Preparing teacher candidates to implement digital storytelling

Preparing teachers to integrate technology within their instruction is a longstanding problem of practice, made more challenging chall by the need for hybrid and remote teaching modalities in response to the global pandemic. This case study research examined the ways that integration of digital storytelling into a required literacy and technology teacher education course prepared teacher candidates to integrate digital tools into their instruction. Within the context of a required literacy and technology course, teacher candidates completed digital storytelling projects requiring them to design and compose digital narratives, reflect on the process, and consider the opportunities and implications for integrating digital storytelling within literacy and interdisciplinary instruction. Data were collected from three teacher candidates enrolled in the course and analyzed using qualitative methods. Findings revealed that teacher candidates' experiences with creating their own digital stories contributed to their developing identities as teachers and influenced their perceptions about the benefits of teaching digital composing in the literacy classroom.