Digital Storytelling: Reinventing Literature Circles

New literacies in reading research demand the study of comprehension skills using multiple modalities through a more complex, multi-platform view of reading. Taking into account the robust roll of technology in our daily lives, this article presents an update to the traditional literature circle lesson to include digital storytelling and multimedia. Digital Storytelling Circles (DSCs) support the idea of creating a “community of learners” who participate in purpose-driven engagement with text to create meaning. Digital storytelling as an activity is not new to English language arts classes, but this article discusses the versatility of digital storytelling and how DSCs provide a framework for social interaction where students create video adaptations of the texts they have read to showcase their comprehension, ultimately producing book trailers, documentaries, or personal narratives, depending on the demands of the text.