How to make space for learner's languages

6.A.Try it: How to make space for learners' languages

Here are some practical guidelines for how you might make space for learners’ languages in a range of settings and across various sites of learning.

Multilingual digital storytelling

Research into digital media in schools has demonstrated that students do not always develop the skills to use technology in an effective and critical way. It is only recently that there has been some recognition of learning taking place in out-of-school contexts, including home and complementary schools. It is also important to take into account the increasing way that technology is becoming embedded in the social lives of young people and boundaries are blurring between education and leisure. These concerns have informed the way we are working with students and teachers to promote creativity and criticality.

6.A.1. What makes a good multilingual digital story?

The aim of this activity is to stimulate critical thinking about digital storytelling before classes have started working on their own stories.

Teacher shows three digital stories from the Critical Connections website and asks students to compare them: https://goldsmithsmdst.wordpress.com/showcase/

• Which do you like best and why?
• List up to ten criteria for what makes a good digital story.
• Remember to think about use of media as well as content and language.
• An example of learner-generated criteria from students learning Arabic at the Peace School: style, language, context, culture, sound and music.

The Handbook for Teachers outlines the simple steps and tools to develop skills in using media to create a multilingual digital story. These simple steps are outlined in chapter 2 of the Handbook for Teachers.

6.A.2. Creating a multilingual digital story

Students could start by using digital cameras to take still images.

1. Digital cameras – taking still images

Give students the opportunity to practise taking photographs with digital cameras. Remind students that when taking shots outside they should stand with the sun coming over their left shoulder. It’s useful to experiment with close-up shots and when there’s not much light or the subject is in deep shadow, they should use flash. For better quality images, students should shoot at the camera’s maximum resolution. When students finish taking a selection of photographs get them to save them on their computer in a new file for editing.

2. Photo Story 3 – creating a multilingual photo story

Students can practise making a short multilingual digital story using their selected digital photographs:

• Students import the photographs into Photo Story 3 and then arrange photographs in a sequence to tell their story.
• Students can then balance colour and add titles or subtitles in one or more languages.
• They can select different size and colour font and position the subtitles on the image.
• Students can then practise recording a voiceover for each image in their selected language.
• They can also create a sense of movement by customising motion and setting the start and end position for each photograph.
• Students then select a music file or customise their own music to add to the photo story.
• The multilingual photo story is then saved as a WMV file that students can play back on their computer.