Week 13 Assignment#2 Article (s) Reflection & What technology tools I would use in Lessons

Assignment#2 Summarize what you’ve learned and describe what technological tools you’d like to integrate to support your literacy instruction. 

     Technology integration in today’s classroom is a great way to engage learners and support literacy. Multimedia tools offer a dynamic pedagogical method that broadens what children are capable of learning because their generation requires more interactive teaching and modeling. Multimedia tools are a wonderful way to begin a lesson much like the hook of the topic sentence in an expository text; it catches the reader’s attention. Some schools today still offer a Keyboarding class, which focuses on how to type with speed and how to use Microsoft programs. As graduate school learners, we know the importance of new literacies in the form as multimedia, podcast, presentations, interactive games and so on are beneficial to supporting literacy. However, for the last seven years, teachers have gotten accustomed to teaching a curriculum where the focus has been and still is, to move students from a deficiency to mastery, and how to successfully run an inclusive classroom. It is also the teacher’s responsibility to see that students receive the benefits of technology integration happen. I have discovered that technology integration not only supports literacy, and student reflection of their learning, technology also helps teachers to better manage the time to teach a lesson. However, teachers need more professional development on this subject so they will be able to plan more effective lessons and to teach students how to use multimedia tools. Sadly, teachers are busy analyzing student data not realizing that technological tools can help students to read better, build confidence in writing and other subject matter areas. Administrators would do well to offer incentives to those teachers who are knowledgeable in new literacies who will support teachers build intentional multimedia/ technology lesson planning. Also, to advocate for more funding toward developing staff and for themselves. 

    The tools I would use to integrate my literacy instruction are those that are user-friendly and free such as Wix.com where students could create portfolios by uploading their writing pieces and sharing or Prezi. Students could use Wixc.com to create a project-based business plan where they would follow rubric uploaded on Google docs to follow. The student would be required to write an Executive Summary, Market Analysis, and components of a business plan. Using this tool allows students to tap into more metacognitive skills because they create their own business as the CEO and they use Google search engine to do research. I introduced Prezi to ELL students and to Tier 2 students because it is easy to use and has fun features. What ended up happening was that Tie4 3 and Tier 4 students began using it for their presentations as well. I found that when we think a particular multimedia tool will fit one category of students, another group is able to take the tool and expand its uses further to meet their desired goal. Interactive/ mutli-media games are favored by students for very good reasons. 

      For example, the simulation Lemonade Stand multi-media game and spreadsheet activity are considered as a cognitive tool approach that supports literacy because it promotes cognitive thinking that allows students to activate metacognitive skills as the project-based learning does. Students have to think about the choices made each day, what worked /what didn’t work on a particular day according to the weather. Then students are required to transfer information from sales to the spreadsheet as if they are keeping track of their own business. The simulation is a great motivator, as it evokes the Six C’s of Motivation can be enhanced by playing this game. Given the Choice and Control of what and how to spend. I could see how a student would have control of their own learning to promote responsibility, independence, and self-regulation.  

Another tool I would use is EDpuzzle, this multimedia tool is perfect for those students who are absent often for reasons beyond their own control to get their work completed because EDpuzzle is are video created by the teacher and the beauty about is that students can watch it over and over until they have learned the concept/context. I would also use this in a Flipped classroom. Technology strengthens daily lessons because I would be able to work with a small group or test a student using DIBLES while some students do EDpuzzle or unfinished homework before the end of the school day. 

 Below are more technological tools I would use to integrate into my lessons to support literacy 

Google Search, Goggle ,Earth, Google Draw, Google Sites, Google Forms, Google Meet Prezi, Wix, Glogstar, EDpuzzle, Edmondo Podcast, Voice Thread, Exittix, Kahoot, Quizlet Voki, Screencastify Canva- Graphic organizers K12learningliftoff.org audiobooks, New York Times Online Learning Plans, Starfall, Jing