Assessment 4: Digital storytelling project and reflection

Part A

Subject area for the digital story

A Christian, K-12 coeducational school in Western Sydney is the institution this digital story has been designed to be used at. As well as teaching Relief From Face-to-Face classes, the Teacher Librarian team-teaches in Middle School classes using the Guided Inquiry process.

Year 6 Geography is one class she teaches, which is the subject area for this digital story. In this topic, students investigate the impact of one contemporary bushfire hazard in Australia. In doing so, they identify the location and extent of the disaster, describe its impact on natural vegetation and communities and examine how people can prevent and minimize the effects of a bushfire (NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA], 2017). Print and digital technologies are used and this unit culminates with students writing and presenting a speech to their class on their findings. It is envisioned, however, that Spark will be used in next year’s unit as the school works to incorporate more technologies into teaching and learning.

Intended purpose of digital story

Matthews (2014) observes that digital storytelling has emerged as a powerful teaching and learning tool. This digital story is intended to serve two main purposes. Firstly, it has the same purpose oral, traditional stories have, which is to communicate a message to its audience (Malita & Martin, 2010). By watching this video, Year 6 students will be shown the far-reaching effects of the Black Saturday bushfire. The text will engage readers while the images provide a visual illustration of the devastation wrought by the fires. Secondly, this digital story serves as an example for students who will be culminating their unit of work by creating a video using Spark. Students will create their presentations on one contemporary bushfire hazard in Australia and it is hoped this example will excite and inspire them. Digital storytelling empowers students to demonstrate and share their understanding in engaging and authentic ways (Smeda, Dakich, & Sharda, 2014).

Value for program implementation

It is not guaranteed that all technologies will be beneficial to students when used in the classroom. Some digital texts and technologies detract from the intended purpose rather than enhance it (Yokota & Teale, 2014; Flewitt, Messer, & Kucirkova, 2015). O’Connell (2017) even believes that digital texts can confuse students when not used properly. Hall (2012), therefore, presents a logical question: how does narrative technology create potential in education?

Using Spark is highly beneficial for students, provided it is embedded within the curriculum unit. Bjorgen (2010), Walsh (2010) and Tackvic (2012) all agree that digital storytelling can positively contribute to learning, but only when thoughtfully integrated in the curriculum. By embedding Spark into the unit on bushfires, the learning and assessment process will be more interesting, personal and relevant to students (Weigel, 2009). The completed videos can be shared to classmates and to the wider community (Mills, 2011; O’Connell, 2017), students will learn to condense and summarize information and copyright instructions will be introduced through the use of this platform. Designing digital storytelling projects, like any other project assigned to students, should start with thinking about the skills and knowledge educators want students to demonstrate (Byrne, n.d.).

Value for diverse learning needs

Digital literature provides an effective instructional strategy for students with diverse learning needs (Rhodes, 2007). With this in mind, the digital text has been designed for Year 6 students who have diverse learning needs.

Some students are highly competent with technology, while others are not yet confident with using digital tools. Spark enhances learners’ engagement with technology irrespective of their digital stills (Hall, 2012). It is basic enough for all students to use, but it also contains complex features that would challenge highly competent students. Furthermore, Spark can be used collaboratively, so the teacher can allocate competent and struggling students to work together (Mills, 2011; Bjorgen, 2010).

Some students speak English as their second language; therefore, using Spark is valuable because it caters for people with broad language capabilities. Using the platform effectively is straightforward and does not require students to be highly proficient in English. A significant aspect of narrative technology is that all learners can be included and involved (Hall, 2012).

Lastly, some students are difficult to engage and lack motivation to complete basic tasks. Because children and teenagers enjoy using technology in their leisure time, Spark is an interesting way to engage and motivate students in a way relevant to them. Students enjoy learning when tools they use in their leisure time are introduced in the classroom (Bjorgen, 2010). Furthermore, producing digital technology is highly motivating for students as they can see their work come alive in a digital book and shared with others (Dobler, 2013).

Part B – https://spark.adobe.com/video/nYMtsMJONPjZd (please turn audio on)

Part C

In blog posts I wrote at the beginning of this semester, I shared my interest in learning more about how digital environments have changed the Teacher Librarian’s (TL) role (Dwalibi, 2017a, 2017b), as this was an area I had not yet explored. A few weeks later, I noted that part of the TL’s role has adapted to ensure both print and digital resources work together side-by-side (Dwalibi, 2017c). My learning did not stop there, however. In fact, because of the new information I learnt while studying this subject, my views, knowledge and understanding of education professionals’ work in digital environments has developed. 

Like Hall (2012), I wondered how narrative technology could create new potential in education. Being a ‘newbie’ to the world of education, I knew that technology enhances teaching and learning, but I was not sure how it does so. Having completed this subject, I now understand that narrative technology, and technology in general, has the potential to greatly contribute to learning (Bjorgen, 2010) and student engagement, provided it is carefully and thoughtfully integrated into the curriculum (Mills, 2011; Hall, 2012). While this made me excited about the potential of using technology in education, I now realize that digital technologies present many challenges and issues for educators, some of which I shared on the forums (Dwalibi, 2017d).

I learnt that using digital literature in the classroom can be daunting for teachers. Technology is not necessarily easy to learn or use, and because using it requires learning how to manipulate new tools, teachers, who are already time poor (Burns, 2005), may feel overwhelmed despite being given support and training (Walsh 2010; Renwick, 2015). Sadly, many teachers simply omit using technology in classrooms (West & Graham, 2007). While I initially thought ‘traditionally-trained’ educators would be the only ones who would have difficulty using technology, experience does not discriminate. I was surprised to learn that pre-service teacher education often fails to adequately prepare teachers to confidently use technologies in teaching, despite the assumed digital literacy of young and student teachers (Istenic-Starčič, Solomonides, & Volk, 2016).

Despite these challenges, I believe the benefits outweigh the issues. Technology can save educators time (Henebery, 2016) and is beneficial for several aspects of curriculum development such as the formulation of curriculum content and learning activities, allocation of educational resources, and adoption of new methods of assessment (Badia, Meneses, Sigales, & Fabregues, 2014). Using technology also provides educators with more opportunities for collaboration (Liu, Hsien-Chang, & Yu-Ting, 2015). Lastly, I now see that technology is very beneficial for educators because they are no longer ‘knowledge providers’, but are facilitators who guide students through the learning process and engage them in joint problem solving (Academy of Finland, 2015).

I learnt that using digital literature in ways that will benefit students can be challenging. Keeping students focused on a given learning task can be more challenging when using technology (Dwalibi, 2017d) and students may gravitate toward irrelevant content (Weigel, 2009). Furthermore, the rise of technology use in education has generated concern about affecting student performance (Duncan, Hoekstra, & Wilcox, 2012). Interestingly, I have noticed this in my own studies, in that I am often distracted by the Internet while studying.

However, I agree with Renwick (2015), who states that the opportunities presented to students when teachers embed technology into instruction are almost endless and that the benefits far outweigh any risks. I was excited to learn that technology encourages collaboration among teachers and students (Malita & Martin, 2010), is motivating for students as they can see their ideas and writing come alive (Dobler, 2013) and provides students with skills that are relevant to today’s society (Shelby-Caffey, Úbéda, & Jenkins, 2014; Mills, 2011), such as being technologically literate and designers, readers, writers, communicators and thinkers (Kajder, as cited in Malita & Martin, 2010). Technology has also seen the conception and rise of ‘flipped learning’ (Diana, 2013). I was fascinated to discover that all my university subjects have, to some extent, been delivered using this method.

Having considered the benefits and challenges of using digital literature in education and seeing that using technology is highly beneficial for both teachers and students, this subject has helped me see that education professionals’ work has changed and developed over the years. This subject has left me excited about the potential of digital technology in education and I am eager to use my newfound skills in my occupation.

References

Academy of Finland. (2015, February 16). Technology changing teacher’s role. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150216064735.htm

Badia, A., Meneses, J., Sigales, C., & Fabregues, S. (2014). Factors affecting schoolteachers’ perceptions of the instructional benefits of digital technology. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 141, 357-362.

Bjørgen, A. (2010). Boundary crossing and learning identities: Digital storytelling in primary schools. Media, Technology & Life-Long Learning, 6(2), 161-178.

Burns, A. (2005). Collaborative action research for english language teachers. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Byrne, R. (n.d.). Digital storytelling projects with comics: a free guide to digital storytelling. In free technology for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/01/free-ebook-digital-storytelling-with.html#.UuIFemR9LyU

Diana, T. (2013). Microteaching revisited: Using technology to enhance the professional development of pre-service teachers. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 86(4), 150-154.

Dobler, E. (2013). Looking beyond the screen: Evaluating the quality of digital books. Reading Today, 30(5), 20-21.

Duncan, D., Hoekstra, A., & Wilcox, B. (2012). Digital devices, distraction, and student performance: Does in-class cell phone use reduce learning? Astronomy Education Review, 11(1).

Dwalibi, G. (2017a, July 9). Blog task 1 [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://gdwal.wordpress.com/2017/07/09/blog-task-1/

Dwalibi, G. (2017b, July 21). Week 2 reflection [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://gdwal.wordpress.com/2017/07/21/week-2-reflection/

Dwalibi, G. (2017c, August 19). Week 6 reflection: Digital texts and the role of the teacher librarian [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://gdwal.wordpress.com/2017/08/19/week-6-reflection-digital-texts-and-the-role-of-the-teacher-librarian/

Dwalibi, G. (2017d, September 2). Challenges of digital technology [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_26925_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_45305_1&forum_id=_95356_1&message_id=_1457731_1

Flewitt, R., Messer, D., & Kucirkova, N. (2015). New directions for early literacy in a digital age: The iPad. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 15(3), 289-310.

Hall, T. (2012). Digital renaissance: The creative potential of narrative technology in education. Creative Education, 3(1), 96-100.

Henebery, B. (2016, February 16). New report gives hope to time-poor teachers. The Educator. Retrieved from http://www.educatoronline.com.au/news/new-report-gives-hope-to-timepoor-teachers-211810.aspx

Istenic-Starčič, A., Cotic, M., Solomonides, I., & Volk, M. (2016). Engaging preservice primary and preprimary school teachers in digital storytelling for the teaching and learning of mathematics. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(1), 29–50.

Kearney, M. (2011). A learning design for student-generated digital storytelling. Learning, Media and Technology, 36(2), 169-188.

Liu, S., Hsien-Chang, T., & Yu-Ting, H. (2015). Collaborative professional development of mentor teachers and pre-service teachers in relation to technology integration. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18(3), 161-172.

Malita, L., & Martin, C. (2010). Digital Storytelling as web passport to success in the 21st Century. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 3060-3064.

Matthews, J. (2014). Voices from the heart: The use of digital storytelling in education. Community Practitioner, 87(1), 28-30.

Mills, K. (2011). iPed. Reading Teacher, 65(1), 80-91.

NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA]. (2017). Factors that shape places: Stage 3. Retrieved from https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/hsie/geography-k10/content/1183/

O’Connell, J. (2017). Literature in digital environments [INF533 Module 5.2]. Retrieved August 9, 2017, from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_26925_1&content_id=_1546318_1

Renwick, M. (2015). 5 myths about classroom technology: How do we integrate digital tools to truly enhance learning? Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Shelby-Caffey, C., Úbéda, E., & Jenkins, B. (2014). Digital storytelling revisited: An educator’s use of an innovative literacy practice. The Reading Teacher, 68(3), 191–199.

Smeda, N., Dakich, E., & Sharda, N. (2014). The effective of digital storytelling in the classrooms: A comprehensive study. Smart Learning Environments, 1(6).

Tackvic, C. (2012). Digital storytelling: Using technology to spark creativity. The Educational Forum, 76(4), 426.

Walsh, M. (2010). Multimodal literacy: What does it mean for classroom practice? Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(3), 211–239.

Weigel, M. (2009). The best of both literacies. Educational Leadership, 66(6), 38-41.

West, R., & Graham, C. (2007). Benefits and challenges of using live modeling to help preservice teachers transfer technology integration principles, 23(4), 131-141.

Yokota, J., & Teale, W. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: Educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6).

Assessment 3: digital storytelling topic proposal

Proposal topic
The topic for this digital tool will be the Black Saturday bushfires, which forms part of the Year 6 Science curriculum (NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA], 2017). This text will serve as an ‘example’ for students who will be presenting their findings on one contemporary Bushfire in Australia using a specific digital tool.

Proposed digital tools to be used
After exploring a number of tools used for digital storytelling, I have decided to use the web version of Spark Animated Videos.

Spark was chosen for a variety of reasons. I wanted something basic and straightforward to use, which would be suitable for students with a range of abilities. Those who are more confident with technology can utilize all features of Spark, while those who are gaining confidence with technology can still use Spark effectively. Teachers, also, will not need to spend copious amounts of time learning to navigate the technology.

Another advantage of Spark’s simplicity is that it contains very few features, meaning students will not be caught up in the finer presentation details. For example, individual colors, fonts and font sizes cannot be chosen and there are only four different options for slide layouts. Knowing that some media elements may be distracting rather than enhancing to the text (Yakota & Teale, 2014), having fewer features hopefully means fewer distractions.

In addition, the format and layout of Spark means that information and text has to be condensed and presented succinctly. Students will not be able to ‘copy and paste’ large portions of text and thus plagiarism will be very difficult. This is in contrast to other digital tools (such as Tellagami) that allow for large portions of text to be included.

I agree with Hall (2012) and O’Connell (2017) who note that new technologies create new possibilities for education, learning and pedagogy and provide students and teachers with rich ways of communicating information. Furthermore, digital technology gives students the opportunity to engage in learning in ways that are relevant to the world they live in (O’Connell, 2017). 

Rationale of topic focus for the digital storytelling project
The topic focus for this digital storytelling project comes from the NSW Syllabus, where Year 6 students investigate one contemporary Bushfire hazard in Australia (NESA, 2017).

At one school where I work, the Teacher Librarian (TL) is working with Year 6 on Bushfires unit and is doing this using the Guided Inquiry process. Working alongside the class teacher, the TL is using both print and digital resources.

Once they reach the ‘create’ and ‘share’ stages in the Inquiry process, students need to be provided with guidelines regarding how to complete these steps. In previous years, students have been required to create an oral presentation to share their findings with the class.

Using Spark, I hope to create a digital text that can be used in future Year 6 programs that look at Bushfires. This text will serve as an example for students who will be required to present their findings to the class using this digital tool.

The text will look at one contemporary Bushfire hazard in Australia. Each ‘chapter’ will focus on:

• Identifying the location and extent of the disaster
• Describing its impact on natural vegetation and communities
• Examining how people can prevent and minimize the effects of a bushfire (NESA, 2017).

Unless digital tools are woven innovatively into classroom practice, then their potential could be reduced to simply being a device for delivering repetitive curriculum content (Flewitt, Messer, & Kucirkova, 2015). I agree with O’Connell (2017) who believes the most important aspect of using digital texts in the classroom is to ensure they are embedded within the curriculum.

 

References

Flewitt, R., Messer, D., & Kucirkova, N. (2015). New directions for early literacy in a digital age: The iPad. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 15(3), 289-310.

Hall, T. (2012). Digital renaissance: The creative potential of narrative technology in education. Creative Education, 3(1), 96-100.

NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA]. (2017). Factors that shape places: Stage 3. Retrieved from https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/hsie/geography-k10/content/1183/

O’Connell, J. (2017). Literature in digital environments [INF533 Module 5.2]. Retrieved August 9, 2017, from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_26925_1&content_id=_1546318_1

Yokota, J., & Teale, W. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: Educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6).

Assessment 2

Part A

Valentine, R. (2014). Marmaduke the very different dragon. Retrieved from Libby, by Overdrive.

Category of resource
This fiction, electronic picture book is suitable for Stage 1 students and was accessed on an iPad.

Content quality
An e-book’s content and characters must be relatable to its readers (Von Drasek, 2016). In this e-book, dragons and princesses are the protagonists and readers are shown that everyone is unique. Dragons portray an unrealistic theme; however, imaginative characters stimulate children’s interest (Johnson & Giorgis, 2003). The content of this e-book is of good quality because profound ideas are presented in a simple way, appropriate for the intended audience (Nel, 2015), readers are able to understand issues through the story, and the language and structure of the text is suitable for its readers (Walsh, 2013).

Alignment with curriculum or program purpose
Serafini (2013) wonders how teachers can incorporate digital literature into an already crowded curriculum.

This e-book can easily be aligned with the Australian Curriculum and incorporated into a Stage 1 program. Using the e-book as a starting point, students can be shown how ICT can be used in multiple ways on multiple devices (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2017a). Furthermore, students can recreate an illustration to communicate an idea by using different materials and technologies (ACARA, 2017b).

Because this e-book combines the Art and Digital Technologies Key Learning Areas, it also aligns with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, which integrates different learning areas (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2017).

Digital literature needs to be appropriately infused in the curriculum for students to be most benefitted (Tackvic, 2012).

Value of digital affordances for the literature
For many children, reading is no longer an exclusively book-bound experience (Bowler et al., 2012). Rather than simply reading a story, students enjoy information they can see and hear (Lamb, 2011). In contrast to traditional print books, this e-book provides readers with a rich experience because it combines visual and audio media, which enhances the text and draws readers in to the story.

Possibilities for feedback and/or adaptation
Proper page layouts enrich the content of an e-book and bring users enjoyment when reading (Wang & Huang, 2015). Because readers are not prompted to read this e-book in landscape format, it may be viewed in portrait format and therefore only display half a page at a time. Poor page navigation is a common disadvantage of e-books and is a recurring trend (Richardson & Mahmood, 2012). It is therefore recommended that a ‘landscape only’ message be depicted to readers.

Intrinsic motivation of the digital environment for users
It is highly likely that this e-book will be appealing to its readers because the e-book itself is simple to use and children who need assistance with reading can listen to the story. Because Stage 1 students are still gaining experience with technologies, it is important for any tool they use to be easy to navigate and use.

Presentation design
Sometimes e-books contain animations that distract the reader from the storyline (Yakota & Teale, 2014). The amount of digital texts containing distractions may grow because the future of e-books will increasingly employ a range of media (Herther, 2011). This is not the case of this e-book, however. The illustrations are seamlessly incorporated into the text and words light up as the narrator reads the text. Well-designed e-books integrate illustration, text and sound so that each complements the other (Yakota & Teale, 2014).

Interaction and usability
This e-book is easy to interact with and use, which Walsh (2013) states is a necessary feature of e-books. Readers have the option of either reading the story at their own pace, or having it read to them by a narrator. The pages are easily ‘flipped’ using a right-to-left swipe movement. When the touch, tap and slide features of e-books are user friendly, a child’s interaction with a text is enhanced (Walsh, 2013). Due to new and emerging technologies, interactivity is a major influence in digital literature today (Flewitt, Messer, & Kucirkova, 2015).

Accessibility and reusability
Accessing the e-book requires some patience as it takes a few minutes to fully open, despite already being downloaded onto the device. Accessibility is a crucial aspect of e-books because delays can discourage readers from using them (Koh & Herring, 2016). Despite this minor hiccup, however, reusing the e-book is simple. It is stored in the user’s ‘library’ and, once returned, shows in their ‘activity’ and can be re-borrowed if not reserved by another user.

—

Gaiman, N., & You. (n.d.). A calendar of tales. Available from http://www.acalendaroftales.com/uploads/files/COT_E_BOOK.pdf

Category of resource
A Calendar of Tales (ACOT), aimed at Stage 4 students, is a fiction interactive creation instigated by Neil Gaiman. Neil tweeted twelve questions, one for each month of the year, and from the many responses received, picked one answer per question and wrote twelve short stories (Gaiman & You, n.d.). ACOT was accessed and viewed as a PDF.

Content quality
Judging the content quality of digital literature can be challenging because digital software enables anyone to create a story with no evaluation process (Walsh, 2013). However, ACOT meets Walsh’s (2013) stringent guidelines for content quality. Even though ACOT contains short stories, it is suitable for the recommended age group, contains realistic descriptions, dramatic dialogue and rich literary language, is engaging and contains well-written, vivid descriptions of fictional events and readers may consider issues and ideas through the stories. Punctuation and capitalization rules are also closely followed.

Alignment with curriculum or program purpose
Not all digital texts are suitable for classroom use, so educators must first consider the pedagogy underpinning their use (Yokota & Teale, 2014). However, ACOT is a fantastic resource that can be used by Stage 4 students. Once students have explored the literature, they can produce similar stories by writing a question and having classmates answer that question, before producing a piece of digital literature based on the answer given. This aligns with the literacy component from the English strand of the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2017c).

Value of digital affordances for the literature
Through the use of digital literature, teachers can strengthen their lessons (Moorefield-Lang & Gavigan, 2012) because readers are given the opportunity to navigate new text structures and technologies (Serafini, 2013). In turn, this offers unique methods for producing literature (Skaines, 2010). The inspiration for ACOT was drawn from Twitter and it is fitting to turn content drawn from a social media platform into digital literature.

Presenting ACOT digitally offers readers a new and exciting way to engage with literature because reading is no longer confined to traditional text on a printed page (Valenza & Stephens, 2012; Bowler et al., 2012). Collaborative interaction is an emerging influence of digital literature (Flewit, Messer, & Kucirkova, 2015).

Possibilities for feedback and/or adaptation
Though well written, ACOT does not include many illustrations throughout each story. Wang and Huang (2015) note that illustrations increase readers’ enjoyment. Perhaps, however, its creator intentionally limited the number of illustrations to allow readers’ imaginations to run wild. Literature with limited illustrations encourages readers to use their own imaginations to create fantastical worlds (Johnson & Giorgis, 2003).

Intrinsic motivation of the digital environment for users
In recent years, new technologies and platforms have begun to create fresh possibilities for education and learning (Hall, 2012) because digital and academic worlds are no longer separated (Edwards, 2013). Children aged 13-17 years old are engrained in digital media; they spend more time on the Internet and social media than television (Oblinger, 2004, as cited in Bowler et al., 2012). Stage 4 students will enjoy exploring ACOT because it provides students the opportunity to engage in learning in ways that are relevant to today’s world (O’Connell, 2017).

Presentation design
Koh and Herring (2016) pose an interesting question: what is the ideal presentation practice that best supports readers who are reading digital literature? Pei Fen, Yan Peng and Siew Woei (2009) note that presentation design is among the significant factors that contribute to users’ satisfaction with digital literature.

Well-presented digital texts, such as ACOT, integrate different elements that all complement each other (Yakota & Teale, 2014).

The PDF is laid out in a minimalistic, easy-to-read format with consistent font size and distinguishable headings, which makes it user-friendly (Pei Fen et al., 2009). Each ‘chapter’ is a month of the year and at the end of these ‘chapters’ an illustration corresponding to the story and the story’s inspiration is found. Page numbers are missing from the PDF, however. Surprisingly, this is a common design mistake (Pei Fen et al., 2009).

Interaction and usability
Presentation design directly impacts on interaction and usability (Chowdhury, as cited in Pei Fen et al., 2009). ACOT is easy to interact with and use: users simply scroll through the pages and can use the search function to locate a particular phrase. Jabr (2013) notes that readers are typically used to a scroll layout and Reagan (as cited in Dunham-Sootheran, 2014) highlights that search functions are a beneficial feature of digital texts.

Accessibility and reusability
ACOT is easy to access and reuse for those with computer and Internet access. If saving the document, however, the computer must be able to save PDFs.

—

Henley, J. (2013, May 23). Firestorm. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/may/26/firestorm-bushfire-dunalley-holmes-family

Category of resource
Firestorm is an engaging, non-fiction example of immersive journalism produced by the Guardian following the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires. Written from the perspective of firefighters, a fire chief and a family caught in the Dunalley fire, it is suitable for Year 6 students. It was accessed online via Google Chrome.

Content quality
When examining the content quality of digital texts, two aspects must be considered: supportive features versus distractions and literary merits (Dobler, 2013). In Firestorm, all media elements work together very well and generally do not distract readers from the purpose of the text. Furthermore, the content is written from multiple perspectives, readers are prompted to consider environmental issues, and the text is presented in a way suitable for the intended audience, which, Walsh (2013) states are all features of high quality content.

Alignment with curriculum or program purpose
Digital literature must be integrated in the curriculum for students to be most benefitted (Tackvic, 2012; Walsh, 2010). Firestorm is a wonderful resource that can be used with Year 6 students. Students can use the literature as part of a unit of Guided Inquiry on bushfires and can look specifically at what fuels them and why. This is aligned to the Year 6 Science Inquiry Skills (ACARA, 2017d). Using the findings from their inquiry, students can then design fire-safe dwellings and buildings, in alignment to the Years 5 and 6 Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills (ACARA, 2017e).

Value of digital affordances for the literature
One trend resulting from digital literature is being able to reach learners in new, innovative and exciting ways (Kaplowitz, 2014; Larson, as cited in Edwards, 2013). This is valuable for students because learning is best facilitated when a combination of media is used to engage the reader (James & De Kock, 2013).

When integrated into the curriculum, Firestorm is valuable in digital format because it supports student learning. The emergence of new digital texts, when used in meaningful ways, helps students realise new contexts, opportunities and resources for creative learning (Futurelab, as cited in Hall, 2012; Mills, 2011).

Possibilities for feedback and/or adaptation
Firestorm is beautifully presented and powerfully written. Its text, images audio and video are impeccably intertwined. One small adaptation can be made to the “scroll down to continue” feature. The page does not turn unless the mouse wheel is scrolled multiple times. Perhaps providing a “next” button would be more appropriate.

Intrinsic motivation of the digital environment for users
In contrast to Gutenberg’s era, literature is now much more than traditional books made of paper (Carneiro Juel, 2014). Because they are complex technologies (Sadokierski, 2013) that span multiple platforms, using and making meaning from them requires specific literacy skills (Combes, 2016).

Typically, when students enter Year 6, they would have already developed strong ICT capabilities relating to investigating, creating, communicating, and managing and operating information using ICT systems (ACARA, 2017e). Because Firestorm contains transmedia elements and requires skills already attained by Year 6 students, it will be appealing to its readers.

Presentation design
Thinking carefully about presentation design helps give readers the best possible experience (James & De Kock, 2013). In Firestorm, video, audio and text are usually seamlessly incorporated and draw readers in to the story. At times, the moving background, such as wheat enthusiastically swaying in the wind, distracts the reader from the text. However, Firestorm takes advantage of the interactive power offered by technologies (Rowhani & Sedig, as cited in Pei Fen et al., 2009), making it appealing to its readers.

Interaction and usability
Because digital creations often rely on gestural manipulations from the reader, such as scrolling and clicking elements on the screen, it is imperative that they be easy to navigate and use (Bourchardon & Heckman, 2012). Fortunately, Firestorm is easy to both navigate and use. Its chapters are clearly listed on the right hand sidebar and each chapters’ content is distinctly shown using icons depicting text, videos, facts and images. Furthermore, a scrolling motion, though somewhat difficult to get right, is all that is required to chronologically view the different parts of this resource.

Accessibility and reusability
Similar to ACOT, Firestorm is easy to access and reuse for those with computer and Internet access. However, schools often configure firewalls for safety, making some websites inaccessible. While firewalls prevent dangers of the Internet from spreading to the internal network (Abbes, Bouhoula, & Businowitch, 2016), some ‘safe’ websites such as Firestorm may be blocked from the network. Liaising with technology staff should easily rectify this, however.

Part B

What makes a good digital text, what counts as one, and what purpose do they serve?

I began this subject by asking the question “what makes a good digital text?” (Dwalibi, 2017a). A few weeks later, I was able to summarize the two areas that constitute good digital texts, which are content and presentation (Dwalibi, 2017c). In summary, content must be relatable to readers, designed for readers to understand complex issues, and structured so that they suit the audience’s age and author’s purpose (Walsh, 2013). Furthermore, despite some professionals attempting to provide extensive guidelines for how digital texts should be presented (Pein Fen et al., 2009; Jin, 2013), all media elements must ultimately work together to enhance the literature (Yakota & Teale, 2014).

As I discovered from this subject, types and formats of digital literature are extremely varied. Some of these include videos, PDFs, mobile applications and web comics. I agree with Walsh, who states that digital texts are designed for web-based navigation, rather than sequential ordering of text in a book (2013). Put simply, digital texts are created with, and used on, computers (Bourchardon & Heckman, 2012).

I learned that digital texts serve many purposes. They allow students to better engage with literature by providing access to supplemental information through web access and internal glossaries (Edwards, 2013), provide assistance to children who are reluctant to read (Maynard & McKnight, 2001), engage students and expose them to new ideas (Weigel, 2009) and provide students the opportunity to engage in learning in ways that are relevant to today’s world (O’Connell, 2017).

Despite digital texts serving many beneficial purposes, I believe that using them does not automatically engage or benefit students (Cull, 2011) and that they may detract instead of enhance the literature (Guernsey, 2011). Therefore, digital texts must be used purposefully and thoughtfully.

Comparing my experience of reading digital texts with reading print

Using digital texts has made me realize that, before being able to begin reading, there is technology to navigate and technical hurdles to overcome. I agree with Combes (2016), Koskimaa (2016) and Sadokierski (2013) who all highlight the technological complexities that digital texts present, and the necessity of learning new literacies to navigate them.

After downloading the Libby, by Overdrive application (Overdrive, Inc, 2017), I had to learn how to navigate the app and download e-books before I was able to actually read one. Another text I read (TabTable LTD, 2016) had music and animations that proved to be quite distracting, while the different media elements of other texts worked to enhance the story (Nilsson, 2009, March 7; Branch, n.d.). I have now seen that digital technology has changed the nature of reading (Hancox, 2013; Ivan, 2014).

In contrast, reading print is more straightforward: I simply open a book and read it. I do not have to learn how to navigate new technologies. I enjoy being able to flip through the pages and easily go back and forth when comparing different parts of the book, rather than viewing single virtual pages before they disappear (Jabr, 2013). In addition, there are fewer distractions (Guernsey, 2011), meaning comprehending information is easier (Cull, 2011).

The digital text I enjoyed most and how I might incorporate it into a program at my school

In two of my blog posts, I expressed interest in learning about how digital texts can be used in the classroom (Dwalibi, 2017a; Dwalibi, 2017b). In doing so, however, my lack of awareness regarding curriculum integration was indicated. I now understand that it is crucial for digital texts to be embedded in the curriculum to be of most benefit to students (Yokota & Teale, 2014; Tackvic, 2012; Walsh, 2013; Flewitt et al., 2015).

Exploring Firestorm has made me excited about the possibilities of integrating digital texts into the curriculum. As a result of coming across this resource in this subject, Firestorm is now being used as part of a Year 6 Guided Inquiry unit on Bushfires at the school where I work. With the aid of the class teacher, a Teacher Librarian and print and digital resources, students are exploring contemporary bushfires, what fuels them, and which building materials are highly flammable. Using their findings, students can then work in groups to design fire-safe buildings. In addition to being aligned to the Year 6 Science Inquiry Skills (ACARA, 2017b), this activity is supported by the Years 5 and 6 Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills (ACARA, 2017c).

Digital literature holds great potential for expanding educational opportunities by offering additional tools and support for engagement and learning, but it must be paired with thoughtful pedagogy (Dunham-Sootheran, 2014). Lastly, I agree with James and De Kock (2013), who emphasise that learning is best facilitated when a combination of media is used to engage the reader.

References

 Abbes, T., Bouhoula, A., & Rusinowitch, M. (2016). Detection of firewall configuration errors with updatable tree. International Journal of Information Security, 15(3), 301-317.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2017a). Digital technologies: Foundation to year 2. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ya7txj8m

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2017b). Visual arts: Foundation to year 2. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y7f6lomw

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2017c). English: Year 7. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ybdn4xmm

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2017d). Science: Year 6. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yasjvnyf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2017e). Design and technologies: Years 5 and 6. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y92egr3o

Bourchardon, S., & Heckman, D. (2012). Digital manipulability and digital literature. In Electronic book review. Retrieved from http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/heuristic

Bowler, L., Morris, R., Cheng, I-L., Al-Issa, R., Romine, B., & Leiberling, L. (2012). Multimodal stories: LIS students explore reading, literacy, and library service through the lens of “the 39 clues”. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 53(1), 32-48.

Branch, J. (n.d.). Snow fall: The avalanche at Tunnel Creek. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

Carneiro Juel, P. (2014). Literature breaks out. Public Libraries, 53(1), 9-11.

Combes, B. (2016). Digital literacy: A new flavour of literacy or something different? Synergy, 14(1).

Cull, B. (2011). Reading revolutions: Online digital text and implications for reading in academe. First Monday, 16(6). doi:10.5210/fm.v16i6.3340

Dobler, E. (2013). Looking beyond the screen: Evaluating the quality of digital books. Reading Today, 30(5), 20-21.

Dunham-Sootheran, K. (2014). Digital text: Exploring stages towards universal design for learning (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (Accession No. 3662072)

Dwalibi, G. (2017a, July 9). Blog task 1 [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://gdwal.wordpress.com/2017/07/09/blog-task-1/

Dwalibi, G. (2017b, July 21). Week 2 reflection [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://gdwal.wordpress.com/2017/07/21/week-2-reflection/

Dwalibi, G. (2017c, August 7). Week 4 reflection: What makes a good digital text? [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://gdwal.wordpress.com/2017/08/07/week-4-reflection-what-makes-a-good-digital-text/

Edwards, J. (2013). Reading beyond the borders: observations on digital ebook readers and adolescent reading practices. In J. Whittingham & IGI Global (Eds.), Technological tools for the literacy classroom. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Flewitt, R., Messer, D., & Kucirkova, N. (2015). New directions for early literacy in a digital age: The iPad. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 15(3), 289-310.

Gaiman, N., & You. (n.d.). A calendar of tales. Available from http://www.acalendaroftales.com/uploads/files/COT_E_BOOK.pdf

Guernsey, L. (2011, June 7). Are ebooks any good? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2011/06/books-media/ebooks/are-ebooks-any-good/#_

Hall, T. (2012). Digital renaissance: The creative potential of narrative technology in education. Creative Education, 3(1), 96-100.

Hancox, D. (2013, December 13). When books go digital: The kills and the future of the novel. The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/when-books-go-digital-the-kills-and-the-future-of-the-novel-20098

Herther, N. (2011). From CD-ROMs to ebooks. Searcher, 19(5), 13-46.

International Baccalaureate Organization. (2017). Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.ibo.org/programmes/primary-years-programme/curriculum/

Ivan, S. (2014). The book and the screen: A new paradigm of reading and a new type of culture. Studia Universitatis Petru Maior. Philologia, (16), 46-52.

Jabr, F. (2013, April 11). The reading brain in the digital age: The science of paper versus screens [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/

James, R., & De Kock, L. (2013). The digital David and the Gutenberg Goliath: The rise of the ‘enhanced’ e-book. English Academy Review, 30(1), 107-123.

Jin, S-H. (2013). Visual design guidelines for improving learning from dynamic and interactive digital text. Computers & Education, 63, 248-258.

Johnson, N., & Giorgis, C. (2003). Imagination. Reading Teacher, 56(5), 504.

Kaplowitz, J. (2014). Designing information literacy instruction: The teaching tripod approach. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.

Koh, H., & Herring, S. (2016). Historical insights for ebook design. Library Hi Tech, 34(4), 764-786.

Koskimaa, R. (2016). Cybertext challenge. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 6(2), 169-185.

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17.

Maynard, S., & McKnight, C. (2001). Children’s comprehension of electronic books: On empirical study. New Review of Children’s Literature and Librarianship, 7(1), 29-53.

Mills, K. (2011). iPed. Reading Teacher, 65(1), 80-91.

Moorefield-Lang, H., & Gavigan, K. (2012). These aren’t your father’s: The new world of digital graphic novels. Knowledge Quest, 40(3), 30-35.

Nel, P. (2015). A manifesto for children’s literature; or, reading Harold as a teenager. Iowa Review, 45(2), 87-92.

Nilsson, T. (2009, March 7). Slagsmålsklubben – Sponsored by destiny [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/3514904

O’Connell, J. (2017). Literature in digital environments [INF533 Module 5.2]. Retrieved August 9, 2017, from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_26925_1&content_id=_1546318_1

Overdrive, Inc. (2017). Libby, by Overdrive (Version 1.2.0) [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com

Pei Fen, C., Yan Peng, L., & Siew Woei, L. (2009). On the design preferences for ebooks. IETE Technical Review, 26(3), 213-222.

Richardson, J., & Mahmood, K. (2012). eBook readers: User satisfaction and usability issues. Library Hi Tech, 30(1), 170-185.

Sadokierski, Z. (2013, November 12). What is a book in the digital age? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/what-is-a-book-in-the-digital-age-19071

Serafini, F. (2013). Reading workshop 2.0. Reading Teacher, 66(5), 401-404.

Skaines, R. (2010). The shifting author-reader dynamic: Online novel communities as a bridge from print to digital literature. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 16(1), 95–111.

TabTable LTD. (2016). The Fox and the Crow – Interactive Children’s Story Book HD (Version 2.8) [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com

Tackvic, C. (2012). Digital storytelling: Using technology to spark creativity. The Educational Forum, 76(4), 426.

Valentine, R. (2014). Marmaduke the very different dragon. Retrieved from Libby, by Overdrive.

Valenza, J., & Stephens, W. (2012). Reading remixed. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 75-78.

Von Drasek, L. (2016). Grief in picturebooks: An evaluative rubric. Children & Libraries, 14(4), 25-31.

Walsh, M. (2010). Multimodal literacy: What does it mean for classroom practice? Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(3), 211–239.

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).

Wang, C., & Huang, C. (2015). A study of usability principles and interface design for mobile e-books. Ergonomics, 58(8), 1253-1265.

Weigel, M. (2009). The best of both literacies. Educational Leadership, 66(6), 38-41.

Yokota, J., & Teale, W. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: Educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6).

Week 6 reflection: Digital Texts and the role of the Teacher Librarian

What role do Teacher Librarians (TLs) have in this diverse, wonderful world of digital literature? I asked this question a few weeks back and am revisiting it in this post.

I had a look at ALIA’s description of a Teacher Librarian’s role. As part of their diverse role, they:

• Maintain literacy as a high priority, engaging students in reading, viewing and listening for understanding and enjoyment
• Provide access to information resources through efficient and well-guided systems for organising, retrieving and circulating resources
• Provide training and assistance to students and staff in the effective use of these systems
• Develop and implement strategies for evaluating the resource collection and for determining curriculum and student needs within the context of identified school priorities
• Develop policies, procedures and criteria for selecting resources which meet curriculum, informational and student recreational needs
• Interpret information systems and technologies for students and teachers in the context of curriculum programs.

In line with ALIA’s description, I believe it is neccessary for TLs to:

1. Dispel the myth that all young people prefer e-books. At the Abbotsleigh Teacher Librarian’s conference I attended last week, Dr Margaret Merga (Lecturer and Researcher in Adolescent Literacy, Health Promotion and Education at Murdoch University) shared that most teenagers never read books on an e-book reader or tablet. The implication for this is to remember that young people still like to read print books!
   

2. Know the current and evolving interests and aspirations of your individual students, and be a wide reader yourself. Again, this one was recommended by Dr Merga and can be applied to both print and digital texts.
   This involves remaining abreast of current trends and what (and how) your students are reading. I like to engage students in short discussions on what they are reading, why they like/dislike certain books, and what they thought of books they read. This usually happens at the circulation desk when loaning or returning books. I was rather ‘convicted’ at the “be a wide reader yourself” part – something I have to do more of! I hope to start listening to a variety of audiobooks on my drives home from work and also want to make small pockets of time throughout the day – even at lunchtime – to read another book.
3. Promote their use. This can happen during lessons – when appropriate – on the library’s website, through the school newsletter, during staff meetings, etc. Again, this is appropriate for both print and digital texts.

I believe digital texts are a supplement to print texts – not a replacement – and so the TL’s role has adapted to have these two types of resources work together side-by-side.

Week 4 reflection: what makes a good digital text?

Image source

Digital texts are more complicated that print texts. They are often transmedia, meaning they combine various types of media in the one work. Digital texts can be presented in formats such as PDFs, videos, websites and apps and may include illustrations, images, animations, audio and text.

One of the questions I asked in my last post was “what makes a good digital text?”.

I have spent the last few days pondering over this question. I initially thought it would be difficult to come to a conclusive answer to this question because of the sheer diversity of formats and types of digital literature.

However, Walsh (as cited in McDonald, 2013) provides a few guidelines for us:

• Setting – physical or emotional – needs to be authentic
• The reader needs to be able to empathize with characters and their feelings, and imagine what it would be like if we were them
• The reader is guided to understand situations; emotions and/or imagination are evoked
• The reader may consider issues and ideas through stories
• The language and structure of the literary text must be constructed so that they suit the age of the reader and the purpose of the author, for example, with the use of realistic description, dramatic or humorous dialogue, creative images, rich literary language.

I also believe an important aspect of what makes a digital text “good” is how the different media elements work together.

I explored an iPad app where the screen animations appeared very “busy” and were disrupting for those trying to read the text. Furthermore, different activities (such as finding the hidden crows) really distracted the reader from the text.

In another example of digital literature, the audio, video and text all worked together very well and gave readers an overall fantastic experience.

Instead of enhancing the text, media may distract readers. Good digital literature provide their readers with various types of media that seamlessly work together to enhance the text.

There are, therefore, two overall aspects of good digital literature: content and presentation.

References

McDonald, L. (2013). A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).

Week 2 reflection

As mentioned in my first post, interactive ebooks were a new phenomenon for me.

Having had only some prior knowledge with what ‘digital literature’ encompasses, I assumed that ebooks, online news and journal articles and blogs were the extent of digital literature. I briefly touched on this in Week 1.

Over the last couple of weeks, however, I have been introduced to the wide, wonderful world that is digital literature. In addition to understanding the term better, I had the opportunity to have a play with a number of formats of digital literature.

“Digital literature would include anything from a poem that uses Flash animation software to a novel that uses hypertext technology, and can also refer to blogs, wikis, or even email, especially when these textual forms are appropriated or subverted for literary ends.” (Bray, Gibbons, & McHale, 2012)

“A work of digital literature is a piece created with a computer and meant to be performed on a computer.” (Bourchardon & Heckman, 2012)

“The definition of digital storytelling integrates photographs, music, video (optional) and especially the voice of the narrator into a brief (two–six minutes) piece, typically with a strong emotional content.” (Kearney, 2011)

I shared a number of digital literature examples on Twitter.

One of the most interesting ones was A Calendar of Tales … a story born in a most interesting manner. The author Tweeted a question each month and used one of the hundreds of replies he received from his followers as the basis for his story. This went on for twelve months and was compiled into a PDF file, and was also made available on a website. The stories are short but incredibly gripping.

I also explored some iPad apps – did you know Graeme Base has an Animalia app? – and other websites.

Once I was able to understand digital literature more fully, a question (ie many) came to mind: what makes a good digital text? How can digital literature be used in the classroom? How can it be used to benefit school students and help equip them with skills needed in the 21st Century? Of course, digital literature can be highly entertaining … but can it really be used to help develop a child’s literacy, rather than being a mere ‘window dressing’? Is it more beneficial than print literature? What role does a Teacher Librarian have in all this?

I think I need to get back to my readings…

References

Bourchardon, S., & Heckman, D. (2012). Digital manipulability and digital literature. Electronic Book Review. Retrieved from http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/heuristic

Bray, J., Gibbons, A., & McHale, B. The Routledge companion to experimental literature. London: Routledge.

Kearney, M. (2011). A learning design for student-generated digital storytelling. Learning, Media and Technology, 36(2), 169-188.

Blog Task 1

Digital literature is an exciting world with seemingly endless possibilities. In contrast to print literature, digital literature is downloaded and read on readers and/or tablet or desktop computers (Walsh, 2013). When works are created on the Internet itself, they are digital narratives (Walsh, 2013).

I do not see digital literature as a threat to the printed book; instead, it is a supplement.

Digital literature is an interactive method of reading. Rather than simply reading about topics such as history, geography or science, digital literature allows readers to interact with the literature and provides access to information they can see and hear (Lamb, 2011).

Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis is one such example. Readers reach in and explore data-rich interactive graphics, zoom out to the visual table of contents and quickly browse though the chapters. Of course, none of this is possible with printed text!

Electronic textbooks offered on ProQuest Ebook Central allow readers to interact with the literature by highlighting, annotating and making notes on the text. As a university student, I appreciate the ease of accessibility – thousands of textbooks are at my fingertips.

Shakespeare In Bits is another exciting piece of digital literature that has lots of possibilities for students studying Shakespeare. Students can read, watch and hear the original text, and note taking, highlighting and thesaurus options are also made available.

Despite the positive aspects associated with digital literature, I have concerns relating to accessibility.

Could the rise of digital literature contribute to, and potentially widen, the digital divide? Could people – for example school-aged children – be disadvantaged if they do not have access to certain e-readers or computers, which are needed to read digital literature? Having worked in a number of libraries, I understand the impracticability for libraries to purchase and loan out such devices due to the amount of devices needed, their cost and technical support required.

The format situation is another dilemma to consider. Kindles support Mobi, Sony and iBooks support ePub format and PDF is the format used for Adobe Readers. When publishing an ebook, which format should the creator use? Are some ebooks only available in one format? Considering the differing formats, which ereader is best to purchase? Houston (2011) also sees this as an issue: the myriad of ebook devices and formats create confusion among potential consumers.

Reflecting on personal use of digital literature, I have used e-textbooks and online journal articles extensively throughout my studies. They are easy to access, note taking is a breeze, and most resources offer you their reference in APA format. I have not yet read an ebook for reasons other than that of study, and interactive picture books are a new thing for me. I am also interested in how digital literature can be used in the classroom.

Lastly, educators, specifically Teacher Librarians, are pivotal for encouraging a love of reading and literature in children. I am interested in learning more about the digital environment and how this has changed their role.

References

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17.

Houston, C. (2011). Digital books for digital natives. Children & Libraries, 9(3), 39-42, 45.

Walsh, M. (2013). A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW:
Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).