Integrating Technology into the Reading and Language Arts K-8

RED 627

Course Description:

The push towards curriculum integration of technology has created a need for teacher training in particular literacy areas. Teachers now need to understand not only the techniques of teaching reading and language arts but also how to incorporate the use of technology into these basic communications areas. Additionally, teachers will need to understand the technical requirements for teaching in a technology –enhanced classroom.

This course has been designed as an introduction to the variety of ways that technology can promote the development of reading, writing, spelling, and mechanics of English language. The rationale for integration of technology into the reading and language arts classroom are explained and translated into actual classroom practice.

This course will guide teachers through a series of research activities through which they can learn the basics of use of the Internet and other electronic tools to support literacy, word processing, and the publishing of student’s works. Additionally, the role of the teacher as a facilitator of learning will be examined.

Teachers will demonstrate mastery of course objectives by designing and completing a multimedia final integration project, ready to use in their teaching. This project will incorporate standards recommended by IRA, NCTE, and ITSE and state Education Offices, activities that are student oriented, use collaborative processes, and a variety of technology tools and techniques. These may include but are not limited to, WebQuests, PowerPoint Presentations, website research and construction, publishing reports, books or other print materials, and use of rubrics for evaluation of end products. ITRL students will be presented with a rubric appraising them of the assignment requirements.

Objectives:

• Use computers, websites and other technology to teach and integrate literacy skills grades K-8
• Understand and explain the theoretical and research basis of using technology to enhance and increase the literacy development of K-8 students.
• Identify and address the major issues surrounding the use of technology integration in classroom learning and teaching.
• Design appropriate curriculum integration projects for K-8 literacy learners.
• Identify and evaluate Internet sites for use in the literacy education of K-8 learners.
• Understand the role of a facilitator of learning and will be able to organize their classrooms to accommodate a more student centered learning environment.
• Collect, bookmark and use many Internet sites that support literacy learning K-8.
• Help students plan, create and produce electronic literacy projects.
• Understand the principles of Web Quests and know how to design one for their individual classrooms.
• Develop a written action plan for helping students to learn how to be safe while using the Internet as a learning tool
• Demonstrate reasonable and responsible policies and procedures for maintaining a kid-safe technology classroom environment.

Time Requirements:

This course will be offered over a 15-week period and includes Modules 1-10. Modules 11-13 are hands on modules during which students will demonstrate their level of competency with course content by completing their preplanned final projects of designing and publishing a class web page, hypermedia presentation for use in their own classroom, and the final technology infused integration units.

Skill and Hardware Requirements:

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials:

Anderson, R.; Grant, B.; & Speck, B. (2008) Technology to teach literacy: A resource for K-8 teachers. (2^nd ed.) ISBN:0-13-198975-8 ã 2008, Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, Columbus, OH.

 “Recommended Reading List” provided and updated for each term. The course content includes many online readings, website reviews, research reading assignments, forum postings and other written projects.

Review and critique of recommended websites provided within the course website. 

Course Outline

Module 1: Literacy Supported by Technology

Objectives:

• Students will evaluate theoretical reasons for using computers in today's reading, language arts classrooms.
• Students will identify issues reading professionals struggle to answer regarding methodology.
• Students will describe the need for keeping abreast of the advances in technology applications in curriculum.

Module 2:Technology Tools To Support Literacy

Objectives:

• Students will appriase the variety of tools that teachers have to use when using technology in the reading language arts classroom.
• Students will discriminate between productivity, multimedia, and communications tools.
• Students will examine how to use productivity, multimedia and communication tools to effectively design instruction for the 21st century.
• Students will examine various educational software products/websites.
• Students will define and identify uses for emerging technology tools such as PDAs and Podcasts

Module 3: Using Technology to Teach Reading

Objectives

• Students will examine the research on using technology in a literacy classroom environment.
• Students will compare and contrast theories such as phonemic awareness, formal phonics instruction, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension instuction
• Students will propose how technology can aid or enhance literacy instruction

Module 4:  Using Technology To Teach Content Reading Strategies

Objectives:   

• Students will differentiate the skills and strategies needed for reading and understanding content reading.
• Students will explore methods of increasing interest in topical reading through use of computers and other technology including publishing.
• Students will explain how technology can aid publishing classroom writing and content reading instruction

Module 5:  Reading, Writing, Spelling and Publishing With Computers inK-8 Classrooms

Objectives:

• Students will outline methods to use computers and the Internet to teach writing, reading and communication skills.
• Students will find and effectively use authors' websites to enhance literature based reading instruction.
• Students will develop a set of principles for evaluating appropriateness and usefulness of Internet sites.
• Students will explore the value of publishing K-8 students written works.
• Students will demonstrate how this writing and publishing can lead to greater achievement and interest in the standard conventions of spelling, grammar and writing styles, and techniques.

Module 6: Using the Internet in Literacy Learning K – 8

Objectives: 

• Students will examine the research on using the Internet in a classroom environment.
• Students will assess issues such as achievement, safety, and management when using technology in teaching.
• Students will compare and contrast theories on how use of the Internet supports literacy growth.
• Students will create activities that effectively use the Internet in their classrooms while promoting a safe environment for students.
• Students will examine ISTE standards designed to support technology instruction.
• Students will compare and cntrast concepts such as the "Big 6," Media Literacy, and digital sources.
• Students will explain how to use these concepts to teach literacy.
• Students will define and identify plagiarism, copyright, and intellectual property.

Module 7: Technology – Enhanced ESL Instruction and Learning in K – 8 Classrooms

Objectives:

• Students will identify how to meet the needs of student's whose first language is different from English.
• Students will explain the need for teachers in the USA to communicate with their students who may speak Spanish, French, German or many of the other world languages.
• Students will explore the concepts of teaching ESL students in the regular classroom using technology.
• Students will create activities that integrate computer and other technology resources for both teachers and ESL learners.
• Students will interpret the laws and guidelines concerning ESL students and their rights to access to education.

Module 8: Technology Instruction for Struggling Readers

Objectives:

• Students will create activities that use computers to teach, assess, and motivate disabled readers.
• Students will explain how to meet the needs of all readers who struggle and achieve below grade level reading and literacy skills.
• Students will explain how technology provides help to give these struggling learners a fresh start, immediate feedback, and repeated reading opportunities to help them become better readers.

Module 9: Struggling Readers and Technology What Research Says  

Objectives:

• Students will analyze the findings of major research on the use of technology with struggling readers.
• Students will develop methods for using technology to improve reading strategies, skills, and motivation to read.
• Students will incorporate methods of developing greater fluency, word identification strategies, and writing skills.

Module 10:The Planning of Your Technology Enhanced Classroom

Objectives:

• Students will use concepts/information learned in this course to write a plan to incorporate the use of computers in their literacy instruction/assessment in their own classroom.
• Students will write their rationale for including computers into their literacy instruction.
• Students will complete a prospectus and rationale of what they will include on their class web page.

Module 11:

Objectives

• Using the information gained in this course, ITRL students will design, create and submit/publish a classroom web page.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of safety guidelines, students' rights to privacy, the efficacy of publishing students works, communication with parents and the community at large, resources for meeting the needs of all students including ESL and Struggling Readers, and Information on the classroom, assignments, events and areas being studied in both the design and rationale for their website.
• Students will set aside an area (hyperlink) for the publishing of their final integration project in their class web page.

Module 12: Multi-media Presentations

Objectives:

• • Students will develop a 10 slide PowerPoint or HyperStudio presentation of a reading topic.
  • Students will analyze graphic principles for effective multi-media educational presentations.
  • Students will examine models of presentations to learn the best elements of design and effective use.

• Module 13: The Final Project

  Objectives

  • Students will complete the final integration project.
   

  Grading Criteria

  Assignment	Points
  Forum Discussions (5 @ 10)	50
  Weekly Assignments (10@10)	100
  Project 1:  Writing Project (Module 5)	25
  Project 2:  Annotated List of Web Sites (Module 7)	25
  Project 3:  Technology Integrated Lesson Plan (Module 10)	25
  Project 4:  Class Web Page Published (Module 11)	25
  Project 5:  Multi-Media Presentation (Module 12)	25
  Project 6:  Final Integration Project  (Module 13)	25
  Total Points	300

  Grading Scale

  300 - 279	A
  278 - 255	B
  254 - 231	C<

  Bibliography of Recommended Reading

  Anderson, L. S. (2005)  Podcasting: Transforming middle schoolers into middle scholars." The Journal (Technological Horizons in Education), Vol. 33, No. 5, pp 42-43.

  Hobbs, R. & Frost, R. (2003) "Measuring the acquisition of media-literacy skills," Reading Research Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp 330-355.

  Grant, M. M. (2002) "Getting a gripon project-based learning: Theory, cases and recommendations.
  A Middle School Technologies Journal, Vol. 5, (Winter) available at http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2002/514/index.html  Retrieved August 10, 2007.

  Lee, Y. & Vail, C. O.  (2005) "Computer-based reading instruction for young children with disabilities.  Journal of Special Education Technology, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp 5-18.

  Read-Write-Think, http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=152  Poetry portfolios: Using poetry to teach reading and writing. Retrieved August 10, 2007.

  SEIR-TEC, Technology in reading instruction,

                           http://www.serve.org/seir-tec/publications/NewsWire/Vol6.1.pdf   Retrieved August 10, 2007.

  Wepman, S. B., Valmont, W. J. & Thurlow, R. (Eds.) (2000) Linking literacy and technology: A guide for K-8 Classrooms. Newark, DE.International Reading Association.