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.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
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.
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.
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.
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