Out with the Old, in with the New: Digital Interactive Journals in an Elementary Language Arts Methods Course

Abstract

In this article, two elementary literacy teacher educators provide elementary language arts content and methods by implementing digital interactive journals in a face-to-face classroom setting. The authors present how this practice evolved from traditional interactive journals pre-COVID to an innovative and engaging learning experience post-COVID. Interactive journals provide students with opportunities to explore and apply content and methods, while also learning a teaching strategy that pre-service teachers can implement in their own elementary classrooms. The authors describe the design and development of digital interactive journals along with student work samples and instructional steps to transfer and implement this strategy across disciplines.