Digital Resources for Literacy

Why integrate technology into instruction and student practice?
What is your Why for Technology Use in Defining Your Future?
Please enter your team's thoughts and response to this question in this LinoIt Pad.
But...
Our objective: To provide tools, PD & teaching ideas, and model strategies of using technology tools for engagement and participation so participants will leave this session with resources to use at their site for direct instruction, student independent practice and reinforcement, and continued professional development. Handout

Tools for Teachers for On-going Professional Development, Teaching Resources, Trainings
Doing What Works
We make it easy to find research-based practices.  Our mission is to translate research-based practices into practical tools to improve classroom instruction. Sections include: Data-Driven Improvement, Quality Teaching, Literacy, Math and Science, Comprehensive Support, and Early Childhood. Videos, slideshows and tools for using proven teaching practices. Based on the findings of the What Works Clearinghouse.
Florida Center for Reading Research
Research on reading, reading growth, reading assessment, and reading instruction; disseminate information about research-based practices related to literacy instruction and assessment for children in pre-school through 12th grade; conduct applied research that will have an immediate impact on policy and practices; to provide technical assistance for the improvement of literacy outcomes in students from pre-K through 12th grade.
Reading Rockets
A national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. It is comprised of PBS television programs, available on videotape and DVD; online services, including the websites ReadingRockets.org and ColorinColorado.org; and professional development opportunities.
A free field-tested professional development toolkit designed to help leadership teams and teachers elevate classroom instruction and improve student outcomes.  Great videos demonstrating application of 21st Century and H.O.T. skills.
What Works Clearinghouse
A central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education.
Arizona Technology Integration Matrix (AZTIM) Assess the level and quality of your technology integration *

iTunes Podcasts
Search the Store for video and audio podcasts on best practices.  Eg: Literacy 2.0
 Edutopia.org 
(George Lucas Foundation) PBL-focus with many classroom examples in video and discussion format
 Verizon Thinkfinity
Aggregator
of lesson plans, resources, activities and interactives. Search by standard.
 Live.classroom20.com
Learn about almost any technology applied in a classroom from real teachers and researchers in webinar form. Archives are searchable.


These two categories mix together depending on classroom, school access and of course, teacher style
Tools for Instruction
Interactives, lessons, projects, webquests, writing reviser and more.  Available in IDEAL. Login on the student side with "teachaz."
Thinkfinity from Verizon
Intel's Unit Plan Index for Language Arts
Videos:  Discovery Close Captions, YouTube, SchoolTube, TeacherTube
Interactive Whiteboard User Group Shared Files: Promethean Planet, SMARTTech (iTunes has great instructional videos)

Pssss! Don't get distracted playing with Vokis!

Tools for Learning
SAS Curriculum Pathways for 7-12+ grades and includes an amazing writing revisor that anyone would benefit from using. 
The English section includes the following sections further broken into the described subsections 
  • Language: words, parts of speech, syntax, logic and consistency, usage and conventions, variety and style
  • Communication Skills:  Reading: Dreams & Inspirations, Reading: Events & Issues, Reading: Struggle & Growth, Writing: Process, Writing: Structure & Mode, Writing: Argument, Writing: Imaginative Forms, Listening & Speaking, Critical Thinking
  • Literary Genres:  Biography, Drama, Epic, Mythology, Folklore, Novel, Poetry, Short Story, Science Fiction, Fantasy
  • Literature: American, English and World with their respective focuses ~ 9+ areas within each
Login on the student side with "teachaz," "learnaz" for student use.  We recommend opening a subscription for your school/district (free).

Comprehension and Fluency
Audacity  for recording and editing audio (free download) PimaRSC wiki page about Podcasting and Audacity
PhotoStory3 incorporate images, music, voice and text (free download) PimaRSC site about PS3 & Digital Storytelling
Voice Recorder in Accessories menu of computer
VoiceThread like an audio blog, record voice or type on an image and share (3 for free)
Into the Book * videos, student activities, teacher lessons and forum (more information at the bottom of this page)
Vocabulary
Image Search by Synonym Activity
Wordle.net/create to surround a vocabulary word with its key words (more Wordle ideas for the Classroom)
Listening
iTunes Podcasts and accompanying text, especially University of Southern Florida
Storyline Online streaming video of Screen Actors' Guild reading children's stories
Writing
Five Card Flickr use images dealt like poker hand to write a descriptive piece
PicLits Place text on an image either by part of speech or free verse
ReadWriteThink resources (housed in Verizon Thinkfinity**) to organize like Persuasion Map, Compare & Contrast Map, etc.
Writing Fun text organizers for 6-12
Tell a Story in Five (Flickr Educators group creation)
Make Belief Comix - simple, 3 panel, great for elementary with lesson plans
Comic Creator - from ReadWriteThink - 1,2 ,3 & 6 Panel
Thinking about Blogging?  Reasons to Blog (Vicki Davis)
Writing and Collaboration
Wikis - website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages. Wikis are often used collaboratively by multiple users.
Recommended wikis:  PBWorks (example of PBWorks) and Wikispaces (Wikispaces example) because they do not require students to have email accounts to have access.
This site is Google's version of a wiki.  It is called a Google Site and serves the same purpose, looks nicer, but is more difficult to use.

Debrief:  As professional developers, what do you need to better train or inform your colleagues on effective practices for meeting literacy needs?  Use this Google spreadsheet to list out some resources you are searching for to share with teachers.  One person from your team is enlisted to record and post the resources you found in the above sites to meet the needs.

Closing: Go to PicLits and chose an image.  Use the freestyle writing to answer the Question: Why Use Technology When Defining Your Future?

Into the Book is a multimedia package from Wisconsin Educational Communications Board designed to improve students' reading comprehension, as well as their ability to think and learn across the curriculum. Based on current research, the project focuses on eight learning strategies:Using prior knowledge, Making connections, Questioning, Visualizing, Inferring, Summarizing, Evaluating, Synthesizing.  It includes:
  • student Web site featuring interactive reading comprehension activities
  • teacher Web site featuring music, video clips, classroom design ideas, posters, teacher guides, lesson plans and lots more
  • Into the Book video series: nine 15-minute classroom videos teaching children how to be strategic readers
  • Behind the Lesson video series: nine 10-minute professional development videos that model effective ways of teaching the learning strategies
** Verizon Thinkfinity - some of my favorite Thinkfinity resources





Subpages (1): Images for Vocabulary