Running Header: TEACHER IN-SERVICE ON DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Teacher In-Service on Digital Storytelling

Karen Puscas
Northern Illinois University
ETT 531: Visual Literacy
Dr. Rhonda Robinson
11/11/14

TEACHER IN-SERVICE ON DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Introduction
This proposal project is for a teacher in-service on digital storytelling programs, so that
teachers will be able to create digital stories to enhance to their lessons to improve students
learning. Also, teacher can show their students the steps to use one or more of these programs to
create visual literacy projects. As a media specialist, it is my responsible to provide teacher
training on Web 2.0 tools to promote visual literacy in the classrooms and prepare teachers to
teach 21st century skills to students.

Purpose Statement
In this proposal project, I plan to demonstrate to teachers in one hour in-service how to
utilize three digital storytelling programs (Go Animate, Pixton Comics, and Animoto) so that
teachers can create digital stories for curriculum lessons to improve the motivation, memory
skills, and visual literacy of students. Then, teacher will teach students use these digital tools to
improve their writing, critical thinking, communication, creativity, problem solve, and
technology skills.

Rationale
When teachers prepare academic and non-academic lessons, it is important for teachers to
use visual information with verbal content as in digital storytelling to increase student learning.
There are theories that support the verbal and visual connection to improve learning. One is
Sewells Cognitive Load Theory (Rourke, 2007), he suggests that learners can retain information
effectively if it is delivered in a way that does not overload their working or short-term
memory. Since there is a limited processing capacity in the short-term memory, students will

TEACHER IN-SERVICE ON DIGITAL STORYTELLING

learn more if verbal and visual information are provided together to lessen the irrelevant
information to the short-term memory, which allows this combined information to transfer easier
to long-term memory, which has unlimited capacity. According to Paivio (1986), his theory of
dual-coding proposes that cognitive processing involves verbal (words) and nonverbal (images)
information in separate by related processing systems. So that, recognition and recall are
improved when nonverbal and verbal information are combined. Chen (2004) states Paivios
dual-coding theory is also appropriate when referring to the retrieval of information from
memory systems. Paivio claims that memory is set up as a network with different paths, verbal
and image, that lead to the same information. The more pathways learners use to remember
information, the more cures learners can recall that information later on.
Furthermore, Mayers (2000) cognitive theory in multimedia learning believes active
learning happens when the learner engages in three cognitive processes: selection, organization,
and integration. In essence, the learner selects relevant words and images to chunk together,
organizes the information in meaningful ways, and integrates the words and images together to
different processes all at once to remember more information.
As students benefit from the combination of visual and verbal instruction with digital
storytelling, they also gain benefits by creating these digital stories. Barrett (2006) found that
digital storytelling strengthens student engagement, project-based learning, reflection on deep
learning, and effective technology integration into instruction. As a result, digital storytelling
boosts both teachers and students knowledge of digital tools and learning exciting ways to
create stories. With all this compelling data that supports the theory that visual and verbal
instruction increases student learning, it is crucial that teachers learn to use digital tools to
incorporate into their instruction by attending teacher in-services.

TEACHER IN-SERVICE ON DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Detailed Description
This proposal for teacher training involves 3rd 5th grade teachers. They must sign up
for the event, come to the computer lab on time, and participate in a one hour session. First, there
will be a review of the online schedule of events and a Prezi presentation on Digital Storytelling
created by the media specialist. Next, they will be informed of what is digital storytelling by
listening to Joe Lamberts (2004) definition, Digital Storytelling uses computers to create
media-rich stories and the internet to share those stories creating communities of common
concern on a global scale" as well as watching Gratignys (2009) video, What is digital
storytelling? Then, a slide with reasons to the question, Why digital storytelling? are
presented from The University of Houston (2013). The reasons are as follows: appeal to the
diverse learning styles of students, motivate and engage the "digital generation" kids in our
classrooms, allows students to be creative in expressing their learning, helps develop students'
communication skills, and improve students' computer skills and internet researching skills. The
next slide shows how digital writing matters in a document that combines Common Core English
Language Arts Standards and Digital Writing Alignments by Joe Wood (2011), an Instructional
Technology Coordinator from California. Another slide is of Digital Storytelling Meets National
Education Technology Standards (NETS) and lists the standards that connect to storytelling.
Then, the teachers will watch three video examples from YouTube of digital storytelling
programs within the Prezi Presentation. When teachers are introduced to each program (Pixton
Comics, Animoto, and Go Animate) they will listen to a brief description by the media specialist,
watch an example of the program, be told the benefits to students, and view a tutorial of the
programs. Then, it is time for a question and answer session. If there is time, teachers may go
online to further investigate these programs.

TEACHER IN-SERVICE ON DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Plan
This proposed teacher in-service is a one hour event. The required equipment is one
computer with a projector and screen as well as a computer for each teacher. Also, Internet
service will be needed to support the Prezi presentation. All teachers will receive an email with
an outline of the presentation with listing of the websites in the Prezi. A Prezi presentation will
provide a brief overview of digital storytelling and description, examples, and tutorials of the
programs.
Two possible problems may occur, one is that the Internet is not working in which case
the class will be rescheduled. The other problem is if teachers are absent. If this happens, then
those teachers will need to sign up for the lesson on a future date.

TEACHER IN-SERVICE ON DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Appendix: Artifacts
Portfolio
http://271373653526723067.weebly.com/

Prezi Presentation
http://prezi.com/c8qefsp8weah/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

TEACHER IN-SERVICE ON DIGITAL STORYTELLING

References
Barrett, H. (2006). Researching and evaluating digital storytelling as a deep learning tool. In C.
Crawford, et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher
Education International Conference 2006 (pp. 647654). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Chen, E. H. (2004). A Review of Learning Theories from Visual Literacy. Journal of
Educational Computing, Design & Online Learn, 5 (8), 1-8. Retrieved from
http://www.rit.edu/cos/smerc/journalpapers/Chen_Review_of_learning_theories_from_vi
sual_literacy_2004.pdf
Lambert, Joe. Digital Storytelling Cookbook and Traveling Companion. May 2003. Center for
Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2004 <http://www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf>.
Mareno, R. & Mayer, R. (2000). A learner-centered approach to multimedia explanations:
Deriving instructional design principles from cognitive theory. Retrieved March 1, 2004
from: http://imej.wfu.edu/articles/2000/2/05/index.asp
Paivio, A. (1986). Mental Representations. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from
http://www.umich.edu/~rdytolrn/pathwaysconference/presentations/paivio.pdf
Rourke, A. J. (2007). Cognitive load theory, visual literacy and teaching design history.
Retrieved December 3, 2014 from:
http://www.academia.edu/1030584/Cognitive_load_theory_visual_literacy_and_teaching
_design_history
The University of Houston. (2013). About Digital Storytelling. Retrieved November 14, 2014
from the Educational uses of digital storytelling website:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/