The world of digital storytelling. Educational Leadership, 63 (4), 44-47.

Robin, B. R. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century

classroom. Theory Into Practice, 47, 220-228.