ABSTRACT

Recognizing the dynamic nature of meaning making, the examples highlighted in this chapter address ways in which technologies can promote literacies valued in the classroom while simultaneously encouraging students to transform content area information into personally relevant experiences. One way to engage students in such meaning making is through the development of narratives. Gail Matthews-DeNatale noted that storytelling and learning are inextricably intertwined because the process of composing a story is also a process of meaning-making, echoing Jerome Bruners view that narrative is a mode of thought and a vehicle of meaning making. Regardless of technology, oral storytelling also can support the development of narratives, encouraging collaborative brainstorming and think-alouds that can serve as helpful pre-writing and ideating activities. Technologies are centrally or peripherally located in the examples of students narratives, but the generation of stories and the honoring of student-driven learning can exist in classrooms with a range of resources.