Celoni- ESL 509

  The Theory As an elementary school teacher, I see the value in a great story. One of my favorite parts of the school day is read aloud time. During this time, I get to share a book with my students, and we get to forget about the rest of the world for a little while and get lost in a story. Whether we’re diving into the latest chapter in a book we’ve been reading for weeks or reading a quick picture book with a great message or connection to what we’re learning, my students are always on the edge of their seats at read aloud time. Sharing stories is one of my favorite ways to engage my students, and digital storytelling sounds like a great next step. According to Alrubail (2015), “Digital storytelling is the concept of using digital media (photos, audio, video) to create a story.” Giving students the opportunity to create a digital story to share with classmates would allow students to tap into their strengths and creativity while also taking time to appreciate and admire the s...

  Introduction When I first began thinking about blogging in the classroom, I will admit, that I had a very skeptical outlook. I had a hard time seeing how blogging could be beneficial for my role as an elementary school teacher. It really sounds like just one more thing to manage on top of an already overflowing plate of lesson planning, grading, supervising, behavior management, communication, differentiating, data tracking, paperwork, recess duties, faculty meetings… the list goes on. I could see blogging being extremely beneficial in a high school setting where students already have a significant level of technology experience and are more apt at navigating the Internet while staying safe online. However, in an elementary classroom, I wonder if it would truly be an effective tool, or if it would be challenging to make blogging relevant to the curriculum, find time to teach the skills of how to blog, and also find time for students to actually work on their blogs. Link to t...