I was having a bit of difficulty narrowing down my search to specifically pre-reading skills. I had a lot of websites and blog posts talk about using technology with older students. I find that a lot of Kindergarten and early primary classes tend to shy away from technology or use the same couple of websites all the time (i.e. Starfall.com or razkids). I also found quite a few teacher blogs that were no longer active and seemed to stop pretty out nowhere (I know teachers get busy). I was lucky to find to journal articles through the UBC Library and was very interested to find quite a few resources through the Scholastic Website!
1. Using ICT to Foster (Pre) Reading and Writing Skills in Young Children
A small study was done with Kindergarten students in the Netherlands using PictoPal to explore "how technology can play a role in fostering the development and implementation of literacy and communications skills in kindergarten." (Page 84) PictoPal is a computer-based software that used semi-open activities consisting of Pictograms with pre- and post-tests to document and record student growth in "reading, writing, and authentic applications." (Page 83) Two studies were done with very small groups of students where the experimental group worked on Pictopal once a week for four and eight weeks, while the control group did not. It was noted that, with scaffolding and collaboration with both teachers and parent volunteers while using PictoPal also saw an increase in test scores. This is what stands out to me most. Students need scaffolding and social interaction to keep their learning in check and to build confidence in their skills. This gives me confidence that our jobs will not be taken over by robots (yet) and that technology
Voogt, J. & McKenney, S., (2007) Using ICT to Foster (Pre) Reading and Writing Skills in Young Children, Computers in the Schools, 24:3-4, 83-94.
2. Technology Tools to Support Reading in the Digital Age
This article talks about how with the increase in technology-use can widen the gaps of learning for students of different socio-economic statuses and how we can bridge these gaps with technology in the classroom. The article focusses mostly on E-Readers, as iPads were brand new at the time, and how "E-reading technology has shown promise in developing early reading skills and in giving readers with visual impairments or language based disabilities access to texts," (Page 143) especially with text-to-speech functions. Having access to e-readers, computers, or tablets in schools and having educators who can help scaffold the students to be able to work individually on these devices can help narrow the gap of learning between various students and have all students be on an equal playing field in terms of technology use and understanding. The conclusion of this article urged policy makers to make changes to education curriculums to include technology skills, and luckily in the 8 years since this article was written, changes have already been made. T
Biancarosa, G., & Griffiths, G. (2011). Technology Tools to Support Reading in the Digital Age. Future of Children, 22:2, 139-160.
3. Scholastic Education - Digital Solutions
Scholastic has been a part of school reading programs since before I can remember, and with various updates, they are here to stay. Scholastic offers "Digital Solutions" for the five foundational skills of learning to read: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension with their Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. Programme, created by Dr. Kay MacPhee. The Early Literacy Program uses various multimedia tools to practice mastery of the five foundational skills as well as creating connections between fiction and non-fiction stories to "build knowledge" and "curiosity." The activities continue to adapt to older learners and include activities to help students "analyze a text to wonder why and how ... [turning] students into strong, thoughtful readers."
Scholastic has stood the test of time and I'm glad to see they are integrating technology into their reading programs. I am excited to explore these program more thoroughly and hopefully be able to put some of their activities to use in a practical setting.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/education/digital-solutions.htm
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIvShrAH5YY
4. Tracy Piltz - Ideas for Tech Integration & Innovation In The Primary Classroom
Integrating technology into building the foundations of pre-reading is something that I am very excited about, and I was very happy to find this blog by Tracy Plitz, a K-2 Technology Integration Teacher from Billings, Montana. This is the kind of blog I would like to have someday! She gives practical tips from personal experience and explains everything from how to get started with technology in your classroom if you have none to sharing specific apps that she has used with students and she has seen students have success with. She is a living example of using multimedia in the classroom! From collaboration with other teachers (I found http://connectedkinders.blogspot.com/ through Tracy's blog, although it has not been updated since 2014) to useful apps and from a Pinterest page full of Tech Infographics to info on creating and using QR Codes in the classroom, this blog is a wealth of practical knowledge on using technology to aid in teaching pre-reading skills.
http://mrspiltzkindergarten.blogspot.com/
5. Why We Need to Embrace Technology in the Classroom Right Now, by Jeana Lee Tahnk
“When I imagine the classroom of the future, I imagine a place where teachers and technology are partners in fostering that creative, curious urge and helping harness students’ authentic motivations towards learning.” - Matt Wallaert, Behavioural Scientist at Bing.com
In this article by Jeana Lee Tahnk, educational and technology experts Matt Wallaert and Dylan Arena, PhD, co-founder and chief learning scientist at Kidaptive gave their thoughts on technology in the modern classroom. It was emphasized that it is not enough to have students have access to technology; using technology requires scaffolding and should be a collaborative effort between teachers and students as well as between students and their peers. Six reasons for embracing technology in the classroom were given:
- Makes information limitless
- Gives teachers more freedom
- Adapts to different learning styles
- Makes learning more flexible
- Gets students excited
- Prepares students for the future
Tahnk, Jeana Lee. (2014). Why We Need to Embrace Technology in the Classroom Right Now. Huffington Post - News. Retrieved September 20, 2019, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/technology-in-the-classroom_b_5946570
A well done post on your progress and early results. You've found some very interesting and useful resources, links and videos here that will go a long way to supporting your ongoing inquiry. As well, a good amount of reflection on the process and challenges of your research, what you are finding and how you are evaluating your results to adapt in future. Overall, a great amount of progress in your inquiry and I am looking forward to your Part C.
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