As I was reading chapter 5 of Integrating Literacy and Technology, I was thinking about the strategy of how good readers scan, rather than read, when they are knowlegeable about the the topic of the text. Is this strategy good for readers to use when utilizing the the internet?
As stated by Watts Taffe and Gwinn (2007), with all of the information the internet delivers and the various features it includes; graphics, pull-down menus, hyperlinks, and site-specific search windows, the internet has changed the way the text is structured. I would think that students now need to be more engaged in reading text because there is so much more information to be read. It is no longer about just using print text to do research it is about going into cyberspace and finding the updated, almost daily, information the internet offers.
I am working on a project with my 6th grade Spanish classes on Spanish cities. Each student chose a city in Spain and is researching 5 places of interest to include the use of pictures. They will then take the information and pictures to create a poster for a Treasure Hunt. I modeled the scanning strategy for the students using one of the only websites I searched for that they can access on the school computers. I projected the website onto the Smartboard in the front of the room and navigated the various ways students could find the information by scanning the different tabs and drop down menus on the site. My students seemed overwhelmed by the process. They didn't want me to scan. They were interested in everything the site had to offer and wanted to read everything.
The internet and technology change all the time. How can we keep up with it all? In chapter 4 of Integrating Literacy and technology, Watts Taffe and Gwinn (2007) state that given how rapidly technology changes, we as teachers need to use our class time not to keep up with all of the changes, but more in the habit of asking for assistance and working with others who have expert knowledge of the changes.
Just this year, our Media specialist, formally librarian, has been working with teachers and students on various class projects and research. Our school has also engaged the aid of one of our former Science teachers to teach a basic technology class to our 8th grade students. Many of the teachers, myself included, have sought him out to help with the ever changing software programs our school has, as well as, helping us to find appropriate websites for our students. Both have been great assets to our faculty.
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I think that skimming and scanning are difficult strategies to teach whether you are using traditional texts or the Web. However, I believe they are important skills which children and adults need to acquire. Skimming is even more difficult on the Internet because there is an abundance of information and students may become overwhelmed and frustrated by the numerous links and hundreds of websites to visit. That’s why I have begun to model for my students the QUEST model of Internet inquiry which is described throughout the text Reading the Web (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007). I believe the Questioning stage of that model is vital because students need to determine a topic and focus area when they are doing research so they can come up with a specific question to explore. It’s tempting for your students to want to visit all the sites they encounter and they may wish to do some of this in their free time. Nevertheless, I feel that you are providing valuable explicit instruction by reminding them of the purpose of their quest and why they need to only skim and scan specific sites to find the information they need. With my teaching situation I only have a small amount of time daily with each group of students, so I know that if I do not teach my learners to be focused and have specific goals to achieve for their Internet projects we will be endlessly searching the Web. I have found that by reviewing with students how to preview, read for a purpose, and skim traditional texts prior to attempting the Internet is beneficial. Perhaps with younger children who have not had much exposure to these strategies with traditional texts, a whole group lesson on the Web is the best place to start.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the most learning occurs when teachers are collaborating together. Many of the teachers, as well as the principal of my school, find times to co-teach lessons in a variety of subject areas and do so by incorporating technology. Observing others teach is the key to improving your own instruction I believe. Although the computer specialist is very knowledgeable and helpful when I meet with her for assistance, I find that I learn far more when she is right beside me assisting with the teaching of my students. It takes time and effort to collaborate, but it is definitely worth it!
As I reread your blog it made me think of my experience at the Literacy Essentials Conference which I attended yesterday. You mention the importance of teacher collaboration in the area of technology. I thought I had been seeking colleague assistance and doing well searching for resources until I realized yesterday that Diana Gascon, a teacher at my school and presenter at the workshop, had a great deal of information and experiences to share and I was not aware of this. Diana not only is very knowledgeable in the area of reading, but also incorporates numerous technology lessons and activities into her classroom teaching.
ReplyDeleteWith my school consisting of 700 students it's easy to be isolated, but that's no excuse for not becoming teacher change agents and leaders who delve into every corner for helpful resources. According to Taffe and Gwinn (2007), there are many easy ways teachers can communicate effectively with one another such as through blogs, emails, or discussion groups. In addition, I believe school systems should be looking to a greater extent “inside” their buildings for professional staff development presenters rather than “outside” their districts. In doing so, there would be greater opportunity for teachers to collaborate since the presenters would be within the system, and money for presenter fees would be decreased which is important in this troubled economy.
As graduate students we also must continue to grow and learn from one another. I learned new ideas to try in the areas of literacy and technology from CCSU student presenters at the conference yesterday. These intelligent, organized, creative, people came from all over the state to share their knowledge and successes in the classroom. I believe we all have something important to share and need to pool our ideas together for the benefit of students!