Integrating Technology Tools into the Literacy Curriculum

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Integrating Technology Tools into the Literacy
Curriculum Day School Professional Developmen
t Day on Differentiated Instruction June 25, 2
007 Dr. Judith Zorfass Partnerships for Excelle
nce in Jewish Education Education Development Cen
ter, Inc.
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Goals of the Session

• Identify entry points for integrating software
  tools into the curriculum
  
• Learn about and discuss selected software tools
• Think ahead to implementation

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Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions
• Three Entry Points to Consider
• Free, Web-based Tools
• Resources
• Selected Examples
• Published Software Tools
• Resources
• Selected Examples
• Toward Implementation

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Three Entry Points
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Students Abilities and Needs
Curriculum Instructional Goals
Software Tools
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Entry Points for Technology Use

• Curriculum and Instructional Goals
• What are the curriculum goals for that grade and
  content area?
  
• What are the instructional strategies will you
  use?
  
• Students Abilities and Needs
• What are the students abilities and needs?
• What are the implications for goals and
  strategies?
  
• Software Tools
• What are the features of the tools?
• How do these features align with the goals,
  strategies, and students abilities and needs?
  
• Where and when can students access the technology
  tools?

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Free, Web-based Tools
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Resource 1

• Read, Write, Think
• http//www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.as
  p
  
• Created by NCTE, IRA, and Marco Polo provides
  many activities and lessons.
  

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Example 1

• Bio-Cube
• http//readwritethink.org/materials/bio_cube/

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Example 2

• Acrostic Poems
• http//www.readwritethink.org/materials/acrostic/

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Example 3

• Character Trading Cards
• http//readwritethink.org/materials/trading_cards/

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Example 4

• Comic Creator
• http//www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/inde
  x.html

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Resource 2

• Literacy Matters
• http//www.literacymatters.org
• Focuses on literacy development in grades 4-12,
  provides links to articles, tools, and other
  resources.

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Example 1

• RhymeZone
• http//www.rhymezone.com/
• Tool to locate rhymes, synonyms, and definitions.

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Example 2

• Voycabulary
• http//www.voycabulary.com/
• Makes the words on any webpage into links, so
  you can look them up with just a click, in a
  dictionary of your choice.

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Example 3

• Aesops Fables Online Collection
• http//www.aesopfables.com/
• Provides access to many fables, and the moral
  many of which are read aloud.

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Example 4

• 2learn.ca
• http//www.2learn.ca/webauthoringtool/kidscreateyo
  urpage.html
  
• Provides students with tools for developing a
  webpage.

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Example 5

• Student Activity for Teaching Text Structure
• http//www.literacymatters.org/teachers/activity.h
  tm
  
• Three different tutorials to teach text
  structure (compare and contrast cause and
  effect).

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Check-in

• Which software tools did you check off? Why?
• Who will you share this with?
• What might you do as a next step?

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Selected Published Software Tools
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Resource

• CITEd Center for Implementing Technology in
  Education (http//www.CITEd.org)
  
• http//www.nationaltechcenter.org/matrix/default.a
  sp
  
• A matrix listing software programs and providing
  information about characteristics.
  
• Building Skills and Comprehension
• Converting Text to Speech
• Providing Text in Alternate Formats
• Providing Electronic Resources
• Organizing Ideas
• Integrating Literacy Supports

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Example 1

• Inspiration/Kidspiration
• http//www.inspiration.com/freetrial/index.cfm
• Allows students and teachers to make graphic
  webs to link ideas can add graphics can create
  an online.
  
• Also see http//www.inspiration.com/resources/in
  dex.cfm?fuseactioninspired_sites.kids_reading

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Features of Inspiration I. Can move text around
II. Use of graphics III. Change fonts and
text features a. Create an outline b. Link i
deas
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Example 2

• Read OutLoud
• http//www.donjohnston.com
• Can have text read aloud, highlight text, drag
  text over to answer reading comprehension
  questions, and take notes.
  

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Example 3

• DraftBuilder
• http//www.donjohnston.com
• Students can create outlines, see a concept map,
  take notes, and prepare a draft.

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Example 4

• Write OutLoud and CoWriter
• http//www.donjohnston.com
• Talking word processor and word-prediction
  software.

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Example 5

• SOLO
• http//www.donjohnston.com
• Combines ReadOutLoud, DraftBuilder,
  WriteOutLoud, and Co-Writer.

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Example 6

• Visual Thesaurus
• http//www.visualthesaurus.com
• Builds word knowledge by allowing the student to
  look up a word directly from a piece of
  electronic text. The tool provides a visual array
  of word meanings in web format.

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Clicking on exercise will make it the new
center, revealing its definitions and word
relationships.

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Actions include Pronounce Word, Search Internet
(for content), Search for Images (internet
images), Expand Selection (revealing more words
and relationships), Make Center (the same as a
single click).
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For example, Search for Images will pull up
Google Images of the word in question.

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Check-in

• Which software tools did you check off? Why?
• Who will you share this with?
• What might you do as a next step?

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Toward Implementation
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Factors to Consider

• Staffing
• Budget
• Access to Resources
• Professional Development
• Home-School Connection

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Planning

• What tools are you interested in pursuing?
• Why?
• For whom?
• What will it take?
• For you?
• For staff?
• For students?
• For parents?