Webinar: Nurturing Creativity and Agency in L2 through Digital Storytelling Projects

A webinar presented by Elyse B. Petit, Santa Rosa Junior College, California

March 22nd, 2023, at 10 am Arizona time

Presenter slides are here:

Download Petit’s Webinar Slides_DigitalStorytelling

Handouts are here:

Storyboard Template

Digital Storytelling Rubric


Abstract:

Digital Storytelling (DS) is a textual narrative embedded with other modes of communication. It consists of a “short, two to three-minute mini-film usually based on still photos brought into a multimedia format with a textual narrative read with the narrator’s voice” (Lundby, 2008, p.366). Many studies have examined the integration of digital stories in educational settings. Still, studies have yet to explore DS in Foreign Language/L2  learning contexts and the beneficial impact on students’ cognition, language learning, and technology and media skills. Inspired by the Story Center’s movement and mission to “create spaces for listening to and sharing stories” and to provide “skills and tools that support self-expression, creative practice and community building” (https://www.storycenter.org), Dr. Petit uses the Story Center’s steps into the curriculum to help students to produce personal and unique digital narratives in L2. 

Through samples drawn from learners’ productions, this webinar will present how digital narratives engage students with all language modalities (writing, reading, listening, and speaking), combine various modes (soundtracks, voiceovers, and images) and genres (interviews, documentaries, and moving and still images), and develop coherent narratives in which they can express their emotions and values.

 In this webinar, participants will 1) define digital storytelling and reflect on what it entails in foreign/L2 language classrooms.; 2) consider the challenges and strategies to organize and assess digital storytelling projects; and 3) discuss how to implement DS in their teaching context.


Bio:

Elyse B. Petit, a native of southern France, is Faculty and Program Coordinator in French at Santa Rosa Junior College, California. Before earning her Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching at the University of Arizona, she taught French as a Foreign Language in K-12 settings in France and the United States. Her research interests focus on designing curricula and teaching materials that promote visual and media literacies and intercultural competence and foster social justice awareness. She is currently working on developing a lower-level French curriculum grounded in Multiliteracies, further enhanced through the integration of Slow Teaching and Eco-Pedagogy approaches. She is also interested in designing classroom projects around media productions and digital storytelling to support learners’ creativity, voice, and agency.


Participants attending live can request a certificate of attendance for 1.5 hours of Continuing Education during the event. They can request a digital badge after the webinar, once they are contacted by CERCLL after the event.

Participants who require closed captions or an ASL interpreter during CERCLL’s events should make this request at least a week in advance by emailing CERCLL at cercll@email.arizona.edu.