Technology &

Literacy
Using Tech to Increase Literacy in the Elementary Classroom

Rationale
Technology o ers educators unprecedented access to applications that allow us easily to
craft activities for our speci c students. Rather than relying on worksheets or workbooks
that, by their nature, must be generic enough to apply to a large swath of students, we can
create activities that meet each of our students where they are in their development of
literacy. “Increased access to learning and to more and better information resources,
availability of alternative media to accommodate di erent learning strategies, increased
motivation to learn, and potential for both individualized and cooperative learning” are
among the many reasons to incorporate technology into literacy instruction (Hawkins,
2010, pg. 11).These applications o er new and engaging ways to grow our students' voices.
Learning outcomes can be accomplished in a number of di erent ways because
information is not limited to the textbook; therefore, topics and student products can be
di erentiated based on literacy level and student interests. Most importantly, technology
grants teachers accessible, interesting, and student-friendly options to "increase student
engagement, thus allowing students the educational opportunities of the 21st century and
helping them gain the skills necessary to be successful in today’s society" (Hawkins, 2010,
pg. 35).
This handout will address how technology can be used to teach reading and writing, as well
as collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and evaluation,

After exploring this handout, teachers will be able to...

identify the need to incorporate technology into daily instruction.

implement strategies and techniques to get the most out of technology in the
classroom.
incorporate useful applications into their instruction.
encourage parents to help develop digital literacy in their children at home.

(Image Source: pablo.bu er.com)

Traditional Literacy

Reading, Writing, Listening,

and Speaking
According to Teaching Reading and Writing, "literacy is the
ability to read and write. Reading is thinking guided by print
(Calkins, 2000), and writing is using print to guide the
thinking of others" (Templeton & Gehsmann, 2014, pg. 3). At
its base, literacy is about communication, with the reciprocal
processes of reading/writing and listening/speaking as its
essential skills.

New technologies can be used to support these skills.

"Computer-assisted programs (CAP) in basic literacy skills,"
says Alissa B. Hawkins, "can include playing games, decision
making, purposeful interactions, and sca olding tools" which
assist with "students’ development of phonics, phonemic
awareness, spelling, comprehension and vocabulary" (2010,
pg. 13). Students nd electronic texts and media more
compelling because they are interactive and "allow readers
to have a more active role when reading the text" (2010, pg.
14). Additionally, writing skills improve with "multimedia
sca olding" which take students "from a draft to a nal
written product with ease" (2010, pg. 15).

(Image Source: pixabay.com)

 Success Tip 1:
Use Digital
Storybooks
Digital Storybooks are "shown
to increase comprehension,
ability to retell and help create
meaning-making responses
[...] vocabulary has increased
along with uency" (Hawkins,
2010, pg. 13). Even better,
digital storybooks are one of
the easiest technologies to
introduce into the classroom.
They turn static, paper texts
into interactive narratives!
Success Tip 2:
Offer
Authentic
Writing
Opportunities
When students are given
opportunities to write about
relevant, real-world events for
a real audience, "students
were more motivated to
produce and complete quality
written assignments [...].
Publishing writing pieces on
the Internet provided the
students with a purpose and
an audience on which to
focus their writing" (Hawkins,
2010, pg. 16). Blogs, online
reviews, editorials, and e-
mails are among the
authentic writing students
can produce.
Success Tip 3:
Don't Forget
Tech Routines
Make your technology
experiences easier by
teaching routines for
technology use in the
classroom. Students need to
know -- and practice! --
procedures for moving
around the room, beginning
and ending the day, storing
devices. Such "classroom
management knowledge
includes rules and procedures
pertaining to computers,
printers, monitors, laptops
and Smart boards" (Hawkins,
2010, pg. 7).

Why bother with technology?

Despite "the ubiquity of interactive written discourse in work and leisure," very few primary
classrooms o er technology for use to the same extent (Burnett, 2006, pg. 14). Our
students have grown up with technology at their ngertips, literally. These students will not
grow up to work in factory settings. "Evidence that digital natives learn in ways di erent
from their predecessors warrants an understanding of technology’s role" (Dietrich, 2014,
pg. 22), an understanding on the part of administrators and teacher that "technology in the
classroom grabs attention because it o ers novelty and variety compared to lessons taught
in a traditional manner" (Dietrich, 2014, pg. 29).
Tech Literacy: Exploring Tools Through Content
Success Tip 4: Success Tip 5: Success Tip 6:
Let Student Explore Hand Over the
Pick and Diversity in Reins
Choose Backgrounds Avoid the pitfall of
perfunctory technology use.
Increased motivation can be and Interests Using technology solely for
seen in students who are
"By drawing on culturally the sake of using technology
allowed to have a voice in the
inclusive texts and subject ends up being counter
topics they learn about and
matter, the students [in one productive. "Without
allowed to have a choice in
study] were better positioned incorporating other engaging
how they use technology.
to engage in authentic literacy qualities such as student
Students who have
practices with technologies" control or choice, students
technology options report
(Mills, 2011, pg. 83) Students can become increasingly
“willingness” and "desire to
given the opportunity to disengaged," (2014, pg. 24)
get to work," seeing those
explore their own says Dietrich. Students nd it
options as “incentives" and
backgrounds, to select their thrilling to use technology in
“rewards” (Hawktins, 2010, pg.
own research topics based on class when they are the ones
25). Set up technology
interests, and to select digital leading the charge. Interactive
stations for students explore,
products to showcase their technologies encourage
play games, work with others.
writing will be more engaged active participation, and
O er a variety of devices for
and produce better writing students enjoy the
students to select what works
artifacts. opportunity for hands-on
best for them.
involvement.

New Digital Literacy Skills

What are the new digital

literacy skills?
According to The National Council of Teachers of English
"Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and
communicative practices shared among members of
particular groups. As society and technology change, so does
literacy." Students are, daily, making use of technologies to
communicate: texting, instant messaging, blogging, social
media. In order to communicate e ectively, navigate the
wealth of information available online, and prepare for life
 beyond their education "there are four skills that are of the
utmost importance" (Hawkins, 2010, pg. 7).

Collaboration
Problem-solving
Evaluation
Communication

(Image Source: pixabay.com)

What is Digital Literacy?

Success Tip 7:
Make Learning
Collaborative
Make use of peer tutoring,
both in content and in
technology use. Not only will
students learn to
communicate e ectively with
others, but you may also
learn a thing or two from
these digital natives. In some
cases "competent students
sca old the learning of novice
peers, who in turn trained
others" (Mills, 2011, pg. 86).
Success Tip 8:
Teach Students
to Evaluate
Digital
Sources
Based on her experience, K. A.
Mills suggests, "Students
need skills to select texts from
a much larger quantity of
online information than ever
before, which requires
selectivity and discernment"
(2011, pg. 84). Students must
know how to di erentiate
current, valid, and objective
information from the
inaccurate and biased
information that can be
found online.
Success Tip 9:
Provide
Opportunities
for Online
Exchanges
E-mails, videoconferencing,
and instant messaging "can
provide useful opportunities
for exploring identity and
relationships whilst providing
a discursive form which
depends on purposeful
communication with
audiences beyond the
con nes of the classroom"
(Burnett, 2006, pg. 13). You
can nd a sister school on
another continent or
professional business people
at major companies, giving
students the chance to speak
meaningfully with real people
about real topics.

Success Tip 10:

Don't go so fast with technology incorporation that you
overwhelm yourself. Although "many teachers do not
incorporate technology into their instruction" because "they
feel ill-equipped to use it themselves" (Hawkins, 2010, 8),
others throw caution to the wind and dive headlong into
technologies they do not know how to use e ectively. This
can impact the students who may not feel con dent in their
teaching, and it can impact the teachers by making them
reluctant to keep trying. Find a way to slowly increase
technology use in your classroom. Find technologies that you
enjoy using or that you feel you will enjoy learning. You and
your students will appreciate it!
 Featured Technology

G Suite for Education

According to Google, "The G Suite for Education (formerly
called Google Apps for Education) core services are the heart
of Google's educational o ering to schools. The core services
are Gmail (including Inbox by Gmail), Calendar, Classroom,
Contacts, Drive, Docs, Forms, Groups, Sheets, Sites, Slides,
Talk/Hangouts and Vault."

This set of digital tools o ers teachers the ability to connect with students via email,
messenger, and blended learning platform. The online calendar allows teachers to share
their weekly plans with other teachers, administrators, students, and parents. Additionally,
the word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and form creation application store
products in the cloud for easy and reliable retrieval from any internet-enabled device.

(Image Source: www.google.com/edu/trust)

Parent Technology Tips

1. Teach your kids about online safety and cyberbullying. It is

important that children know how to keep themselves out of
danger by protecting their identity. Remind them not to
share their last names, addresses, or other identifying
information online.

2. To help students make the best use of technologies at

school, let them get used to keyboards and pointing devices
at home. If you don't have a home computer, spend some
time at the public library!

3. Encourage students to talk about the new technologies

they use at school. Learning how to discuss technology and
discussing their learning will help kids practice
communication skills. They will be excited to share with you
and bring that excitement back to school.

4. Learn new tech yourself so that you can work with them.
Let your kids teach you new things. Play learning games
together online. Research topics you all nd interesting. Your
kids will appreciate the time you invest in them.
 5. Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know." When you don't
know something, that is an opportunity for more learning!

Webliography

Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets is a great site for all things reading! They
have an entire section of the site devoted to technology.

Educational Technology and Digital Media @ Reading Rockets

This is the start page for the technology information available

on the Reading Rockets website. There are videos and articles related to elementary reading
for teachers and parents, a collection of parent tips in English and Spanish, a list of
available research, and a blog roll. This is a one-stop-shop for reading teachers who are just
starting to use technology.

EdTechTeacher
As a Google Partner for Education, EdTechTeacher o ers
current, cutting-edge information about how to integrate
technology into ANY classroom. For an article with several
literacy resources see following:

10 Ideas for Creating Literacy Centers @ edtechteacher.com

Written as a sort of advice column, this page o ers 10 suggestions of speci c technology
centers to use in elementary classrooms. Not only are the centers suggested very easy and
creative, they could also be adapted to suit the needs of a variety of students at a variety of
levels. Even if these centers are not what a teacher needs, the speci c applications
suggested are de nitely good to know about!

International Society for

Technology in Education
ISTE is the premier organization for teachers who want to
incorporate technology in their classrooms. Here is an
selection about technology integration:

Chapter 1 from It’s Elementary: Integrating Technology in the

Primary Grades
This excerpt describes in detail the philosophies that support using technology in
elementary education. Although this selection does not address literacy, in particular, it
does a good job of explaining, in a very convincing way, why technology should be used in
the classroom. This is good for those teachers who are perhaps reluctant to incorporate
technology or those who see it as a fad.

International Literacy
Association
The International Literacy Association o ers a very teacher-
friendly website that includes a literacy blog called "Literacy
Daily." A section of that blog focuses on technology.

Literacy Daily: Teaching with Tech @ International Literacy

Association

What I love about this blog is that it is current and comprehensive. The articles posted
cover a wide range of topics and are accessible to people with di erent tech skill levels. In
addition to the tech blog, this literacy blog o ers a number of categories including The
Engaging Classroom and Children’s/Young Adult Literature.

Scholastic, Inc.
What literacy educator doesn't know about Scholastic? From
the celebrated book fair and publishing company comes a
helpful tech guide:

A Guide to Digital Storytelling: Using Technology to Support

Literacy @ Scholastic.com

This is a collection of eight technology and storytelling articles curated by the Tech Tutors at
Scholastic.com. The articles start with an introduction to digital storytelling and end with
suggestions for digital publishing.

Further Reading about Technology &

Literacy

Balanced Literacy & Technology...

Shettel, J. & Bower, K. (2013). Infusing Technology into the Balanced Literacy Classroom. E-
Journal Of Balanced Reading Instruction, 1(2), 1-9. Retrieved from
http://www.balancedreadinginstruction.com/uploads/1/8/9/6/18963113/ejbri_v1i2_shette
l__bower_infusing_technology_into_balanced.pdf
This excellent article describes the incorporation of technology into a 6th-grade balanced
literacy classroom. The authors illustrate three di erent levels of technology
implementation by providing examples of classroom instruction at each level. This source
is especially helpful to teachers seeking to increase technology use in their classrooms for
two reasons. First, the authors include dozens of links to available technologies that can be
used by teachers at a variety of levels. Second, in addition to describing use of these
technologies, the authors discuss technology classroom management and assessment.

This article is worthwhile reading for anyone seeking an example of a functioning

technology-based classroom or anyone wanting to explore new ideas for possible inclusion
in their classes. Additionally, this article is viewable without logging into a database.

Technology & Students as Scholars

Saunders, J. M. (2013). Life inside the hive: Creating a space for literacy to grow. Journal of
Language and Literacy Education [Online], 9(2), 94-109. Available at
http://jolle.coe.uga.edu/

Do you want scholars and intellectuals instead of students? This article explores how Emily
Smith created a virtual learning space for her 5th-grade students. Through the
implementation of 21st-century skills and technology integration, Ms. Smith turned her
students into critical and creative thinkers. Here you can read an in-depth description of
how Ms. Smith accomplished this feat.

Although I accessed this article through the site listed above, you can also access it here.

Essential Technologies for Literacy

Leu, D., Forzani, E., Timbrell, N., & Maykel, C. (2015). Seeing the Forest, Not the Trees. The
Reading Teacher, 69(2), 139-145. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1406

With the growth of new technologies for instruction, there is the possibility that teachers
will use technology merely to use it. The authors of this text argue that technology use in
the primary grades should be to support reading and literacy skills. The development of
online reading skills (source evaluation, online text structures, etc) should be a focus in
primary grades, as well.

Although I accessed this article through an online database, you can also access it here.

References

Academic Integrity - Student Conduct - UT Arlington. (2016). Uta.edu. Retrieved 2 October

2016, from http://www.uta.edu/conduct/academic-integrity/index.php
Articles: What is Literacy in the 21st Century?. (2016). Americanthinker.com. Retrieved 19
October 2016, from
http://www.americanthinker.com/article/2013/08/what_is_literacy_in_the_21st_century.ht
ml#ixzz4NYbC67z2

Burnett, C., Dickinson, P., Myers, J., & Merchant, G. (2006). Digital connections:
transforming literacy in the primary school. Cambridge Journal Of Education, 36(1), 11-29.
doi:10.1080/03057640500491120

Daniels, M. (2011). 10 Inspirational Quotes for EdTech-Friendly Teachers | Knewton.Knewton.

Retrieved 2 October 2016, from https://www.knewton.com/resources/blog/teacher-
tools/10-inspirational-quotes-for-edtech-friendly-teachers/

Dietrich, T. & Balli, S. (2016). Digital Natives: Fifth-Grade Students’ Authentic and Ritualistic
Engagement with Technology. International Journal Of Instruction, 7(2), 21-34. Retrieved
from http:// les.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1085266.pdf

Hawkins, A. (2010). How are Elementary Teachers Utilizing Technology to Enhance Their
Instruction of Literacy in the Classroom. Fisherpub.sjfc.edu. Retrieved 7 October 2016, from
http:// sherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1032&context=education_ETD_masters

Mills, K. A., & Levido, A. (2011). iPed. Reading Teacher, 65(1), 80-91. doi:10.1598/RT.65.1.11

Tech Literacy: Exploring Tools Through Content. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved 23 October 2016,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW6j0_Z65aE

Templeton, Shane R.; Gehsmann, Kristin. Teaching Reading and Writing: The Developmental
Approach (Page 3). Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.

What is Digital Literacy?. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESSIcLO3Z_Q
Marsha Foster Payne
@MrsPayneRISD

I currently teach English III, AP English Language/Dual Credit,

and AP Art History to 10th-12th graders at the Berkner High
School STEM Academy. My teaching certi cations include
ELAR 8-12 and Art EC-12.

Additionally, I am working toward my M.Ed. Curriculum &

Instruction at the University of Texas at Arlington, and I will
obtain a Reading Specialist Certi cation.

Berkner High School, East Sp… marsha.payne@mavs.uta.edu

4695937184 goo.gl/CieB61