Teaching in the big wired world

Goal #3- Literacy

To learn how to integrate technology into Literacy / Enhance teacher confidence and use of ICT in Literacy through peer coaching.

My learning took the following course:

• commenced researching online literacy resources
• Read the following chapters in from Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (Roblyer  2006): Chapter 4: Teaching with the Basic Three Software Tools, Chapter 8: Integrating the Internet into the Curriculum, Chapter 9: Technology in English and Language Arts Instruction.
• added discovered literacy websites using a literacy tag in delicious bookmarks
• developed a wiki on literacy resources available on the internet
• promoted literacy websites at school through the use of Website of the Week (WotW) flyers near the photocopier. View here: WOTW- www.writingfix.com
• utilized online literacy resources (such as http://www.rainforestmaths.com’s  Writing Fun site) in my own classroom and shared these with the other teachers through formal and informal peer coaching
• provided formal and informal peer coaching (in ICT integration in Literacy programs) across a range of year levels
• trialled the use of laptops in the writing process
• developed a unit on advertising and persuasive writing using the Technology Integration Planning (TIP) Model. View the unit here:technology-integration-planning-model

I have included the above links to demonstrate my learning in integrating ICT into Literacy. I have viewed different angles when approaching this task, word processing, internet and web2.0.

I found the laptop test very interesting, I trialled the use of laptops during the wiring process to enhance writing features including length of written texts, quality of written texts, grammar, punctuation and student enthusiasm and engagement. I supplied a laptop to 2 students in each literacy group and allowed them to type the storied directly on to a prepared template (using a locked form). The students then had to print their writing and edit them normally, adjust their word documents and print. The benefits were outstanding: the students were highly engaged and motivated, they wrote more and they were more interesting in improving their writing (probably because when they deleted text they could not see a visual representation of the work they had ‘wasted.’)

There were several questions along the way: how would I select the students? Would I use locked forms (which would mean the spelling errors would NOT be underlined) how would the editing occur? etc.

It turns out that doing it in a locked form meant that the students who have terrible spelling were not put off by their countless spelling mistakes. They were happy to edit them, knowing it just meant a few presses of the backspace button and typing the new letters. The students also constantly requested to finish their writing pieces- which was contrary to normal.

In future, I would use t laptops for writing again, however I would trial using locked forms for lower students and unlocked forms for middle ad top students. I would also like to trial emailing and using the reviewing features of word (a whole new lesson for the students!). Perhaps I will be able to trial this next year if the 1:1 laptop plan comes to fruition.

As in the web2.0 studies, the peer mentoring has been both formal and informal. The WOTW has provided me with an informal avenue into MANY teacher’s classrooms. I display the weekly flyer above the photocopier (with tear off web addresses on the bottom). I have found that it provides excellent opportunities for staff to talk about the benefits of websites. It has started many great discussions around the morning tea table- ‘what are you using wordle for?’ ‘How have you used this site’ etc. This provided me with a way of ‘getting into classrooms’ that I never would have had time for otherwise.

Resources:

• Roblyer, M.D. (2006) Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching. Fourth Ed. New Jersey, Pearson Education.

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