Storytelling Online with Young English Learners

In this presentation, Ms Jessica Lee, a fellow EdUHK Dept of ELE lecturer, shares the experience of a Service Learning Course she taught via an Online Storytelling Program. Through the program, local primary students were expected to engage in online storytelling sessions and meaningful community service. After discussing the features of the course and the program, Ms Lee focuses her sharing on the selection of suitable books for young English learners. She also shares useful tips and tricks to help you and your students more effectively meet the challenge of online storytelling. To better help you prepare for your online storytelling sessions, she also provides a detailed activity plan that integrates a number of relevant and useful e-resources.

Click the video below to learn what strategies and e-resources Jessica suggests for your online storytelling sessions. For a brief introduction, you may want to watch the video on the right as a ‘trailer’ of her sharing.

Jessica’s Micro-Introduction

(length: 03:22)

Jessica’s “Coping with Constant Change” Sharing Session

View her presentation slides here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T-5XtMs7QlyG-CP-vdesCqLu-UA-oony/view?usp=sharing

(length: 51:48)

Outline of Jessica’s Sharing Session

“Storytelling Online with Young English Learners”

Introduction	00:00 – 03:12	outline of this sharing introduction to Service Learning Course
What Remains Unchanged in Teaching and Learning?	03:12 – 05:46	reading approach goals of the storytelling sessions
How to Select Books for Young English Learners?	05:46 – 09:35	activity can you share children’s books suitable for young English learners?	Google Jamboard
	09:35 – 18:35	features of suitable children’s books enjoyable (coherence, relevance and vividness) accessible
	18:15 – 23:17	model for determining the text complexity quantitative qualitative reader-text connections
	23:17 – 24:33	framework for analyzing complexity in texts for young readers levels of meaning structure language conventionality and clarity knowledge demands
	24:33 – 27:07	aspects of choosing suitable children’s books social cultural
	27:07 – 27:40	criteria of choosing suitable children’s books
How to Undertake the Challenge of Online Storytelling?	27:40 – 29:10	challenges	Zoom
	29:10 – 43:56	5 tips previewing and practising – modeling fluent and expressive reading (example) – encouraging prediction (example) – dealing with unfamiliar words (example) animation and expression – animating the story with vivid emotions (example) – animating the story with sound effects (example) – animating the story with actions (example) discussing the text – efferent question (example) – aesthetic question (example) book orientation (example) providing support – verbal explanation (example) – pause and sum up (example) – inferring character’s feelings (example) – introducing onomatopoeia (example) – echo reading (example)
	43:56 – 44:23	Zoom hacks (example) using the virtual background using the annotate function using the filters
How to Prepare for Online Storytelling Sessions	44:23 – 46:03	activity plan (example) teaching materials to be prepared	Google Sites BookWidgets
Conclusion	46:03 – 48:10	summary future connection
	48:10 – 49:04	QUESTION What can teachers do if picture books are not available?
	49:04 – 49:31	useful resources reference acknowledgement
	49:31 – 51:40	QUESTION How were the e-books shown in the videos made?	YouTube Wordwall