Teaching the Writing Process through Digital Storytelling in Pre-service Education

Abstract

This study used a mixed-methods design to determine instructional strategies that best enhance pre-service teachers’ valuing of digital storytelling as a method to teach the narrative writing process; to consider how digital storytelling increases pre-service teachers’ valuing of the role of reflection in the writing process; and to explore how pre-service teachers’ become more aware of the relationship between words and images to convey meaning. The study also considered aspects of the project that result in pre-service teachers valuing digital storytelling to teach the writing process and investigated how engaging in a digital storytelling project helps pre-service teachers better understand the connection between the planning process in the text-based environment and the planning process in the digital environment. Results indicated that constructing digital stories in a supportive learning environment led pre-service teachers to be more aware of the role that reflection plays in writing process and to value digital storytelling as an effective method to teaching writing and integrate digital technology in the classroom. Participating in the project increased pre-service teachers’ understanding of the connection between the planning process in the text-based environment and the planning process in the digital environment. Use of a storyboard served as a reflective planning tool that enabled pre-service teacher to better understand the connection between words and images to convey meaning and extended the planning process into the digital environment. Pre-service teachers valued the digital storytelling project as a model for teaching the writing process in the digital environment, as a method for self expression and for sharing stories within a community of learners, and as a strategy for integrating digital technology in the classroom.