Digital Writing in K-2

How can we encourage students to write digitally? Is video editing helpful?

Design by Keley Barnhill

Getting my kindergartner and first-graders interested in writing was one of the biggest challenges I faced as a classroom instructor. Students had trouble putting words on paper because we were just starting out with writing. Storytelling is one skill that primary school pupils do not find difficult. If you offer them a prompt, they will stop talking about their exploits outside of school, even though they could tell you about them for days. Turner and Hicks (2017) agree with Hale (2016) that students should be assisted in identifying their interests rather than being given weekly prompts (p. 120). Hale goes so far as to say that we need to encourage pupils' creativity and let them write their own narrative.

In the K-2 context, how can we accomplish this?

Authoring with video (AWV) is one way we can accomplish this. According to Strassman and O'Connell (n.d.), "Authoring with Video (AWV) enables students to get started writing in a medium they know and love: video: video." We can exploit the fact that students feel more at ease interacting with videos to help them write. Students are continuously making and/or watching short videos in the age of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. As teachers, we are aware that we need to leverage their interests to guide their learning.

Although they can debate the material, they are unable to fully translate it into text. Completing an animal study project is one example. The students locate a video of their animal in the wild, but it lacks sound. After that, students will videotape themselves speaking about their studies on the video. Before bringing up a pencil, this might assist pupils in visualizing their ideas. Their study can be transcribed to match their video.

SeeSaw is an educational platform that is used by many schools. Students can record themselves or their voices for authorized viewers with SeeSaw.

Social media "must be embraced as a form of reading and writing" since we know that kids are interested in it (Turner & Hicks, 2017, p. 120). This curiosity can be leveraged to generate possibilities for writing. Compared to primary classes, this is most likely simpler in upper grades. For the primary level, I believe it could be changed. Permit students to narrate stories based on their personal experiences. Giving children a voice can boost their writing confidence, even if they don't have any real-world experience. An early introduction to blogging may ignite a passion for writing.

Today's students are obsessed with technology. We must take advantage of this enthusiasm to get kids interested in digital writing. Students can blog about their studies or make videos for assignments and write about them. There are numerous ways that kids can learn, and educating them to make use of these skills improves their learning.

References

Creative tools – seesaw help center. (n.d.). https://help.seesaw.me/hc/en-us/articles/115004177366-Creative-Tools-

Teaching Tips: Authoring with Video | Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/curriculum-and-instruction/articles/teaching-tips-authoring-video

Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the Real World: Teaching Adolescents to Read and Write Digital Texts. Heinemann Educational Books.

Benefits of Visual Design in the Classroom

I have noticed, as an elementary school teacher, that many students are visual learners. If they cannot physically see it, then it takes them longer to grasp. This makes sense because this generation has information at their fingertips that they can see it whenever and wherever they want. Lawrence (2022) says it best, " We are visual creatures as much as we are textual creatures" (p. 109). Students need to be able to see and practice the skills that are being taught. Visuals assist with critical thinking, keeping attention, and encouraging participation in the classroom (Fanguy, 2023). 

There are many ways to increase visual design in the classroom. Teachers can use many different visual aids to help students grasp a new concept. This could be images, graphs, diagrams, and infographics. Another option is to use presentations. Teachers can use presentations to assist during instruction. For example, when I was a first grade teacher, I would create slides for our reading curriculum. It would help students visually and also interact with students to keep them engaged. 

Teachers should also explore various digital tools to assist with creating visuals in the classroom. Some of these options are Canva, Pictochart, and Easelly.

Visual Design infographic by Keley Barnhill One type of visual teachers can create is infographics. Infographics are "visual representations of complex information and they typically meld some combinations of charts, graphs, images, words, and numbers- often in clever and striking ways that are capable of telling stories just as well as blocks of text, and often in less time" (Noonoo, 2023).

Elementary students are constantly being introduced to new material and ways of thinking. Using visuals in the classroom help students to refer to prior knowledge and to solve problems. "Visuals help students remember more than before, infographics are a great way to make sure kids really pay attention to important things, like rubrics for their project" ( Doyle, 2019). Infographics can be used for any grade level or subject. Fanguy (2023) gives the example of a kindergarten teacher creating an infographic of step by step expectations for student transitions. 

I think that many kindergarten through second grade teachers shy away from using visual design is because they think it is too complicated and the students will not understand, but it can be used in many different ways. While the most beneficial use is for educational purposes, infographics can also be made for expectations, introductions, and as communication within the school (Fanguy, 2023). Walters (2023) states "infographics can be effective educational tools thanks to their ability to break complex information into easy-to-understand components and to make dense data engaging." There are many benefits to incorporating infographics into classrooms. Some of those benefits include:

1. targeting different learning styles
2. holding attention
3. improving retention and recall
4. simplifying complex topics
5. enhancing storytelling (Walters, 2023)

While trying new things can be stressful, teachers have the opportunity to be creative and meet each individual student's needs. Start small and begin by designing posters or a presentation for your classroom. You will discover the many benefits that visual design has in your classroom.

References

 Fanguy, W. (2023, October). How to Use Infographics in the Classroom (Plus Templates). Piktochart. https://piktochart.com/blog/using-infographics-classroom/#importance

Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital Writing: A Guide to Writing for Social Media and the Web. Broadview Press.

 Noonoo, S. (2023, January). Using infographics to build media literacy and Higher-Order Thinking skills. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/infographics-media-literacy-skills/ 

Walters, C. (2023, May). The Benefits of Infographics for Education. Content Marketing Agency | Content Marketing Services by CopyPress. https://www.copypress.com/kb/infographics/the-benefits-of-infographics-for-education/#1