This document summarizes a presentation by 6th grade teachers at Darnall Charter School about their approach to teaching digital narratives. The teachers implemented a project where students created multimedia stories about significant life events using Google Slides and Screencast-o-matic. Students first analyzed characters in the novel Wonder and stories from NPR, then wrote and presented their own narratives. The project aimed to develop critical thinking skills and civic agency while meeting writing standards. Teachers found students highly engaged and the project successfully connected to students and standards in a technology-rich way. Teachers continue incorporating similar projects into the curriculum.

1. Digital
Narratives
An Authentic Approach
A Presentation by Sixth Grade Teachers at Darnall Charter School
Future Ready SD Conference, Saturday May 9, 2015

2. Susan Portillo-Roche
Ali Kayatta
Vanessa Araiza
Teacher Background

3. - K-8 Independent Public
School Charter
- One of 1st Charters in San
Diego Unified School
District , 33rd in CA
- 100% Free Breakfast/
Lunch
- Majority Latino Population
Darnall Charter School Context
- 75 currently enrolled
6th graders
- Grades 2-8 are 1-to-1
iPads or Chromebooks

4. Why did we take this approach?
- Authentic writing experiences
- Rigor and engagement
- 21st century learning
- College bound, critical students
- Authentic relationships
- Social change
Critical Media Literacy Approach
What is CML?
- Teaches students to think
critically about all media they
are exposed to
- Designed to interpret multiple
meanings in messages
- Helps promote civic agency

5. Focus: Character Development and Analysis
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3 CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.W.6.5, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.6
Sources: Wonder, NPR- StoryCorps, Creative Commons, Excerpts from
Building Academic Literacy by Audrey MacDonald
Technology: iPads, Chromebooks, Google Apps, Screencast-o-matic
Unit Overview

6. Purpose: Give students an opportunity to engage in ELA standards in a meaningful
way. Give students a voice to share their stories, while thinking critically in multiple
ways about themselves and others.
Essential Questions:
● What is a challenge you have faced that changed how you think, feel or act?
● What do all our stories tell us about how we treat each other as a community?
● What can we do to change the way we treat each other in our schools and our
community?
Prompt: Create a Critical Multimedia Journal Entry where you describe a significant
event that changed your life. Make sure to include details regarding your thoughts,
beliefs, and actions before and after the event. It is important to include why you
believe other students, teachers and parents should hear your story and why.
Culminating Project: Digital Narratives

7. Timeline: Getting Started
Read Wonder and
discussed how
characters
respond to events
Had student begin
thinking about their
own experiences and
organize them in
writing
Listened and
analyzed stories
from NPR
StoryCorps
Students began the
writing their narratives
on Google Docs

8. Timeline: Making Narratives Digital
Found images to help
tell their stories
Students began
creating their digital
narrative using Google
Slides
Recorded their
voices telling their
stories using
Screencast-o-matic
Presented a
compilation of their
stories to school
leadership and peers
(insert image of
student searching for
pics online)

9. “Before the event I thought I wasn't being a good friend to
Kassandra because I didn't stand up for her. I knew we were
doing something wrong without thinking about how Kassandra
would've felt.” - Maria 6th grade
“This event changed my life because it made me learn the
importance of family. No matter how far away my family is our
love was unbreakable.” -David 6th grade
“My recommendation that I would give to adults at my school is
that they should encourage students, specifically teenagers, not
to drop out of school because if they do that they won't achieve
at life but if they are persistent and don't give up, eventually they
will achieve in life and in the goals they have!” - Michelle 6th
grade
Student Work

10. Rubric (from DigiTales)
- Content Knowledge
- Voice/Sound
- Images/Design
Assessment and Rubric
Assessment
- Exit Tickets
- Class Discussions
- One-on-one Conferences
- Teacher Observation

11. Project Related:
- Student Comfort Level
- Understanding Civic Agency
- Pacing
- Copyright
Challenges
Technology Hurdles:
- Screencast-o-matic
- Time
- Changing Approach

12. Student
- Strong sense of community
- See meaning in their work
- Motivated to “out-produce”
each other
- EL population produced
quality work
Outcomes
Teacher
- Created a rigorous,
standards based, and
technology-rich project
- Connected with our
students
- Gave all students a way to
access and develop
multiple literacies

13. - Continue to incorporate CML into curriculum
- Current Unit: Social Injustice Project
- Historical Examples
- Family Interview
- Current Research
- 5 page paper
- Public Presentation planned
- Rigor continues
- Discussions at the administrative level regarding preparation for
students moving into 7th grade and continuing CML work
What’s happening now?

14. Contact:
varaiza@darnallcharter.org
sportilloroche@darnallcharter.org
akayatta@darnallcharter.org
Materials available on conference website
Discussion