The document summarizes insights from a pilot project on international mobile digital storytelling among students in 3 countries. It found that the project expanded students' horizons by allowing them to communicate and share experiences with peers in other countries. Students explored their own schools and communities through digital stories, while also learning about other cultures. The project created a collaborative space where students' expressions brought new aspects of themselves to the classroom and disrupted traditional pedagogy. Overall, the human element of connecting students internationally was more important than the technological tools.

1. dimensionality of student expression
Insights from a pilot project
in international mobile digital storytelling
M. Vivitsou, J. Saari, K. Viitanen, J. Multisilta, H. Niemi, V. Harju, A. Siewiorek, J. Honkala
CICERO Learning Network, University of Helsinki

2. networked
era &
literacies
passive use
vs
meaningful
creation
media
content &
underlying
ideologies
pedagogy
vs
technology

3. Study participants & methods
¡ 3 countries; 39 teachers;
19 schools; 26 classrooms
¡ Contextual & follow-up
questionnaires
¡ Field notes & classroom
observations
¡ Semi-structured
interviews & focus groups
¡ Coding, thematic
analysis

4. ¡ ‘…something fun is that we
get to communicate with
others. Tell them about our
school they teach us about
theirs and they teach us about
how they get to school’
Californian Student 5th grade
¡ ‘The field behind the school…
It was great, we explored the
place, played football, we
found a tortoise. It was great!’
Greek student, 3rd grade
Avenues and pathways of communication;
curiosity & exploration
Greek & Californian students,
6th grade

5. Inclusiveness & expanded horizons
¡ ‘I see some slurs and some
bullying going on around
sometimes here in my own
campus and I've heard
stories about my mom's, my
mom she teaches at a
middle school, too. So I hear
stories there, too. And also
my moms are lesbian. So I
wanted to do something to
kind of raise awareness of
that.’ Californian student, 7th
grade

6. Learning at school as fun &
meaningful experience
¡ Californian
students, 5th
grade

7. Participation : Learning to be an active citizen
¡ “Well, some people wanted to
do the thing that we did (in the
storytelling), and somebody
else didn’t. And so I think it
should’ve been agreed by
everybody, because the other
felt like left outside” Finnish
student, 5th grade
¡ ‘We got many things from them,
but they got a lot from us as
well! That’s what teams are for,
anyway! To give but also to
get!’ Greek students, 6th grade Finnish students,
6th grade

8. ¡ “I could really understand what
their daily lives were. Not just
like, this was water, we must
save water. It was like, this is my
favorite food, these are my
parents, this is my teacher, and
there were a lot of like cultural
songs that they sang… [it was]
not just information.” Californian
student, 7th grade
¡ ‘If it wasn’t for Y, we would be
totally disorganized! We
wouldn’t have such great
material for videos either …’
Greek student, 6th grade
A dialogical, collaborative space emerges
Greek students,
6th grade

9. Digital technologies in pedagogy
¡ Disruptive mechanisms of the normal course of
the pedagogical meeting
¡ The everydayness of the classroom in disorder
¡ Student expression brings another aspect of
themselves to class

10. Key experiences of
democracy &
equity in the
classroom
The human
element
exceeds the
technological
in importance
Greek students,
6th grade

11. Mari@nna Vivitsou
marianna.vivitsou@helsinki.fi
Thank You for Your Attention! J