Teaching and Learning with Technology in English and Language Arts Instruction

Jill Semmens, Neslei Garcia & Amy Wessberg

Chaminade University EDUC 614 November 20, 2013

New Literacies
As new technologies emerge, so does the need for new literacies. The definition of literacy has changed and evolved greatly with the addition of technology. Two of these new literacies are digital literacy and information literacy.

Digital Literacy
The original definition of digital literacy was the ability to use computer devices and software to locate and use information. Like the definition of literacy itself, the definition of digital literacy has changed over the years. The modern definition of digital literacy means the skills in using the information that technological devices carry, in addition to skills in using the devices themselves.

Information Literacy
Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information (American Library Association, 2000). Information literacy is a required set of skills when students do background research for projects or reports yet, research skills are not directly taught in schools.

The Need For New Instructional Strategies

Standard 8 of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and IRA Standards for the English Language Arts, emphasizes the importance of students using technology in their learning:
Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

The new literacies require a high level of critical sophistication from our students, and it is only through instruction and experiences with new technologies that they will develop these skills.
Teaching students to use new technologies calls for an array of new instructional strategies.

New Strategies to Foster Reading and Writing Skills

E-books and E-readers reading behaviors differ from reading behaviors with printed text. Students can make notes and comments directly on what they are reading, which helps with meaning and comprehension (Larson, 2010). They can also adjust font size, access a built-in dictionary to examine word meanings and pronunciations, and use a text-to-speech feature to listen to or re-read passages they find difficult (Larson, 2010). Internet resources, online forums and word processing support writing instruction (Sweeny, 2010).

Strategies Requiring Social Interaction

New forms of literacy are much more contingent on social interactions with others than traditional literacies. giving students the enjoyment and pride of sometimes being their teachers teachers (Standards for the English Language Arts, 1996). Technology offers a natural setting in which students can be positioned as the experts, helping redefine the studentteacher relationship. Vygotskys social constructivism theory asserts that learning occurs through interactions with others.

Redefining What a Classroom Looks Like

Teaching and learning are no longer confined to a traditional classroom context. The classroom is a worldwide location in which networked technologies for literacy enable us to communicate with people anywhere, at any time.

Working With Diverse Learners

Schools have more diverse student populations today than ever before (i.e. language barriers, learning differences, cultural differences, socioeconomic standing). This cultural and linguistic diversity creates classrooms that are richer yet more complex at the same time. English as a second language learners as well as struggling readers and writers create for a more diverse need in one individual classroom.

Motivating Students to Read and Write

The more students read, the better their language and writing skills become yet, most children do not choose to read for pleasure.

Technology has helped to aid in students reading and writing motivation through blog projects, ebooks and online research.

Technology Integration Strategies for English and Language Arts

International Reading Association (2009) and the National Council of Teachers of English are both in strong support of technology in the classroom. There is a growing emphasis on technology supporting literacy instruction. Word fluency and vocabulary development; comprehension and literacy development; the teaching of writing; and learning about literature are all areas believed to benefit from technology integration.

 Online practice in matching letters and sounds.

Support for Word Fluency and Vocabulary Development

Phonemic awareness remains a foundational skill in learning to read.

The ReadWriteThink website Montessori words application BrainPop

Many websites and applications provide interactive practice in these important skills.

Support for Comprehension and Literacy Development

Technologies offer a variety of ways to support both traditional reading comprehension and emerging literacies. Ebooks and interactive stories engage readers by allowing them to notate, highlight and have words they do not know read to them

 There are devices that help students in reading (especially those whose primarily language isnt English).
These are talking word processors that read the words aloud.

Support for Comprehension and Literacy Development (cont.)

Digital storytelling uses images and audio that tell the important events of our lives.
This helps students enrich their literacy development by learning the elements of a story.

Support for Writing Instruction

Strategies for pre-writing these give students ways to organize their thoughts graphically.
Electronic outlining
It is an electronic outliner that generates the headings and subheadings from the typed information that the students give. This helps reorganizes and shifts the students thinking and planning. Its an outline program in the form of a visual map.

Concept mapping

Support for Writing Instruction (cont.)

Encourage students to write.
The internet offers loads of sources to help motivate students to write. There are other programs or websites that offers ways to help students who arent good at starting their essays ideas or ways to start. Students continue to plan, rethink, fix their papers. There are other programs that aid the drafting process by changing some things as they write.

Word processing

Support for Writing Instruction (cont.)

Revision and Editing.
One of the best ways to assist in editing and revising papers is show it on the screen. Model by discussing, analyzing and revising the text together as a class.
Such as Microsofts Word, it underlines misspelled words or checks grammar mistakes. Students tend to find it motivating to write when their work is shared with others.
Theyre able to share it via blogs, websites, multimedia slide shows, etc.

Feedback on student writing and editing.

Digital publishing student work.

Support for Literature Learning

Students need to learn about great works of literature (i.e. Shakespeare, Poe, etc.) They need to learn to read with a critical eye and analysis. 3 strategies for technological uses that support literature learning.
Access online copies of published works (google). Access background info of authors. Support for literary analysis.
Projecting text onto smartboard. Using ereaders to follow along.

Tech-PACK needs and challenges in English and Language Arts

Students need to learn how to read.
i.e. images, videos, blogs, etc.

Not only to read but to interpret the texts meaning in many different formats.

The pack is knowing how and when to use technologies that will help and enhance students writing and reading abilities. This helps address old school and combine with the new and digital age of the internet.

English and Language Arts Content Knowledge

Students still need to read and be able to comprehend their grade level. They must also be able to write and argue their point across in an elegant prose of writing. Since technology is a new facet, teachers now have to think in terms of visual and graphic literacy. In the late future, not only students have to be proficient with reading and writing via paper, but also technologically such as e-readers or iPads.

English and Language Arts Pedagogical Knowledge

According to government reports, about one fourth of children grow up not knowing how to read or write (U.S. Department of Education, 2007). Teaching how to write is difficult already, but having students whose language isnt English, is much more difficult. Most of the statistics come from the many students who enter American schools come from different places of the world. Teachers have to come up with different ways of teaching to help the diverse population to learn how to write.

English and Language Arts Technological Knowledge

In order for teachers to teach their knowledge, they must also be proficient in the new technological tools to use to their advantage. These include:
E-readers Blogs Web pages Presentation software Cameras Video editors Audio editors

Strategies for Improving Tech-PACK in English and Language Arts

Teachers must be able to seek opportunities to help themselves move towards a more technological pedagogy that integrates their subject content. One of the biggest challenges English/Language arts teachers face are new literacies.
They need to learn the new content in digital and informational literacies. They need to update their information and are likely to attend workshops to learn these kinds of things.