Electronic books or e-books have the potential to "capture student responses to engaging children's literature." These e-books can encourage students to create their own versions of text through using their own language. This also allows students to engage in retelling and therefore can serve to promote comprehension and can be used in and out of the classroom.
Teachers can integrate the use of e-books in the classrooms in order to scaffold students learning as they can be used at varying degrees of difficulty to support student learning. E-books can also serve to promote vocabulary development, text comprehension and reading fluency. Teachers can produce e-books in collaboration with students which would promote ownership and encourage greater participation.
The use of multimodal texts may stimulate student involvement as sound, animation and images could facilitate active participation. Teachers with students can adapt literature stories used in class to allow students to create their very own e-books and generate retelling. Rhodes and Milby (2007) also posit that e-books can be used to support vocabulary acquisition, enhance text comprehension and model reading fluency.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Wikis and Literacy Education
Wiki is a Hawaiian word which means fast. Luce-Kapler (2007) describes a wiki as "an easily learned, open-source software program that allows all users to access and edit the pages on an ongoing basis." Richardson (2009) also defines a wiki as "a website where anyone can edit anything they want." This can be beneficial as well as harmful as users can easily create and/or edit web pages. One of the benefits of wikis is that they allow collaboration and users are actively involved in online participation. (Knobel and Lankshear, 2009) Wiki pages can contain audio, pictures and/or videos as well as texts and hyperlinks. They also allow online users to share online writing and can be used to enhance literacy education.
One of the key benefits of wikis is that it facilitates online and offline collaboration (as discussions could continue offline), thereby promoting in and out of classroom literacy. Students can access wiki pages anywhere there is a computer and Internet access making it easily accessible. Wiki pages provide information to many researchers and one of the most common wikis is Wikipedia.
In addition, wiki pages can be used by struggling writers to assist in developing their writing skills. The online collaborative work could also allow peer editing to take place as students can edit each others writing. Students may also embed images such as diagrams or graphics, pieces of drawing and these can be used to showcase students' talents or accomplishments in art or other areas. Wikis create an online network of meaning as they enable meaningful online participation.
One of the key benefits of wikis is that it facilitates online and offline collaboration (as discussions could continue offline), thereby promoting in and out of classroom literacy. Students can access wiki pages anywhere there is a computer and Internet access making it easily accessible. Wiki pages provide information to many researchers and one of the most common wikis is Wikipedia.
In addition, wiki pages can be used by struggling writers to assist in developing their writing skills. The online collaborative work could also allow peer editing to take place as students can edit each others writing. Students may also embed images such as diagrams or graphics, pieces of drawing and these can be used to showcase students' talents or accomplishments in art or other areas. Wikis create an online network of meaning as they enable meaningful online participation.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Assessment and Reading
Applegate, Turner and Applegate (2010) have identified the International Reading Association's "issued guidelines and cautions the use of high-stakes assessment in reading." They lament that these guidelines have been ignored as teachers and other stakeholders are more interested in accountability testing.
The authors further identified some qualities which literacy leaders should demonstrate. Some of these are:
The authors further identified some qualities which literacy leaders should demonstrate. Some of these are:
- An awareness of the potential and limitations of accountability tests. Tests should be used to compare in order to encourage reflection and used as a developmental tool to improve literacy education.
- Literacy tests are valuable sources of information but are incomplete when used in isolation. Paper and pencil tests cannot be used to assess many crucial traits.
- Assessment should be conducted so that students' strengths should be highlighted. The focus of assessment should be to determine a needs analysis and to facilitate student growth and development.
- Assessment should be culturally applicable and cater to the needs of students from different ethnic, racial and linguistic backgrounds.
Portfolios
Portfolio is a means of providing authentic assessment in the literacy classroom. A portfolio is a collection of artifacts which document students' development over time. Students can use portfolios to document their experiences, growth and development and to journal reading and writing activities. Students are encouraged to select pieces which would reflect their growth over a period. Portfolio assessment encourages student involvement in the selection process.
Portfolios are used by many in today's literacy classroom and can be motivational to students as they encourage student involvement in the entire assessment. Thus, students become more actively engaged and their self esteem or self efficacy are enhanced. Portfolios can be used in Parent/Teacher Conferences as they can be used as a measure of students' accomplishments over a period. They can encourage students to make a connection between the process and the product.
Portfolios encourage students to take ownership of their work as they select items to placed in portfolios. As such, students can use pieces to reflect their individual growth and strengths in particular areas. They can use reading or learning logs and journals to chart their reflections on their growth and development.
Portfolios are used by many in today's literacy classroom and can be motivational to students as they encourage student involvement in the entire assessment. Thus, students become more actively engaged and their self esteem or self efficacy are enhanced. Portfolios can be used in Parent/Teacher Conferences as they can be used as a measure of students' accomplishments over a period. They can encourage students to make a connection between the process and the product.
Portfolios encourage students to take ownership of their work as they select items to placed in portfolios. As such, students can use pieces to reflect their individual growth and strengths in particular areas. They can use reading or learning logs and journals to chart their reflections on their growth and development.
Motivation and Reading Engagement
Motivation to reading and learning increase when students "perceive that the text is relevant to their own lives and when they believe they are capable of generating credible responses" (Vacca and Vacca, 2008) An important element of this entire process is students' self efficacy or the belief that they can accomplish tasks. Tompkins hypothesises that reading engagement is necessary as students need to be involved and interested in reading and writing. She further suggests that Reading and Writing Workshops are recommended to enhance student engagement.
Reading Workshops allow students to choose books for reading and respond to books they have read through reading logs and conferences with teachers and their peers. This is an individualised reading program which can foster student engagement in the reading process. Teachers can guide students in selecting books which are appropriate for their level. Reading Workshops have five components which are reading,responding, sharing, teaching mini-lessons and reading aloud to students.
Writing Workshops allow students to write on topics they select, which encourages ownership. This changes the teacher's role to that of guide and facilitator. Students are given various implements such as pens, pencils, markers, different kinds of paper and access to class library. Students can be encouraged to work individually or in groups. Writing Workshop has three components - writing, sharing and mini-lessons.
These strategies provide opportunities for students to engage in authentic reading and writing activities and can therefore be used to engender students' self efficacy and motivation in literacy classrooms.
Reading Workshops allow students to choose books for reading and respond to books they have read through reading logs and conferences with teachers and their peers. This is an individualised reading program which can foster student engagement in the reading process. Teachers can guide students in selecting books which are appropriate for their level. Reading Workshops have five components which are reading,responding, sharing, teaching mini-lessons and reading aloud to students.
Writing Workshops allow students to write on topics they select, which encourages ownership. This changes the teacher's role to that of guide and facilitator. Students are given various implements such as pens, pencils, markers, different kinds of paper and access to class library. Students can be encouraged to work individually or in groups. Writing Workshop has three components - writing, sharing and mini-lessons.
These strategies provide opportunities for students to engage in authentic reading and writing activities and can therefore be used to engender students' self efficacy and motivation in literacy classrooms.
Teaching and Learning Using the Internet
Karchner, Malleth, Kara-Soteriou and Leu (2005) describe the Internet as one of the most powerful technologies for information and communicating in today's digital world. The Internet has tremendous potential and can be used to develop students' literacy skills which will transcend boundaries they have set in settling for socialising and online gaming. The Internet can be used to encourage students to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and insights necessary for facilitating their mastery of learning.
The Internet can serve as a motivational tool/resource to encourage students to read. Recently, students in the secondary school I teach have been given Internet access in the school's library and there have been long lines of students waiting to use the Internet.
One of the greatest medium for gathering information is the Internet. Information is literally available at the click of a finger. Students need to develop navigational skills as well as other higher order thinking skills in order to use the Internet effectively.
In addition, The Internet can be used as a communicative tool for teaching and learning. Students can communicate with teachers and each other from anywhere there is Internet access. Collaboration can also take place through emailing, blogs and wikis.
The Internet can serve as a motivational tool/resource to encourage students to read. Recently, students in the secondary school I teach have been given Internet access in the school's library and there have been long lines of students waiting to use the Internet.
One of the greatest medium for gathering information is the Internet. Information is literally available at the click of a finger. Students need to develop navigational skills as well as other higher order thinking skills in order to use the Internet effectively.
In addition, The Internet can be used as a communicative tool for teaching and learning. Students can communicate with teachers and each other from anywhere there is Internet access. Collaboration can also take place through emailing, blogs and wikis.
EBooks
What great potential using ebooks in teaching struggling readers and writers! When we used PowerPoint to create my very first ebook I was excited. So just imagine having students especially those who are struggling readers interact with these ebooks. It has so much new meaning for me as I see how it can be used in the development of teaching phonics to my six month old son.
To think that even our non fluent readers can use this in reading and it is all just at the click of a button. Students can even be taught to create their own ebooks using PowerPoint as many of our struggling reading students interface with computers and other computerised tools such as Playstation, Wii, Nintendo and not forgetting cellular phones. How many of us have had students who are not fluent readers help us in terms of understanding some technical stuff? We have to read the manual sometimes twice or more and all they do is to look at the gadget at hand and already they know how to operate it and even troubleshoot.
Is this because of the use of images? Or is is the use of sound? Whatever it is we can adopt some elements of this interface to create interactive books which can assist us in teaching reading to struggling students. I think there is even potential for students who are differently abled. The Alphabet Book will be one of many ebooks I'll be creating as in reflecting on my teaching strategies I could understand why students become disengaged in the classroom.
To think that even our non fluent readers can use this in reading and it is all just at the click of a button. Students can even be taught to create their own ebooks using PowerPoint as many of our struggling reading students interface with computers and other computerised tools such as Playstation, Wii, Nintendo and not forgetting cellular phones. How many of us have had students who are not fluent readers help us in terms of understanding some technical stuff? We have to read the manual sometimes twice or more and all they do is to look at the gadget at hand and already they know how to operate it and even troubleshoot.
Is this because of the use of images? Or is is the use of sound? Whatever it is we can adopt some elements of this interface to create interactive books which can assist us in teaching reading to struggling students. I think there is even potential for students who are differently abled. The Alphabet Book will be one of many ebooks I'll be creating as in reflecting on my teaching strategies I could understand why students become disengaged in the classroom.
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