Week 5: Digital Storytelling for Diverse ESL Learners

 1.    I chose the Vasinda and Pilgrim article because it supports the use of digital storytelling as a meaningful literacy practice. In my 7th grade ESL lesson, students are not only practicing past tense verbs; they are using language to tell a personal story. The article connects well to my lesson because students can use digital tools such as Google Docs, Slides, images, or audio recording to organize and share their narratives. This supports English learners by giving them multiple ways to express meaning, revise their language, and build confidence in both writing and speaking.

2.        The CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines connect well to my 7th grade ESL lesson on past tense verbs and digital storytelling because they help teachers design lessons that all students can access. CAST(2024) explains that the UDL Guidelines help ensure that learners can “access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities"(para.1.).

   One strategy I could integrate is "Clarify vocabulary, symbols, and language structures"(CAST, 2024). Since students are learning past tense verbs, I would provide a chart with present and past tense forms, This would support English learners by making the grammar pattern clear before they write their own stories.

       A second strategy is "Use multiple media for communication". Students could show their understanding by writing a short story in Google Docs, creating a Google Slide with images, or recording themselves reading their story aloud. This supports ESL students because it gives them different ways to express their ideas. Together, these strategies make the lesson more accessible by helping students understand past tense verbs and communicate their personal narratives in flexible ways.

3.       The 2024 National Educational Technology Plan explains that the "Digital Use Divide" is not only about whether students have access to devices or the internet; it is also about how students are asked to use technology in school. This connects directly to UDL because technology should give students more ways to access content and express their learning. In my 7th grade ESL lesson, students would  use Google Docs, Slides, images, or audio recording to create a digital personal narrative using past tense verbs. This helps address the Digital Use Divide because students are using technology to communicate, create, and practice language in an authentic way.

         UDL strategies also help make technology use more equitable. For example, sentence frames, verb charts, visuals, and audio options support students with different English proficiency levels. This means the digital activity is not just engaging, but also accessible. Overall, the NETP reminds me that technology should be integrated with purpose. In my lesson, digital storytelling supports grammar practice, student voice, and meaningful communication rather than using technology simply for its own sake.


                                                                            References:

CAST. (2024). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. https://udlguidelines.cast.org

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2024). A call to action for closing the digital access, design, and use divides: 2024 National Educational Technology Plan.

Vasinda, S. and Pilgrim, J. (2021). Technology supports in the UDL framework: Removable scaffolds or permanent new literacies? Reading Research Quarterly, 58(1), 44 - 58.

Comments

  1. William DoironJune 11, 2026 at 5:47 AM

    As someone who worked in ESL for many years, you seem to be on the right track. I love how you are allowing the students a lot of flexibility in how they express themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pencils, Books and Dirty LooksJune 14, 2026 at 4:22 PM

    I really enjoyed reading your post. I like how your lesson gives ESL students multiple ways to share their learning through writing, slides, images, and audio recordings. As an elementary teacher, I know the importants of providing different options for students to show what they know. Your digital storytelling activity allows students to practice past tense verbs while sharing meaningful personal stories, which makes the learning more engaging and authentic.

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