1 A Book is Just a Book Until It Meets Technology

Stephanie Williams Literature Review November 30, 2011

A Book is Just a Book Until It Meets Technology Technology is starting to appear in more and more aspects of everyday life. So why not bring more technology into the classroom, especially that students can use in the real world? I envision a classroom where technology is meaningful and becomes a transparent tool for reading and learning. It is there to be an extension to student thinking and not as a flashy toy that catches a students eye. I recently taught a unit on non-fiction text features. During a final assessment, students were instructed to use a provided table of contents to answer questions about where a reader would look to gather information. One student answered every question with either on the internet or Google it. While that was incorrect for the test, it speaks volumes about how kids go about finding information today. Am I giving my kids tools that are practical for the literacy expectations of the 21st century? Sometimes I believe that answer is no. Many experts would agree that changes need to be made. As with all change there are challenges. What tools do we need to meet the needs of students? What training do we need to effectively implement technology in a way that is meaningful and not superficial? And the big question, where is funding coming from? I dont know the answers to those questions but I do know that they are answers that I will have to find. If todays children are going to be ready for the literacy expectations of a digital world, then I have to start with a digital classroom. Technology in the Literacy Classroom

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Not too long ago, stepping foot in a classroom meant rows of individual desks facing a blackboard. This isnt the image of classrooms today. Items like interactive whiteboards, computers, tablets, clicker response systems, and other digital materials are common sights. With tools like this, the role of paper, pencils, and textbooks are quickly going the way of the abacus. But teachers beware; simply putting a kid on a computer with a fancy program doesnt create a more literate student (Barone & Wright, 2008). Just like with paper and pencil literature responses, the teacher needs to effectively challenge kids to dig deeper, and for the digital native this concept becomes more meaningful with the use of programs such as blogs and podcasts (Barone & Wright, 2008; Vasinda & McLeod, 2011). Maintaining a reading log or journal allows for students to develop a connection to the literature. This encourages them (students) to interact with the text (Carlisle, 2000). When this traditional, yet powerful, tool moves into the form of a blog a whole new door opens for students. It creates a collaborative online community where students can share their thoughts and feelings about literature (Larson, 2009). Before, literature responses were between students and teachers. Teachers challenged student thinking but now peers can challenge student thinking (Barone & Wright, 2008; Larson, 2009; Vasinda & McLeod, 2011). What is even more important, students can connect with students or even authors from all around the world. The classroom can truly become the world. Teachers often try to open the classroom to the world when they allow their children to participate in inquiry style learning. This style of learning is often placed in other content areas. Students are given the time to explore in areas such as math or science, but it can play just as large of a role in literacy development. Where literacy is concerned, students can do just as much wondering and information seeking through dialogic inquiry (Mills, 2011). This idea is new to the world of literacy. Modeling effective literature discussions and even watching videos of

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literature discussions show kids how to be inquiry learners, how to ask questions, and how to be effective readers (Mills, 2001; Larson, 2009). Reading is more than words on a page. It is deep ideas that children can play around with if given the chance. This can be a challenge if there are 20 kids but only one computer to blog on. One way that classrooms can tackle this hurdle, would be to blog as a class with another class with a projection screen. This is a substitute when a one to one ratio of students to computers cannot be achieved. The blogging community expands much more though when it can be done as independent bloggers making up the digital community. Students can thoughtfully discuss books with children across town or across the state (Andes, 2011; Larson, 2010, 2009). Different personal backgrounds and people bring different ideas that students might not experience if they were limited to staying within the walls of their classroom (Lotherington, & Chow, 2006; Zawilinski, 2006). Blogging opens the classroom to a world where kids can ask questions and talk to other kids, research histories behind books, and even meet authors. They can inquire to find more than the words that are on the page of a book. Resources for Technology Implementation in Literacy One thing teachers have to consider is how to give people the tools to effectively use technology for literacy instruction. If a teacher does not know how to use the technology he or she is given, how can they be expected to use it? Especially, preservice teachers and families need the skills to really help their children incorporate literacy with technology. When they are provided with technology, it is important that they also receive training on it. A benefit of technology is that it can easily carry over from school to home and back. However, many traditional school resources are confined within the walls of the school. One tool

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that can benefit children is the use of Electronic Talking Books or ETB (Oakley & Jay, 2008). The ETB reads with fluency and voice that is important for early readers to be exposed to. Some children come from homes where literacy role models do not exist. Either no one is home to read with them or those people that are home are not literate. Using ETB allows these kids to have a reading buddy at home. Digital books also transfer between school and home easily. Some schools limit the books that go home because they are often lost during the trip but students cannot lose a digital book (Berkeley, & Lindstrom, 2011). EBT are not the only new tool out there. But for a tool to be effective people need to know how to use it. Many of these tools are introduced to new teachers while they are in college. They have the opportunity to be exposed to some of the latest things and new ideas. The Preservice teachers are instrumental to bringing these new ideas into a school (Watts-Taffe, Gwinn, Johnson, & Horn, 2003). Classes on technology integration are being added as requirements by colleges and state departments if preservice teacher want to become certified teachers. Teaching these preservice teachers that technology is effective when concepts are understood first and technology added second and the need to adapt traditional lessons in both quantity of information and length of instruction (Welch, 2010; Watts-Taffe, et al., 2003). Parting with Traditional Literacy Instruction Adding technology doesnt mean that we should toss all previous forms of teaching out the window. Traditional methods and new methods can join forces to together in very effective ways. Technology engages students while maintaining traditional literature tools such as basils, readers theater, and trade books (Judson, 2010).

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Traditional tools like readers theaters and basils are proven tools to reading success (Barone & Wright, 2008; Vasinda & McLeod, 2011). Combining them with technology makes them even more effective for students who are already members of the 21st century. A group of third and fourth grade students who were reading at a first grade level used podcasts to record and listen to their own readers theaters. Afterwards students posed open-ended questions about it and carried on conversations with other peers. After ten weeks of this, their reading level had increased to a second grade level (Vasinda & McLeod 2001). In addition to fluency and comprehension, vocabulary development is also assisted by technology. Going on a Digital Vocabulary Field Trip or creating word art in Wordle presents word work in a way that is authentic (Dalton, 2011). Traditional teaching methods get a new shine when they meet technology. Theories show that in order for a student to be an effective reader they must be first engaged (Assaf, 2000; Malin, 2010). Technology can be used to create engaging opportunities for students. When you hear that a student is designing a magazine cover for reading, many people would probable wonder why. Then upon deeper investigation, the cover includes an in depth summary and other literacy skills such as inferences and synthesizing information (Assaf, 2007). It is truly an authentic and engaging use of technology. The same can be said about video storytelling. Students can have the video individualized so that it is effective for their needs. Not all students in a class will be reading at the same level and neither will they be working in the same goals. The video can be made to fit these different needs. The end can contain sections on historical connections and even other students sharing their views on the story. This engages and models skills students need to build background and think deeper about the story. It is a tool that

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engages a reader and then, while engaged, teaches literacy skills (Malin, 2010). Using nonconventional tools engages readers of all levels. Another traditional aspect of schools is the presence of standardized testing. These tests have lead to some subjects being put on the back burner. However, science can be incorporated with technology to allow students to gain knowledge from science texts and develop literacy skills at the same time. Students are learning how to practice skills such as questioning with nonfiction texts. Standardized tests provided students with nonfiction and fiction passages so this is also effective in the preparation of students for state testing. A group of second grade students used digital texts to investigate earthworms. Not only did they show improved knowledge of the science concepts, they also showed gains in word work during literacy time (Connor, Kaya, Luck, Toste, Canto, & Rice, 2010). Reading isnt a thing of the past but the way we look at reading is. Reading is no longer paper pages in a book. Reading is digital as much as it is found on paper. Technology opens more doors to develop deeper links and understanding and thinking about reading.

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References Andes L., & Claggett, E. (2011). Wiki writers: Students and teachers making connections across communities. Reading Teacher, 64(5), 345-350. Assaf, L., & Garza, R. (2007). Making magazine covers that visually count: Learning to summarize with technology. Reading Teacher, 60(7), 678-680. Barone, D., & Wright, T. E.(2008). Literacy instruction with digital and media technologies. Reading Teacher, 62(4), 292-303. Berkeley, S., & Lindstrom, J. H. (2011). Technology for the struggling reader: Free and easily accessible resources. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(4), 48-55. Carlisle, A.(2000) Reading logs: An application of reader-response theory in ELT. ELT J, 54(1),12-19. Connor, C., Kaya, S., Luck, M., Toste, J. R., Canto, A., Rice, D., & ... Underwood, P. S. (2010). Content area literacy: Individualizing student instruction in second-grade science. Reading Teacher, 63(6), 474-485. Dalton, B., & Grisham, D. L. (2011). eVoc Strategies: 10 ways to use technology to build vocabulary. Reading Teacher, 64(5), 306-317. Judson, E. (2010). Improving technology literacy: Does it open doors to traditional content?. Educational Technology Research & Development, 58(3), 271-284. Larson L. C. (2010). Digital readers: The next chapter in e-book reading and response. Reading Teacher, 64(1), 15-22. Larson L. C. (2009). Reader response meets new literacies: Empowering readers in online learning communities. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 638-648. Lotherington, H., & Chow, S. (2006). Rewriting "goldilocks" in the urban, multicultural

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elementary school. Reading Teacher, 60(3), 242-252. Malin, G. (2010). Is it still considered reading? Using digital video storytelling to engage adolescent readers. Clearing House, 83(4), 121-125. Mills, H., (2011). Talking about talk: Reclaiming the value and power of literature circles. The Reading Teacher ,64(8), 590-598. Oakley G., & Jay, J. (2008). "Making time" for reading: factors that influence the success of multimedia reading in the home. Reading Teacher, 62(3), 246-255. Vasinda, S., & McLeod, J. (2011). Extending readers theatre: A powerful and purposeful match with podcasting. Reading Teacher, 64(7), 486-497. Watts-Taffe, S., Gwinn, C. B., Johnson, J. R., & Horn, M. L. (2003). Preparing preservice teachers to integrate technology with the elementary literacy program. Reading Teacher, 57(2), 130-139. Welch, M. (2010). Instructional technological factors that impede and impel struggling adolescent students' reading comprehension. International Journal Of Technology, Knowledge & Society, 6(4), 137-150. Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT blogging: A framework for blogging to promote higher order thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661.