Digital Storytelling in an Elementary Classroom: Going Beyond Entertainment

The research presented in this paper is motivated by the following action research question: How can digital storytelling in a junior elementary school classroom (Grade 5-6; ages 10-12) enhance engagement in writing as well as the motivation and ability to create higher quality writing? In particular, What happens as students move beyond the novelty or entertainment effect (i.e., their predictable initial excitement) of new technology to adoption in their everyday classroom literacy activities (i.e., reading and writing)? This paper summarizes a two-year study and focuses on the unpredicted findings embedded in the classroom teachers’ instructional approaches.