Julie+Terry-Resources

**Resource 1:**
Dail, J. (2001). Responding to the new issues in literacy instruction. //Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education// [Online serial] //, 1// (4) //.// Available: []


 * Summary and Critique: ** This article written by Jennifer Dail, seems to be a response to another article, //Amazon, eBooks, and Teaching Texts//, written by Barbara Pace. It discusses the importance of readers being able to engage in the texts they read and use metacognitive strategies to understand what they read. This fact is also connected to the use of eBooks and other online resources to provide opportunities to engage with text. I thought it was very interesting that the author brought up the point of simply selecting which online resource to use requires thought and problem solving. Dail says, “A search for a class or group of texts, as Pace described, complemented by the vast information available on these sites requires readers to engage in several levels of problem solving, to slow down and take a moment to canister various books and question why they are considering some books over others.” This quote stood out to me because as a 4th grade teacher, I have realized how important it is for students to be able to determine what type of web resource will provide them with valid information.

The article goes on to describe several concerns with technology, many of those similar to what we have already discussed in this class, one being the availability and access to internet for all students, which is definitely an issue. One thing that I did not agree with is Dail’s opinion that an e-reader cannot provide opportunities for students to share passages or curl up with a bunch of pillows. After reading this section, I had to go back and check when this article was written. It turns out that it was written in 2001, well before all of the recent upgrades in e-readers. I know from experience that it is definitely possible to share passages as well as curl up with today’s e-readers. While I think that this author has valid points, I think the overall article is outdated. Some of the concerns she as are still concerns today, but other issues have been resolved with the invention of the Nook, Kindle, and Ipad. It was kind of crazy to think about how far we have come in such a short amount of time!

** Resource 2: **
Pytash, K. (2012, MAY 11). //Exploring e-readers in literacy acquisition and instruction//. Retrieved from []


 * Summary and Critique: ** This article references a survey that was done by people 16 and older regarding their reading habits, specifically with e-readers. This article points out some interesting findings of the study, including that 30% of e-reader users spend more time reading than they previously did. They also mention that purchases of these e-readers are up, suggesting that more people are reading.

This article brings up questions that I am sure most teachers of literacy have asked themselves at least once. Does the fact that the book is on a screen and read through technology increase the chance for reluctant readers to engage in reading more? This question is something that I am really interested in. As an elementary teacher I want all my students to leave my room with a love of reading, even if they are not at grade level. Using technology such as e-readers helps the kids engage in reading in a more fun and different way. All of this helps getting kids hooked! Overall, this article did not really teach me anything new but rather re-affirmed my thinking and desire to incorporate more of this in my classroom.

**Resource 3:**
// Barone, D., & Wright, T.E. (2008, December). Literacy Instruction With Digital and Media Technologies. The Reading Teacher, 62(4), 292ï¿½302. doi: 10.1598/RT.62.4.2 // []


 * __ Summary and Critique: __** This article is rather long, but it provides excellent resources about how to incorporate technology into a literacy rich classroom. It includes real situations from a 4th grade classroom, which was really interesting to me, as I also teach 4th grade. Each student in Todd Wright’s classroom is issued a laptop computer to use in and out of the classroom for the year. There were so many parts of this article that I thought were amazing. One was simply how the day begins in this classroom. The students check in by logging on to the computers and update their computers with the files that the teacher has sent to them. They also use a class website to check for homework and other assignments. Their version of “think, pair, share” is done using Instant Messenger. This is so cool to me! However, it does make me wonder what about those students who do not have the typing skills? As I read on, Wright addresses this and does admit there was a learning curve. Their whole school has devoted part of the educational experience to developing the tech skills for these students.

Reading the entire article, a few points that I want to drive home include Mr. Wright’s use of technology as an innovative way to interact with school- both academic content as well as building citizenship in the realm of technology. The laptops are ways to “compliment and extend” the traditional teaching methods. He does touch on the funding issues as well as the other challenges that come along with technology and I appreciate how the author mentions that there is much more work to do in this area. The article speaks about how there is a greater need for documentation of this transition to 1:1 technology from real life teachers in the field. It helps lay down a road map for others who are wanting to try this. Reading this article has inspired me to try to incorporate more technology into the content learning that occurs in my classroom next year!