Integrating Technology and Early Literacy Instructional Strategies for Children, Teachers, and Families

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Integrating Technology and Early Literacy
Instructional Strategies for Children, Teachers,
and Families

• Patti Hutinger
• Carol Bell
• Linda Robinson
• Denita Clover

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Projects

• Early Childhood Emergent Literacy Research
  Project
• Literacy Demonstration (ITLC)
• LitTECH Interactive Outreach
• Early Childhood Emerging Literacy Technology
  Curriculum (ELITEC)
• LitTECH Outreach

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Research

• Qualitative three year research study involved
  eight early childhood sites in Illinois 8
  teachers and 255 children in 16 half-day
  preschool classes in rural and urban Illinois)
• Four different types of classrooms
• New to technology
• Technology familiar classroom
• Technology familiar classroom (Observation/control
  site)
• No Technology (Observation/control site)

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Key Findings of Research

• Carried on conversations
• Acquiried socialization and communication skills
• Used appropriate vocabulary
• Articulated key concepts
• Identified environmental print
• Attended
• Shared/Took turns

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Key Findings of Research

• Made judgments
• Solved problems
• Used related literacy materials
• Listened
• Predicted sequence and outcomes
• Looked at or reading a book

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Effective Instructional Strategies

• Appropriate software
• Curriculum integration with adaptations
• Management strategies
• Consistent with NRC Recommendations

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Software

• Three types of software
• Story based software
• Tool and graphics software
• Authoring/Multimedia programs

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Early Learning Standards

• Reading
• Shows beginning understanding of concepts about
  print
• Begins to develop knowledge about letters
• Demonstrates phonological awareness
• Comprehends and responds to stories read aloud
• Shows appreciation for books and reading

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Early Learning Standards

• Writing
• Uses letter like shapes, symbols, and letters to
  convey meaning
• Represents ideas and stories through pictures,
  diction, and play
• Understands purposes for writing

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Establishing and Maintaining

• Investigate
• implementation and
• maintenance in multiple settings
• Compare results to original research results

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3 Components of the Model

• Curriculum
• Technical Assistance to Teachers
• Technical Assistance to Families

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Participants over 3 years

• 17 classrooms, 18 teachers, 438 children
• 7 classrooms early childhood special education
• 7 pre-kindergarten at risk
• 3 inclusive programs
• Teaching experience ranges from 4 - 25 years

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Treatment Groups

• Group 1 (G1) 3 classrooms Year 1 (2 continued in
  Years 2 and 3) received training and follow-up
  Years 2 3
• Group 2A (G2A) 5 classrooms in Year 2 3
• Group 2B (G2B) 2 classrooms that participated in
  Year 3
• Group 3 (G3) 7 classrooms whose teachers had
  prior experience with model
• Group 4 (G4) comparison classroom in Year 3

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Findings across both studies

• Carries on a conversation
• Makes judgments
• Listens
• Attends
• Predicts sequence and outcomes
• Shares/Takes turns

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Findings continued

• Social interaction among children
• Social interaction between children and adults
• Uses appropriate vocabulary
• Solves problems
• Uses related literacy materials

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Conclusions

• Need for support through technical assistance and
  follow-up after training
• Changes in childrens learning influences
  effective implementation
• Takes the passage of a generous amount of time to
  implement an innovation (more than one or two
  years of training)

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Maintenance

• Compared G1 teachers with G3 teachers in Year 1
• No significant differences between childrens
  individual literacy at beginning of study or
  their behavior interactions (one exception)
• Both groups made significant but similar gains

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Taking a deeper look

• G3 teachers participated in training and
  follow-up in subsequent years
• Children started at a higher level
• Outperformed other groups
• Teachers started earlier
• Teachers used more elements of the model
• Twice as much literature based software
• Two thirds more graphic and writing software
• Greater use of authoring programs

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Results demonstrated

• Technology provides access to literacy activities
• Integrated curricular approach used in the model
  offered a meaningful context for learning
• Children with disabilities as well as children at
  risk made gains in aspects of both literacy and
  technology use

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Early Reading First

• Positive impact on
• print knowledge
• letter knowledge,
• No impact on
• phonological awareness
• oral language.

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Early Childhood Technology Integrated
Instructional System (EC-TIIS)

• Phase 3 Steppingstones Project
• Based on Phase 1 and Phase 2 Projects
• Evidence-Based Content

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EC-TIIS Website Content

• Nine Online Workshops
• Adaptations
• Computer Environment
• Curriculum Integration
• Emergent Literacy
• Expressive Arts
• Family Participation
• Math/Science/Social Studies
• Software
• Technology Assessment

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EC-TIIS Website Content

• Combination of
• Activities
• Links
• PDF files
• Information
• Resources
• Performance Indicators

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EC-TIIS Web Site

• Registration/LogIn
• Main Menu
• Site Map

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EC-TIIS Workshops

• Emergent Literacy
• Introduction
• Position Statements on Early Literacy
• Emergent Literacy Concepts
• Stages of Writing
• Designing the Environment
• Labeling
• Designing Centers for Literacy
• Management Techniques

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EC-TIIS Workshops

• Emergent Literacy
• Technology Integration
• Interactive Commercial Software
• Green Eggs and Ham activity - pdf
• Tool Use Software
• Kid Pix
• Adaptations/Customization
• Adapted Books
• Computer Adaptations

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EC-TIIS Workshops

• Emergent Literacy
• Assessment
• Creating Portfolios with Authoring Software
• Assessment Instruments

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EC-TIIS Groups

• Early Childhood Special Educators
• Head Start Educators
• Child Care Providers
• Families
• University Faculty
• University Students
• Extended

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Phase 3 Design

• 3 related multistrand mixed model studies
• Study 1
• Make comparisons to EC-TIIS 2 findings
• Determine effectiveness of workshops on large
  number of diverse users
• Answer exploratory research questions related to
  web site use
• Participants are Educators, Families, and
  Extended groups

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Study 1 Measures

• Technology Survey
• Classroom Use of Technology
• Family Use of Technology
• Pre and Post Workshop Assessments
• Exit Survey

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Phase 3 Design

• Study 2
• Confirm and compare the findings of Study 1
• Randomly select participants from Study 1
• Educators and Extended who complete 3 workshops
• Families who complete 1 workshop

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Study 2 Measures

• Interviews - Teachers, Families
• Samples of Child Products
• Digital Pictures
• Video
• Interesting Incident Reports
• Action Plans

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Phase 3 Design

• Study 3
• Explore, confirm and compare findings related to
  use of workshops as
• supplement to university courses
• stand-alone graduate course

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Study 3 Measures

• Faculty
• Survey
• Questionnaire
• Student
• Survey
• Workshop Pre and Post Assessments
• Workshop Exit Survey
• Performance Indicators

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Data Analysis Procedures

• Data from Online Surveys downloaded directly into
  MySQL database
• Transferred into SPSS for analysis

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Participant Positions N1280
Position n
University Student 266 20.8
Early Childhood Educator 230 18.0
Other 189 14.8
Administrator 145 11.3
Early Childhood Special Educator 133 10.4
Child Care Provider 109 8.5
University Faculty 106 8.3
Family Member 29 2.3
Head Start Educator 28 2.2
Support Personnel 25 2.0
Program Assistant 20 1.6
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Participant Locations N1280
State n Percent
Illinois 268 20.9
Florida 101 7.9
Outside U.S. / Military 99 7.7
North Carolina 97 7.6
Ohio 67 5.2
California 52 4.1
Michigan 52 4.1
New York 52 4.1
Texas 35 2.7
Kentucky 32 2.5
South Carolina 29 2.3
Pennsylvania 28 2.2
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Emergent Literacy Workshop Assessment Results
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Emergent Literacy Workshop Assessment Results
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Credit Options

• Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
• Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs)
• Certificate of Completion
• Graduate Course - IDT 573

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Center Website

• www.wiu.edu/thecenter