Phase One

 

School Description 

 

The school that I will be working with throughout the duration of my Capstone project is a fully-accredited private Catholic school in Howard County, Maryland. The school serves approximately 450 students in grades Pre-K (4 years old) through 8th grade. The average class size for grades 1-8 is 25 students with a teacher to student ratio of 1:13. 

 

This school is located in an affluent area of Howard County, Maryland. Only 6 of the 450 students in the school qualify for Title I services as determined by household income. The school does not maintain Individualized Education Programs (IEP's) for students with learning disabilities. However, the Student Achievement Team does provide academic accomodations and modifications for students who have diagnosed or suspected learning disabilities and who are at a high-functioning level. Currently, there are approximiately 22 students at the school who are receiving learning accomodations. 

 

The school is a National Blue Ribbon school and student standardized test scores are on average higher than both the State of Maryland and Howard County public school standardized scores for both reading and math. 

 

 

Learning Issue 

 

 

As a Technology teacher, I am not based out of a traditional classroom. My classroom consists of a computer lab where I see all students in grades K-8 as part of a weekly "specials" class. In order to complete this assignment, I reached out to my colleagues and was able to form a collaborative partnership with the fifth grade team. I learned that the fifth graders, as a whole, struggle with meeting writing benchmarks. Based on a writing assessment given to the fifth grade students at the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, it was revealed that students struggle with supplying sufficient details when composing narratives. 

 

The Common Core State Standard (2015) associated with this specific learning issue is as follows: 

 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.D
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.

 

A breakdown of the assessment data is supplied below. The writing assessment rubric contained 7 indicators, which correspond to specific components of the CCSS standards for writing and language. Students were able to score a total of 4 points for each indicator. The indicator which corresponds to the learning issue (CCSS ELA.W.5.3.d)  is highlighted. Students scored an average of 2.37 out of 4 points on this indicator. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individuals Involved 

 

 

The students in one of the fifth grade classes will be the target of my project. Currently, there are two 5th grade classes with approximately 30 students in each section. There is a teaching assistant that supports both classroom teachers at different times throughout the day. I have chosen to use as the target of this project, class 5A which contains 27 students. 

 

Three of the students in this fifth grade receive academic accomodations for diagnosed specific learning disorders that directly impact English and Language Arts (ELA) instruction. 

 

Technology-Based Solution

 

 

In order to address the before-mentioned learning issue, I will be working closely with the English and Language Arts (ELA) teachers for both fifth grade sections in planning and implementing the narrative writing unit focused on the genre of Tall Tales. Students will complete all stages of the writing process using traditional writing methods while in the classroom. 

 

The final product will be completed in the computer lab with the assistance of technology and take the form of digital storyboarding. While students are creating visual digital storyboards, the emphasis in writing will be on including sufficient details.  

 

 

Approval 

 

 

Attached is the email approval received from the school principal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research-based Evidence (Literature Review)

 

 

In a research study conducted by Tracy, Reid & Graham (2009), students in grades 4 and higher were shown to have an increased need for specific instruction of writing strategies in order to show significant growth in writing performance. Researchers indicated that young writers at this age need additional supports in the forms of “strategies for planning and writing in conjunction with the knowledge and self-regulatory procedures needed to use these strategies effectively” (Tracy, Reid & Graham, 2009). A research study performed by Patel and Laud (2009) concluded that self-regulated writing strategies that combine both visualization and verbalization are successful at enhancing imagery in writing of students with disabilities. If these findings are to be applied to the students at our school, then it would suffice that our fifth grade students who are struggling with supplying sufficient details and imagery in narrative writing (including those who are receiving accommodations for specific learning disabilities) are in need of strategic supports.

 

 

In addition to the traditional writing methods, our ELA teachers and students have access to digital tools to assist in writing instruction that provide visual supports. One such way of incorporating digital tools into writing instruction in a way that is both effective and engaging is through the use of digital storyboarding (also called digital storytelling). Gregory, Steelman and Caverly (2009) discuss the success of digital storyboarding with their community college students in the areas of increased engagement in writing composition and in the writing process. Some of the ways in which the authors have successfully incorporated this strategy into the classroom is by using it for personal narratives, mini-stories and digital arguments. “Digital storytelling empowers ordinary individuals to create unique stories about their own lives using digital tools. These expressed experiences can be exhibited through different venues (Dupagne, 2010)”. The main message behind the digital storytelling movement is that people have a story to tell and they should be provided an outlet in which to tell it. Using this tool, more individuals are able to successfully express themselves as authors.

 

When creating a digital storyboard, the author must express himself through the use of both explicit and implicit images (Rossiter & Garcia, 2010). The images chosen are crucial to the story and thus require attention to extractive details. Students must analyze the details needed to form a cohesive story line when determining the visual images that will be used. In addition, the author must use critical thinking and deductive reasoning to successfully build a narrative.

 

 

In 2002, the Center for Digital Storytelling (CDS) at the University of California at Berkeley published a model for the implementation of digital storytelling (Sylvester & Greenidge, 2009). The CDS defines a digital story as a “multimedia text consisting of still images complemented by a narrated soundtrack to tell a story or present a documentary”. They cite digital stories as a source of motivation and engagement in the writing classroom, but also an alternative form of expression for students who have difficulties with traditional written expression. This method allows students to discover voice, confidence, and structure in their writing, per the authors (Sylvester & Greenidge, 2009). The proposed model for digital storytelling includes the following seven elements: point of view (digital storytelling allows for successful and dramatic first-person narratives), dramatic plots (evoking emotional content), economy (short narration with more attention to details), pacing the story to sustain an audience’s interest, voice (during narration), and the soundtrack. These elements are to be considered in conjunction with traditional writing methods in the classroom where the final product is digital.

 

 

Rule (2010) discusses that digital stories offer authors a way to tap into multiple intelligences. Students who use this tool in the classroom are able to incorporate digital and media literacy with written literacy skills. “The students we teach today are products of a very different environment, one in which the ability to stay connected with others is constant, and communication takes many forms. Writing, for adolescents who live in an age of digital communication, has taken on new importance and plays a prominent role in the way they socialize, share information, and structure their communication” (Sweeny, 2010). In addition to assisting students with writing instruction, the use of digital storyboarding (as well as other digital writing tools) enhances curriculum by providing access to 21st century skills.

 

In an article published in 2009 by Library Technology Reports, the technical skills and standards addressed by digital storyboarding were discussed. Students are required to use software and other tools to create digital storyboards, thus increasing technology skills that will be useful in tech-oriented future job markets. Additionally, digital storyboarding is aligned with the ISTE standards for students and teaches interactive communication, interpersonal skills, personal and social responsibility, technology literacy, visual literacy and organizational skills.

 

 

As for programming, Software for Digital Storytelling (2009) recommends a variety of free programs that are easy for students to use in creating digital storyboards. The author recommends Kids’ Vid which is designed for children and teachers and allows kids to create a video storyboard. Voice Thread is a relatively new program and is unique because it supports collaboration of up to 10 different users. Atomic Learning’s StoryBoard Pro includes space for descriptions, titles, and works with a variety of audio and video editing formats.

 

References:

 

Dupagne, M. (2010). Story Circle: Digital Storytelling Around the World. Journal Of

Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 54(3), 532-533. doi:10.1080/08838151.2010.498704

 

Gregory, K., Steelman, J., & Caverly, D. C. (2009). Techtalk: Digital Storytelling and

Developmental Education. Journal Of Developmental Education, 33(2), 42-43.

 

How Digital Storytelling Builds 21st Century Skills. (2009). Library Technology Reports, 45(7),

15-19.

 

Patel, P., & Laud, L. (2009). Helping Students to Add Detail and Flair to Their

Stories. Preventing School Failure, 54(1), 2-11.

 

Rossiter, M., & Garcia, P. A. (2010). Digital storytelling: A new player on the narrative

field. New Directions For Adult & Continuing Education, 2010(126), 37-48.

 

Rule, L. (2010). DIGITAL STORYTELLING: Never Has Storytelling Been So Easy or So

Powerful. Knowledge Quest, 38(4), 56-57.

 

Software for Digital Storytelling. (2009). Library Technology Reports, 45(7), 31-36.

 

Sweeny, S. M. (2010). Writing for the Instant Messaging and Text Messaging Generation: Using

New Literacies to Support Writing Instruction. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(2), 121-130. doi:10.1598/JAAL.54.2.4

 

Sylvester, R., & Greenidge, W. (2009). Digital Storytelling: Extending the Potential for

Struggling Writers. Reading Teacher, 63(4), 384-395. (also has steps and resources for implementing in the classroom)

 

Tracy, B., Reid, R., & Graham, S. (2009). Teaching Young Students Strategies for Planning and

Drafting Stories: The Impact of Self-Regulated Strategy Development. Journal Of Educational Research, 102(5), 323-332.