Digital Storytelling: Empowering Pre-service Teachers’ Voices as Future Educators Dr. Pamela Morehead Dr. Ledong Li Barbara LaBeau Greg Gallup Oakland University

Through flows in terms of stories - stories about events, stories about people, and stories about intentions and achievements. The best teachers are the best story tellers. We learn in the form of stories. - Frank Smith

Research Questions Does digital storytelling enhance a teacher candidate’s self-efficacy? Does digital storytelling improve the teacher candidate’s knowledge and use of multimedia technology tools?

Participants and Backgrounds 20 pre-service teachers participated in the study as volunteers Participants are from the school of education from a Midwest university Participants were asked to address professional issues, understanding, and beliefs as teachers Participants were encouraged to use digital storytelling as a new way to record their thoughts on the process and improvement of teaching

Methodology / Data Collection Pre-survey: general info, knowledge base, technology skills, reflections Online discussions Records of process and steps of digital story construction Post-survey: knowledge base, technology skills, reflections Interviews Students projects (artifacts)

Workshop Time Management Total of 6 workshops were offered on Saturdays Workshop was offered once a month, starting November 12, to 5 hours for each workshop Extra lab hours on Tuesday and Friday afternoons for the last month

Digital Storytelling Process Each workshop was used to focus on a step toward creating the digital story: project introduction concept mapping script writing, and artifacts collecting story boarding, and digital story drafting digital story revising and editing digital story publishing

Artifacts Collection Pictures (printouts to be scanned) Digital pictures Pictures downloaded off the Internet Drawings and illustrations Digital video clips Music (from CDs / mp3s) Voiceover (self-recorded)

Technology Tools Used Word-processing WebCT discussion board PowerPoint iPhoto iTunes iMovie Voiceover tools Digital cameras Scanners Headsets Mac computers PC laptops Jump-drives External hard-drives CD & DVD (blank)

Educational Impact Balancing traditional methods with new teaching approaches Finding a new way of creating educational portfolio Enhancing language literacy, visual literacy, and media literacy Meeting up-to-date educational standards

Student Examples Wayne: understanding of education Mary: technology and new learners Rob: Why do I want to be a teacher? Orsola: personal reflections Doris: beliefs in classroom teaching Alisa: Why do I want to be a teacher? Kristin and April: reflective portfolio