Multimodal Literacy: iPads and Creative Connections in a First-Grade Class

• In Event: Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Research: Investigating Innovative Practices

Abstract

This action research occurred in a first grade classroom comprising of 18 boys. The purpose of the study was to see how primary boys are able to create digital stories using two iPad apps: Toontastic and Little Bird Tales, as partner-work. Using varied data sources: videotaped sessions, boys’ semi-structured post-interviews, field notes, assistant teacher’s observations and reflections, this study adapted a creativity rubric to ascertain how these apps encouraged boys to tell original stories. Designed in three stages: writing fables, recreating the written fables using Toontastic, inventing own stories around settings within school using Little Bird Tales. Hypotheses were generated that can be applied to current single-and-mixed educational contexts.

Author

• Sudarshana Das, Iona College