Jennifer A. Manak wrote an insightful article about using text sets to connect American history and literature in the classroom for the October/November 2012 issue of Reading Today, the International Reading Association's member magazine. Below is a list of the children’s books she cited.

Amstel, M. (2000). Sybil Ludington’s midnight ride. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.

Borden, L. (2000). Sleds on Boston Common: A story from the American Revolution. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Chandra, D. and Comora, M. (2003). George Washington’s Teeth. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Denenberg, B. (1998). The journal of William Thomas Emerson, a Revolutionary War patriot. New York: Scholastic.

Fleming, C. (1998). The hatmaker’s sign: A story by Benjamin Franklin. New York: Orchard Books.

Giblin, J.C. (2001). The amazing life of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Scholastic Press.

Gregory, K. (1996). The winter of red snow: The Revolutionary War diary of Abigail Jane Stewart. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Haskins, J. and Benson, K. (2001). Building a new land: African Americans in colonial America. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Hoose, P. (2001). We were there, too!: Young people in U.S. history. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Krensky, S. (2002). Paul Revere’s midnight ride. New York: HarperCollins.

Pinkney, A.D. (1994). Dear Benjamin Banneker. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace.

Redmond, S.R. (2004). Patriots in petticoats: Heroines of the American Revolution. New York: Random House.

Rockwell, A. (2002). They called her Molly Pitcher. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Schanzer, R. (2004). George vs. George: The Revolutionary War as seen from both sides. National Geographic: Simon and Schuster.

Schanzer, R. (2003). How Ben Franklin stole the lightning. New York: HarperCollins.

Wadsworth, G. (2003). Benjamin Banneker: Pioneering scientist. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books.

This article is an addendum to an article from the October/November 2012 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!

by Marilyn Moore and Kareem Captan

Integrating the iPad

Kareem Captan, a high-school teacher, uses iPads in his teaching every day. Teachers at the high school in Long Beach, CA, received iPads last school year to use in class. They underwent training and attended seminars in order to effectively use the iPad in the classroom. Students at the high school received iPads this year for classroom use. Students may also take the iPads home and use them to complete homework.

Mr. Captan was especially excited about one lesson using the iPad. The students watched a short historical video on their iPads. Since they watched it individually on their iPads, they could start, stop, rewind, and watch at their own pace. As they watched it, he had them participate in an online discussion about the material. The ongoing discussion was projected on the overhead. The result was an active and ongoing virtual discussion during class that the students could then refer back to for studying and reviewing. At the end of class, students shut the iPads down and had a verbal discussion about the material. At the conclusion of the lesson, he stated, “I was shocked on how effective this lesson worked.”

Literacy activities using iPads

During literacy instruction in the classroom, Mr. Captan uses iPad activities that focus on reading, writing, and peer editing. The following are a few examples of how his students are using iPads this year:

• Discussion Boards: Students post written discussions on the class website discussion board. The posts are viewed by the entire class and commented on by other students. Surprisingly, students are more conscious of their vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammar because they know their peers will critique them. 
• Research and Reading: By using the Internet, students search for secondary and primary sources through academic websites. They read and analyze the material and comment on them on a class discussion board. The students create a collaborative reflection and analysis of primary and secondary sources.
• Dictionary App: When students don’t know/understand a word, they use the Dictionary App to find the definition. In addition, the Dictionary App pronounces the word for the student. Students have created collaborative vocabulary lists as a class. This has been a huge help for English Language Learners and students with learning disabilities. 
• Note Taking App: This app is used while students read online articles on their iPad. They are able to read an article on their iPads and highlight, bookmark, and make notes on articles or books. This app also organizes notes for students. Once again, this has been a major assist for English Language Learners and students with special needs.
• Peer Editing: All students post their essays on the class website and edit their peers’ papers online. This transparency has benefited students who learn from each other and are exposed to the expectations of high-school writing. Moreover, the writing process has a more collaborative as opposed to an individual feel. 
• Group Essays: Students are assigned a topic and assigned to a group. Each group composes one paragraph of a larger essay. These paragraphs are posted on a discussion board, and the students blend the paragraphs into a cohesive and meaningful essay.
• Resources and Tools: The iPads provide the students with instant resources and tools online. This keeps students focused and less frustrated in class. Also, they enjoy exploring resources and tools.

Mr. Captan has concluded that since the students have received their iPads, students are reading more, writing more, asking more questions, researching more, working together more, and are excited about being creative with their iPads.

Dr. Marilyn Moore (mmoore@nu.edu) is a Professor at National University in California and serves as the Faculty Reading Program Lead. 

Mr. Kareem Captan is a teacher at St. Anthony College Preparatory High School in Long Beach, California and a Masters Degree student at National University.

by Dana Grisham and Jill Castek

Results of the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) computer-based writing assessment, administered to students in grades 8 and 12 throughout the United States, are now available. The NAEP assessments have occurred since 1969 and provide a reliable snapshot of educational progress in the U.S.

The 2011 writing assessment is the first one that has used technology as part of the assessment. Because of this, new scales and achievement levels were established, which means the findings cannot be directly compared to past years’ results. Preliminary findings suggest however that students in 8th and 12th grades have a similar pattern of achievement as revealed in the past by pencil and paper tests. At both 8th and 12th grades, only about 24% of students assessed scored at the “proficient” level. About half the students scored at the “basic” achievement level.

A Closer Look at the NAEP Writing Assessment

The types of writing required of students on the NAEP assessment aligns with the Common Core State Standards and stresses the reinforcement of three writing capacities: persuasion, explanation, and conveying an experience. Scores on the NAEP assessment were based on six performance ratings and scored as “first drafts” rather than polished writing samples. The full set of ratings and results may be found in the report.

Writing prompts were displayed on a computer screen divided vertically like the pages of a book (see figure 1). The left half contained the prompt with specific types of multimedia, including an audio prompt at 8th grade and a video prompt at the 12th grade. For 12th graders the technology was a little more sophisticated, as the prompt included video as well as audio. Adhering to the principles of Universal Design for Learning, there were a number of digital tools that students could elect to use as they word-processed their response. Students who used the tools available (cut/paste, text-to-speech, spell check, thesaurus) scored higher than students who did not use these tools.

Figure 1. The 8th grade writing prompt included an audio file (on the left). On the right, students word processed their responses. Digital enhancements included the text-to-speech function, spell check features, and copy and paste, and thesaurus).

Implications

For all educators, there is an urgent need to embrace technological tools for communication and composition in our homes and schools. Questionnaires were given to teachers of 8th grade students completing the NAEP writing assessment. The survey asked how frequently they had students using computers to write and revise drafts.Only 44% reported using technology regularly to further writing instruction. Students of these teachers scored higher than those whose teachers did not use technology as often in writing instruction. Both 8th and 12th grade students who said they used a computer more frequently to edit their writing scored higher than students who did not.

Luckily, there are an increasing number of resources for learning about and using technological tools in the classroom. See for example, the Literacy Beat blog, Transforming writing instruction in the Digital Age: Techniques for Grades 5-12, and The Digital Writing Workshop.

Recommendations

Given the results of the NAEP writing assessment, we have ventured to suggest some recommendations for educators.

Teachers need to:

1. Find ways to incorporate technology into their classrooms with the tools (however limited) that they already have.

2. Argue on behalf of technology, using the research evidence at hand—such as the 2011 NAEP Writing Assessment outcomes.

3. Seek workshops and professional development opportunities to develop their own expertise in technology use.

Administrators need to:

1. Support teachers’ use of technology in the classroom.

2. Argue at the district level on behalf of technology use.

3. Seek workshops and professional development opportunities for themselves and their teaching staff.

Teacher Educators need to:

1. Work collaboratively within the university to distribute technological use across the teacher preparation programs instead of relying on  “Ed Tech” courses.

2. Seek workshops on technology use for themselves.

3. Where possible, seek student teaching placements for teacher candidates where technology is being used productively.

Dr. Dana L. Grisham (dana.grisham@gmail.com) is Certified Core Adjunct Faculty of National University, is noted for her research on teaching, particularly the intersection of literacy and technology. Jill Castek (jill.castek@gmail.com) is a Research Assistant Professor at Portland State University working with the Literacy, Language, and Technology Research Group.

This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

by Helen Marx and Greg McVerry

The Internet has opened new pathways around the globe and transformed the way we read, write and collaborate. In addition, new social practices have emerged that have redefined community.

At the same time, business, social, and political leaders have called for greater global awareness. In fact, the fate of humanity may lie in the ability of future generations to solve problems together on a global scale. This in turn requires us to rethink the social practices of literacy that we teach in the classroom. Classroom teachers can shape the leaders of tomorrow by teaching online collaborative inquiry through global education initiatives.

Literacy educators need to place online collaborative inquiry, which is the ability for a group of local or global participants to reach a solution through multiple pathways of knowledge, at the cornerstone of their digital text and tools curriculum. Without online collaborative inquiry, young authors and readers cannot fully harness the power of the Internet. The surest method to incorporate online collaborative inquiry into the classroom is through global education.

Three Principles of Global Education

Three principles guide our understanding of Global Education. These goals will unite our communities, require students to consider multiple perspectives, and utilize interpersonal communications skills.

1. Considering Global Connections

First, Global Education requires students to think about knowledge and issues in an interconnected and systematic way and to consider how local and regional realities might have larger, global connections. To illustrate, in the video below Chief Almir uses new technology to share his tribe’s story with the world while protecting important national resources.

Imagine bringing that power to your classroom. A group of dedicated individuals living deep in the Rain Forest changed their world for the better. What can you do with your students?

2. Examining Cultural Perspectives

The second Global Education principle asks students to explore their own culturally bounded understandings and to consider the ways culture can influence one's perspectives and value systems. The key to the second principle is to do more than simply read a book that has a picture of a child from another country on the cover. Teachers must go beyond simply having students hang flags or prepare local flavors of the country du jour.

For example the GlobalEd 2 project hosted by the University of Connecticut and the University of Illinois at Chicago asks students to role play as members of different cultures and countries while solving real world problems. Learners across the United States must attempt to understand how others might view the issue and, in the process, challenge their own beliefs while engaging in science curriculum and content area reading.

3. Applying New Skills and Knowledge

Finally Global Education focuses on an array of interpersonal communication skills needed to function within increasing culturally diverse and technologically complex contexts. The world economy revolves around the flow of information in a new digital world. This world requires students to utilize new knowledge and skills in order to engage in literary practices necessary for global citizenship. Through online collaboration and the creation of truly international and cross-cultural online communities, students can begin to develop and practice these vital interpersonal skills.

Three Pathways to Global Education

Educators can find vast resources if they want to get involved with a Global Education project. Like most inquiries we began our hunt on Twitter. Using the hashtag #GlobalEd we connected with many teachers, found daily newspapers published by curators, and links to many initiatives. Below we share just three. 

1. Photo Essays

Your students do not have to engage with others to build on the three principles of Global Education. You can collaborate in your classroom on photo essays. First start by reading some of the powerful photo essays published by the Carolina Navigators. As a class discuss the essays. Make sure to focus on the cultural beliefs embedded in the essay. Discuss how these beliefs are reflected in the chosen photos. Then have students use presentation software or a movie maker to create their own essay.

2. i-Spy in the Community

i-Spy in the Community is a Global Education project for students in grades K-3. It revolves around the essential question, “How do you know that you are part of a community?” Students investigate their communities and share what they elarn with the world using VoiceThread. The project wiki has detailed lesson plans and contact information to get involved.

3. Global Education Conference

Interested in learning more about Global Education? Want to meet other educators to share ideas or discover a collaboration project? Then we encourage you to attend the free online Global Education Conference. The conference is November 12 to17. The goal of the conference is to foster a world wide community of teachers committed to Global Education.

Ultimately, we have an obligation to our students to make sure they can understand and address problems with a global perspective. This will not only require new skills and practices, but more fundamentally a keen understanding of diverse perspectives and belief systems. In order to meet this call, we implore you to set a goal of engaging students in online collaborative inquiry through Global Education.

Helen Marx and Greg McVerry are from Southern Connecticut State University. 

This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

by Peggy Coyne

Teachers have known for years that students learn differently. The latest research in the neurosciences is confirming this through the ability of neuroscientists to capture images of brain activity as we engage in learning new tasks. The evidence from these pictures is clear that no two brains learn the same way. The way each of us learns is as different as our fingerprints. So it makes sense that a one-size-fits-all curriculum made for “average” learners will not yield the results we want. There are no average learners. Learner variability is the norm. How can we as teachers, who have anywhere from 18-38 students in our classrooms address this challenge? How can we design lessons that address learner variability, that maximize learning for all students, from those who struggle to those who excel? These are some of the questions that teachers from the Bronx, NY addressed during a two-week workshop where they learned how to apply Universal Design for Learning framework to their literacy practices. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an educational framework based on the neurosciences, holds as a core belief that learner variability is the given. UDL at a Glance is a short video that provides an overview and explains the connections between neuroscience and how the UDL Guidelines are helping teachers address learner variability.

Monee Perkins, a teacher at Bronx Math Prep, attended the UDL workshop. Here are some of her reflections and new ideas she will integrate into her classrooms this year as a result of that work:

“I often hear my administrators say, ‘You have to teach to the whole child,’ and I would say to myself, ‘Oh no, I cannot create 90 individual lessons for my students, I have a life.’ However, UDL helped me realize that is not what my administrators meant. UDL and my administration team are suggesting that I create one lesson, and in the design of that lesson make sure I minimize the barriers so every student can walk away with the big ideas through a variety of lessons and projects. Using the UDL Guidelines, I can allow learning to be fun through Multiple Means of Engagement; support and scaffold the ways students learn through Multiple Means of Action and Expression; and provide Multiple Means of Representation by presenting content in different ways. What I find amusing is the fact that teachers already do many of the things included in the UDL Guidelines, especially in special education. But now I realize that by designing lessons using the UDL Guidelines we can maximize learning for all students, including the ‘average student’ from the beginning. As a result of my work with UDL, I intend on incorporating more media in my lessons, giving students choice, and implementing more resources such as ADOBE Reader, Wall Wisher, BookBuilder, and Voice Thread to help me address the variability of learners in my classroom. I look forward to updating you in a few months to let you know how things went.” 

This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).