Minds-on “New Literacies Definition and Components

Which ideas from the video reflect what the ELA teachers you interviewed are currently doing to integrate technology with their literacy instruction?

The teacher I interviewed a couple of teachers from New Windsor School.  The first teacher, Heather, is a reading specialist. Although Heather is currently using some types of technology in her program, I do not think it is enough to be considered part of the new illiteracies.  She uses the smartboard with her lessons but she admits to not integrating technology they way she wish she could.  She says that she spends a large portion of her days DIBELING students, or teaching other teachers to DIBEL or do Running Records. 

The second teacher I interviewed is named Michelle and she is a third grade inclusion teacher. She has two computers in her classroom but has access to the computer lab.  She does some research projects that involve “Internet Scavenger Hunts”.  They are given a list of websites and options are told to locate information to help answer the teacher created questions.  The students have to research their project and then create a presentation using PowerPoint to communicate their findings.

How can you help change their instructional practices to include the use of technology and the Internet in their literacy and content-area curriculum?

I can help giving them my link to my delicious bookmark and then show them some of great tools I have stored there.  I can also show them how to create a blog and encourage them to use it.  I can work with them to incorporate digital storytelling within their blog.  

What professional development and/or resources will they need in order to make these changes?

They would need to be trained on how to create a digital story while incorporating different types media styles within, for example, how to insert pictures, videos and voice threads.

What ideas do you have for grouping students so they will have equal access to technology in the classroom?

I would like to create small groups and have them rotate through stations or learning centers.  As teachers, it is important for us to differentiate our instruction and what better way then through stations.  Another idea would be to create teams of students with different strong points. They can work off each other and contribute their strengths to the group work.