From the recommended website I learned about what digital storytelling is and how it can be implemented in the classroom. During one section, the author describes Digital Storytelling as “The intersection between the age- old art of storytelling and access to powerful technology that is easy to learn and use.” I think it is very true that through this type of media literacy, readers are able to learn about stories from many different cultures and genres while becoming more knowledgeable about advances in technology. The digital pictures and tools used to tell a digital story can be helpful in improving students’ comprehension and vocabulary in reading. Additionally, the level of engagement that is likely to result from Digital Storytelling can greatly affect the learning outcomes of students in your classroom. Video clips, audio narration, and music can all lend themselves to better reading experiences for students of all ages. Teachers can also consider using Digital Storytelling as a way to differentiate the instruction of a class with a wide range of abilities. Students can read books on varying reading levels but still enjoy the discussion involved in studying one unique topic. Furthermore, students who struggle in fluency can hear what good reading sounds like and model after the narrations. With all these advantages to using Digital Storytelling in the classroom, it is not hard to understand why many teachers are incorporating them into reading instruction.

I think one of the best ways to use Digital Storytelling in the classroom is to ask your students to make their own storybook on the computer. Though they can certainly benefit from listening and interacting with pre-made resources, an even better option would be to have the students create stories of their own. Many different standards could be reached when students go through the writing process to create a published piece of work through Digital Storybooks. One rubric that I recently came across included criteria on planning, use of technology, mechanics, and group dynamics. I think this type of project would be very beneficial for students and would offer them experiences that are well rounded and fun.

Open Our Eyes to the Power of Technology

Monaco, M. (2009). Opening our eyes to the power of technology. Reading Today, 19.

Maria Monaco is a graduate student who wrote a very interesting article in Reading Today about the power that technology has on schools today. She writes, "How do we allow students to see the value of our reading and writing worlds, if we are not ready to value theirs" (p. 19)? I think this is a very reasonable question. Many teachers today are very quick to criticize the culture that students' are apart of today, but they don't consider the benefits of bringing that culture into the classroom. Students are also very quick to pick up teachers' negative attitudes, and it might be difficult to make connections with them when this negativity is present. According to Monaco, teachers can no longer claim that "books are the only way that students can enter new worlds and gather information" (p. 19). Technology offers students the very same opportunities that books do-- perhaps an even greater one. Currently children can learn through different technologies and see prespectives that older generations never imagined were possible. Though children often find themselves surfing the web or playing video games, they are not always well-informed about the power that technology has on education. It is up to the teachers to show students this hidden treasure. The problem is, not all teachers are willing and able to educate students on this subject.

Monaco recommends a solution to this problem that is similar to most other researchers studying technology and reading. She offers this advice: "It will require a concerted effort to introduce teachers to educational technologies and show them how to successfully integrate technology into their instruction to maximize learning" (p. 19). Professional development experiences are often the plan that schools are turning to to enhance the education that students have on technology. This is a great solution, as long as the professional development sessions do the job that they are meant to do. They need to be insightful and educational for teachers. And above all else, teachers have to have a willing attitude to learn about topics like Smartboards and iPods before the training will be effective.

In her article, Monaco mentions a blog that seems to be very interesting. It is thefischbowl.blogspot.com. In this blog teachers and students come together to discuss issues relating to education, technology being a very hot topic. In one post, the author explains the importance of teaching toward tomorrow. This is a piece of advice seems very obvious to us as new teachers, but I think many teachers do not follow this rule. Instead, they teach using technologies and resources that are out-of-date and uneffective for today's students. Fortunately, however, I think progress has been made and continues to move in the right direction.

Digikids

Ladbrook, J. (2008). Teachers of the digikids: Do they navigate the divide? Australian Journal of Language Arts and Literacy, 32, 69-82.

From this article I learned a great deal about the connection between literacy and technology in Australian schools. It was interesting to read that the concerns being brought up by American educators are also present internationally as well. Ladbroock begins by sharing some of the latest research that describes the importance of designing reading curriculum using instruments that students find engaging and valuable outside of school. In their home environments, children frequently use computers and other types of media, but they are less likely to see these tools being utilized by teachers in their classrooms. Ladbrook argues that this is a fact that damages the academic achievements of children. I think the author brings up a very good point about incorporating student interest and experience into the reading curriculum. As we have discussed throughout this course, technology is considered a motivating and effective tool for educational purposes, and teachers should not hesitate to incorporate it into their lessons.

In order to learn more about the place that technology has in schools, Ladbrook distributed forty-one questionnaires to English teachers from various districts around the country. The researcher asked the participants of the study to describe their use of different reading materials. Most commonly teachers used novels, short fiction, poetry, and film to convey information to students in the reading classroom. Less than a quarter of the teachers admitted to using websites to complete this task, however, and only two and a half percent of teachers used hypertext, blogs, or wikis. Ladbrook explains this low percentage by arguing that teachers often do not understand how to use different media outlets or they do not think they are necessary for advanced learning.

From the article it appears that teachers in Australia and New Zealand need training in school technology in order to see an increased use of media in the reading classroom. With proper professional development opportunities, teachers may begin to change their attitude about advancements in technology. I think it is best to continue to do research on the matter and take the information into the school to educate faculty about the positive results.

Clicker 5

Parette, H. P., Hourcade, J. J., Dinelli, J. M., & Boeckmann, N. M. (2009). Using Clicker 5 to enhance emergent literacy in young learners. Early Childhood Eduation Journal, 36, 355-363.

The article that I read for this week provided information about a technological resource that I was not familiar with. Clicker 5 is used by many elementary schools to strengthen the reading skills of young students. The authors of this article begin by describing the problems that many children face while trying to learn how to read. Those who have intense learning disabilities require a great deal of assistance and intervention if they are to see progression in emergent literacy programs. Their development is often greatly affected by the types of resources that are being used in the classroom. According to Parette, Hourcade, Dinelli & Boeckmann (2009), by incorporating technology into the teaching of literacy skills, students can be connected to engaging, effective, and interactive activities. Struggling students are less likely to become frustrated or bored while using programs like the Clicker 5.

The Clicker 5 is a computer resource that can be used for a variety of means. It is a software program that offers activities in writing, phonemic awareness, word recognition, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. It also includes assessments that can be accessed and managed by teachers. Inside the program, the top half of the computer screen looks very much like a Microsoft Word document, while the bottom half contains words, phrases, pictures, or other interactive displays (Parette et al., 2009). One of the options that Clicker 5 includes is a section that reads aloud and highlights text as students follow along. Phonemic awareness can be practiced by matching pictures and sounds together using a multiple choice function. Letters of the alphabet can also be taught by having students arrange letters in order using a pop-up grid and the computer mouse. After strengthening students’ understanding of letters and sounds, they can progress to more difficult words recognition activities using Clicker 5. They can also read electronic stories in the program, which includes highlights of key vocabulary terms as well as main ideas of the text. Many schools have incorporated Clicker 5 into the emergent literacy curriculum and have seen much success. More research should be done, however, to determine the true effects of this program in the early learning process.

After reading this article and looking at the graphics from Clicker 5, it appears that this program could work very well in an elementary classroom. Teachers can use the software for lessons in each of the major skills in literacy and can assess their reading capabilities easily with the tools it offers. I don’t know how much this program costs, however, so its presence in the classroom is very much dependent on school funding. If a school is able to incorporate the Clicker 5 into their curriculum, I think students would really enjoy it. I imagine that it would be one of their favorite class activities. According to Parette et al. (2009), the levels of engagement and interaction that it provides students hold great promise for its success.

Teaching Reading in High School

Regarding the article assigned for Week 7, I thought the section entitled "Teaching Reading in High School: The Crucial Role of Technology" by Sally Humble was very informative. Student engagement in classroom activities is often lost after elementary school because instruction lacks motivating assignments. Humble argues that the use of technology in high school can greatly increase student achievement in reading class, while also engaging them in activities. SAS inSchool software is the resource that is used in this article to help explain the types of media available to secondary students.

Since many older students experience reading problems, SAS inSchool software was created to close the gap between struggling readers and those who are on-target in their achievements. According to Humble, many students have trouble comprehending a text because the vocabulary and figurative language included in the reading is too complex for them to grasp. Students’ weak background knowledge is also problematic because they cannot interpret the meaning behind the author’s writing when they have little understanding of the topic. To combat these difficult situations, SAS inSchool has designed a program that has already seen success in high schools. As students study reading passages on the computer, they can click on key terms that they may find challenging. The vocabulary is explained to the reader, which provides immediate feedback that allows them to progress quickly through the text. Furthermore, figurative language is also explored using SAS inSchool software by informing students of common interpretations of highlighted passages. Different viewpoints are also explained, which gives students an opportunity to see how various people analyze a text. When background knowledge is limited, videos and visual aids are available on the software to connect struggling students with appropriate assistance. All of these tools work together to help secondary students enjoy, interpret, and comprehend a text using technological advances.

I think this program would work very well with high school students. The assistance that students get with SAS inSchool software would provide them with vocabulary and comprehension strategies that appear to be very useful. I do have a couple hesitations about this program, however. I wonder if very many reading materials would be available through this software. I think teachers might be limited in their use of literature due to the need to use texts that are offered on the software. Additionally, I think many schools would find it difficult to use this program because it appears that teachers would need frequent access to a computer lab. Since all the reading is done on a computer screen, students would need almost daily exposure to the SAS inSchool software.

Audio Books

Rubenstein, G. (2006). Listening to literature: Struggling readers respond to recorded books. Retrieved on February 15, 2009, from, http://www.edutopia.org/print/2689

Rubenstein brings up some very interesting thoughts regarding the use of audio books in the classroom. From the article it appears that recorded books have been researched heavily and contain quite a few advantages to them. Using this type of technology, students can hear what good reading sounds like and strengthen their own fluency as a result. I also appreciate what the author says about students’ opportunities to learn to love literature. When students are stuck with boring content, there is a hatred of reading that develops. Audio books would be engaging for students because they hear texts come to life in the storytellers’ voices. I would guess that many students would consider reading time a treat when they are given opportunities to listen to audio books. Also, Rubenstein mentions that speeches and newspaper articles are available through digital audio websites. This could be a useful tool for content teachers in subjects like social studies or science who want to enhance the reading levels of their students.

I also think audio books have their disadvantages as well. My cooperating teacher used them frequently in her Language Arts/English classroom, and we found that they weren’t ideal for every situation. While listening to A Midwife’s Apprentice on an audio recording, many students did not follow along in their books. Instead of reading with the storyteller, some students preferred to lay their heads down on their desk or do homework for other classes. They were immediately reprimanded for their behavior, but it was clear that they did not take this activity seriously. At times I think audio books can cause students to become passive readers. For this reason I think this type of technology should be used sparingly in a classroom. Due to the need for variety in classroom planning, I think students should experience other types of reading besides that of audio books. They can be a huge advantage to students as long as teachers have the right goals in mind and do not over use them.

Rethinking Computers

Ricadela, A. (2008). Rethinking computers in the classroom. Business Week Online, p. 1-1.

Aaron Ricadela’s article on the use of computers in the classroom had some very good points brought up about the role that technology plays in schools. He begins by explaining the hopes of the Obama Administration to give more federal money to place needed computers into classrooms around the country. Though this is a worthwhile initiative, Ricadela argues that this action alone will not improve test scores among students. There have been numerous districts that have transformed their schools into computer-centered environments but have not seen significant results in student learning. When I initially read this I was surprised by the low statistics, and I presume it is a huge disappointment to many advocates of media literacy. Then I read further and realized that many schools are not making correct use out of their resources. According to one researcher, “I’ve been in school with one-to-one laptop programs where kids are doing the equivalent of worksheets on their laptops” (as cited in Ricadela, 2008, p. 1). With all the opportunities that computers offer, it is saddening to realize that students are still forced to do skill and drill activities using worksheets. Teachers should be trained in computer applications and encouraged to use best practices while teaching their students technology-based lessons. Computers should not sit in the back of the classroom without being utilized either. Instead, teachers should be given media software that applies to what they are teaching and engages students with learning that is important to them. As a representative from Intel puts it, “If you’re just sprinkling the technology on top of the curriculum, it’s not compelling, … then you just have some expensive pencils” (as cited in Ricadela, 2008, p. 1).

As mentioned above, this article also touches on the new president’s hope to bring more computers into schools. This is a goal that will take a great deal of time and money, but if it is accomplished, student learning can greatly improve. These efforts could also work to lessen the digital divide. Currently there is a huge need to give poor districts a fighting chance to survive in an era that focuses on technology.

Teens and Cell Phones

Docksai, R. (2009). Teens and cell phones. Futurist, 43(1), 10-12.

In the article "Teens and Cell Phones" Rick Docksai writes about the ways in which cell phones can be incorporated into the classroom. When I first read this article I have to admit I was skepical of how this idea could be carried out successfully. Cell phones are most often banned from classrooms, and students are accused of cheating if they attempt to use their phone while doing class assignments. Docksai reports, however, that this does not need to be the case. Some teachers who have incorporated cell phones into their learning goals have seen notable results in student achievement. Smartphones are particularly looked at in this article, which are cell phones with Internet access and other advanced applications (Docksai, 2009, p. 10). 331 teenager students were given the opportunity to use smartphones in class during a research investigation. After it was complete, the researchers found that student motivation increased when cell phones made their way into the learning process. Though the article did not provide in-depth explanations about the rules and regulations behind the use of smartphones in school, it was understood that the phones were used for organization purposes as well as to provide access to the Internet, make short movies, and record teachers' directions.

I think the use of cell phones in class could be extremely positive for learning, but teachers need to take action to prevent negative results from occurring. Schools who decide to invest in class sets of smartphones need to have strict guidelines for students to follow as they are making use of the phones. I also think students should not have access to some features of the phones while they are in class. For example, I don't think phone calls or text messages should be permitted in the classroom unless it is apart of the teachers' lesson plan and relates to the subject matter being taught. The article describes a situation in British Columbia that occurred, which makes me nervous about some ways that technology is being brought into the classroom. Students in this particular school created "fight club" videos that were posted on the Internet for public viewing. If teachers are going to permit cell phones to be used in the classroom, it must be monitored very closely. Otherwise, students will not gain any useful knowledge from the tools and will become distracted from their true learning.

Week 3

Wolsey, T. D., & Grisham, L. (2007). Adolescents and the New Literacies: Writing Engagement. Action in Teacher Education, 29(2) 30-36.

The article, “Adolescents and the New Literacies: Writing Engagement”, brought up many excellent points about the use of technology in schools today. According to Wolsey (2007), “if students are to become adept at using technology for their learning and in their lives, schools have a responsibility to teach those technology skills…” (p. 30). I agree that schools have a very significant role to play in the development of students’ skills in technology. Districts have the opportunity to lessen the digital divide by providing all students with learning experiences with computers and other media outlets. It was very surprising to me to read, however, that less than 25% of secondary teachers reported students using the computer frequently throughout the academic year (p. 30). I think teachers should realize the importance of incorporating technology into the curriculum and find opportunities for students to interact with it. This isn’t being done, however, because I think many teachers view technology as a hassle more than a learning tool. I don’t think many veteran teachers realize the impact that technology can have on academic achievement. Instead, they simply see it as a way to amuse students during free time.

The study that the Wolsey and Grisham conducted regarding technology use in the classroom gave significant results that every teacher should consider. By comparing and contrasting information gained from online discussions, face-to-face discussions, and journal writing, researchers were able to confirm that technology in the classroom can greatly improve learning. It is very interesting to me that the online discussions produced more interactive dialogue and better literary responses than the other methods of learning (Wolsey, 2007, p. 33). Since student attitudes about writing also increased after the study, it should be concluded that technology is an appropriate and needed tool to use in the classroom.

Comprehension/Decoding

There are many different elements of literacy that work together to form the process of learning how to read. Overall, I think students who have skills in decoding are much more likely to comprehend text than those who have limited development in phonics. When students spend all their time trying to decipher the words on a page, they do not concentrate on comprehending the overall message of the passage. Often times struggling students must read text very slowly in order to recognize each word that is unfamiliar to them. Their fluency is often very under-developed, and as a result, they cannot fully comprehend their reading. Other students, however, do not seem to have this problem. “Word-Callers” might be very good at word recognition but lack all understanding of the story. For this reason, it is difficult to determine the precise relationship between comprehension decoding. The National Reading Panel concluded that phonics instruction is indeed important, but they could not find significant data to support the connection between phonics and comprehension (p. 23). I think further research needs to be done on this subject to clarify this important relationship.

I think there are a variety of methods to teach decoding and comprehension skills in the classroom. Sometimes they can be taught together, while other times it might be necessary to use separate lessons. For example, teachers could use guided reading groups to practice how to decode consonant digraphs. They could read a trade book that focuses on this skill and then discuss the story throughout the length of the lesson. Through this discussion, the teacher could gain a very good understanding of both students’ comprehension and word recognition skills. I think this type of reading instruction happens quite often in classrooms.

Teachers could use different instructional approaches by changing the grouping of the students as they practice the two skills. Comprehension can often be taught in whole group settings. Teachers can use a read aloud to assess students’ understanding of their story, or they could also work individually on activities that build comprehension. To work on decoding skills, students might work one-on-one with a teacher or they could work in small groups. These skills can be taught in a variety of ways.