How can we increase teachers’ capacity for teaching reading in a rapidly changing world? New literacies enable learners to broaden their modes of making and representing “meaning,” while also developing deep content knowledge. New literacies—from text messaging to social media to participating in virtual worlds—are multiple, dynamic and always changing. Throughout the NLGL program I have been exposed to the most current technology and application techniques. I have had the opportunity to explore new literacies through the use of Padlet, Thinglink, Powtoon, Flipgrid, Picktochart, and many more. |
“Finding creative and effective means for developing the vocabularies
of diverse learners will be a major challenge of this decade.” Mandel Morrow, L., Gambrell, L. B., & Pressley, M. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction. |
ECI 546 New Literacies Media - Social Justice Book Talk
Have you ever been in a country where you didn’t understand the language? I never have but I have been the new kid at school. I have students in my class every year who are learning to speak and read and write English. My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald, illustrated by Freya Blackwood is about a little girl who goes by Cartwheel. She has moved to her new country to be safe. But everything is strange. The authors use of the word “strange” expresses Cartwheels’ feelings of being different. The men on the train look like they are shouting and all the sharp objects flying down are words. I would recommend this book for K-2 teachers to use as a read aloud to spark rich discussions about friendship, immigration, comfort, empathy and metaphors. My favorite part is when the little girl waves at Cartwheel. I love how the innocence of children overcomes the cultural divide. It is because of her sweet wave, that Cartwheel learns to speak English words. The colors of the blanket turn colors on page. The blanket starts to turn blue. Her original blanket is orange and red, warm and comforting, but her new blanket is blue and green, cool and hard. The blanket being compared to words is an easy to understand use of metaphor. Young readers will be able to relate to the comfort of her old blanket as her old culture, her old words. Cartwheel and My Two Blankets helps readers empathize for the new kid, for the student learning a new language. I think this book is connected to social justice because Immigration is a big part of American culture and education. This book ingeniously captures kindness and sharing, language, culture and diversity. |
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Book Talks on Google Classroom
Students were able to access Google Classroom online and watch their peers videos of Book Talks. They made comments about what they liked and developed their speaking and listening skills. This project incorporated all the elements of an effective use if technology integration and literacy skill development.
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