“What we can conceive of intellectually and what we’re able to speak about verbally,we may not have the print power for yet” – Angela Stockman
Bringing Stories to Life
Allow students to apply their understanding of story elements (characters, setting, problem, etc.) in a way that can better meet their interests and needs. Through the integration of coding with storytelling, using platforms such as MakeCode, Scratch, and Twine, students can program their stories to come to life, using text and their voice to help tell the story!
Why blend coding with storytelling?
Research conducted in the United States has shown that: (if we could find Canadian statistics, that would be more relevant)
- Only 27% of 8th and 12th-grade students can write at a proficient level.
- 40% of college applicants (grade 12) could not write at a college level.
- Female students scored higher on writing than males at most grade levels.
(SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2011 Writing Assessment).
Programming is a new form of literacy. Coding and gaming are part of this tradition of blending more traditional literacy practices (text, reading, and narrative) with new digital literacies (hypertext, coding, interaction).
Studies show various benefits:
- Increased confidence and motivation to write.
- Media literacy and creative production are necessary for learners to meaningfully engage in our culture today. Encourages students to become producers, rather than simply consumers of content.
- Women are severely underrepresented in STEM fields. Using coding/ gaming platforms in the Language Arts classroom is a great way to promote engagement and interest among girls.
Getting Started
- The first step is to introduce students to the connection between games and stories through mentor texts and read-aloud. Discuss and bring awareness to students, of the story narratives behind the games they already play and are familiar with. Ask them to share the backstories of the video games they play.
- Use story mapping and storylines to help students plan their story to be told through video games. Using a storyline, story map, or graphic organizer can break up the writing into manageable steps and help students organize their ideas visually. The more you use story maps (or storylines) as a class, the more students will effectively use them independently. Practice using these organizers after a class read-aloud, showing and discussing the different parts of a story and how they come together. There are a variety of templates online to choose from: Example 1 & Example 2
- Choose the tool and introduce students to the coding/ gaming platform they will be using to create their story. There are a variety of free online platforms to choose from as well as the option to use codable robotics whereby students have the robots moving from ‘setting’ to ‘setting’ as they orally narrate the story. Examples include:
- Twine
- Makecode
- Scratch
- Robotics (Sphero & Dash & Dot)
Some tips for teachers
- Allow students plenty of time to practice using the tool and getting used to the platform before they use it to tell their story. If students have a basic proficiency and familiarity with the platform, they will be more effectively able.
- Now comes the time for students to share and celebrate their stories! Have the class try out and play some of their peers’ games and/ or have them demonstrate their game to the class.
Slide Resource
Check out these slides for more information:
Guest post by Peer Tutor Tamara Jabboour and Ariane Faria dos Santos, October 2023.
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