·when you create classroom posters and other displays involving print, you are showing children how written language can be used to communicate. Through these interactions, you will have a significant influence on children's language development. As you prepare for your role as an early childhood professional, it is important that you acquire knowledge of how children develop language competen-cies. This knowledge will enable you to provide guidance, support, and mediation to enhance children's development.

Vocabulary development is closely__rolated to general linguistic competence and to road ins comprehension.f Children with larger and more developed vocobularie! have more optiorrsfor expressing what they wa[!l to say a~1d1 thus, hav_e grnat.er hn-\ guistic nexibility. One nctivily that contributes to vocabulary development is story-book sharing, where an adull rends to a child. The vocabulary used in storybooks is often more descriptive and precise thnn is the vocabulary used in daily conversa-tions. Storybook experiences expand a child's listening vocabulary.

To be able lo function successfully in a society and its culture (and subcultures), children need lo develop a wide range of language competencies. Nol only do chil-dren need lo acquire an oral language, they need lo be able to use that language effectively in a variety of sellings. Further, in literate cultures, children need lo develop competencies in using written language as well. Throughout life, people communicate in a variety of settings: talking on the phone with friends, interact-ing t·vith a store clerk as they purchase groceries, listening lo a radio talk show, and using language in professional or educational settings, such as an attorney in a court of law or a college professor and his students in a university classroom. Our lan-guage competencies allow us to participate effectively in a variety of social events and occupational settings and in our daily routines.

At school, children spend much of t11eir Lime listening to t11eir teacliersoi· to their classmates. Their ability lo listen and understand their teacher's directions a,id instruction and the contributions by their classmates influences what and how much is learned; however, explicit attention to developing listening comP.etencies may be absent in many classrooms (Wolvin & Coakley, 1985). ---Z'he ways in which children use longuagcrto-servo different purposes or func-tions have also been found to preclicL later language skills. In a longitudinal study, Wells (1986} identified two oral language characteristics that were effective in pre-dicling children's subsequent overall achievement. For 2·year-olds, the use of a range of functions for speech was identified as n predictor of later achievement. For 31/2-year-olds, the effective predictor of later achievement wns the children's compe· tent use of a range of different sentence types. Another aspect of school success related to oral language competencies is a chilcl's social-interaction skills (Windsor, 1995). Children who have oral language competencies wHI be more successful in communicating with both teachers and peers. Their success in carrying on conversations and in responding in learning activities will contribute to further success at school. Children who have difficulty communicating may be ignorod by peers or excluded from informal social or col-laborative interactions.

16 ~h Chapter 1 TABLE 1.2 levels of Language Knowledge Level I. linguistic Knowledge II. Metalinguistic Knowledge Ill. Verbalization of Metalinguistic Knowledge FIGURE 1.4 Definition Knowledge of how to use language to communicate Conscious awareness of specific features of language Can verbally respond to questions about specific language features Typical Age of First Evidence Toddlers and preschoolers Preschool and kindergarten late kindergarten and primary Developmental Progression of Three Levels of language Knowledge Level Ill: Verballzalfon of Metalinguistic Knowledge Level II: Metalinguistic Knowledge Level I: Linguistic Knowledge Example Beginning to use language effectively to communicate needs and Intents Begins to focus on and manipulate specific sounds In rhyming games or to notice how alphabet letters represent sounds; "Oh, there's a J. That's my name, Jon." Can explain how cup and pup sound alik

A word is composed of one or more meaningful linguistic units. The smallest unit of meaning in lanfil@ge is the morpherqe. There are two types of morphemes: (affree morphemes are used alone as words (e.g., house, turtle, book), and (b) bound morphemes must be attached lo free morphemes (e.g., the final-sin houses, the ·l)' in slowly, and the -ing in going).

Phonological Knowledge As children hear and perceive oral language, they learn that language is embed-ded in a sound-symbol system. Phonological knowledge refers to knowledge about sound-symbol relations in a language. A phoneme is the smallest linguistic unit of sound, which is combined with other phonemes lo form words. Phonemes consist of sounds that are considered to be a single perceptual unit by a listener, such as the Im/ sound in the word mother

Project-based learning typically is grounded in the following elements: Role-playing Real-world scenarios Blended writing genres Multiple reading genres Authentic assessments Authentic audiences Real-world expertise brought into the classroom Units that assess multiple skills Units that require research and comprehension of multiple subjects Student choice Collaboration Multiple methods of communication (writing, oral speaking, visual presentations, publishing, etc.)

by the deliberate action of the designer.

All media offer specific possibilities to the designer, and to the reader/user in their reading and / or use.

no remix, no culture.

School was a universe of straightforwardly right and wrong answers, of authoritative texts and authoritarian teachers. The underlying lesson of the basics was about the social order and its sources of authority, a lesson which was appropriate for a society which expected its workers to be passively disciplined

. If it could provide either greater equity or equality, it is doing neither. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing, and even when the poor sometimes become slightly less poor, it is rarely because education has improved. Maybe it is a delusion to think education could ever be an instrument that ameliorates society’s most fundamental ills.

Whether their vision is wishful or utopian, nothing less than equality is an acceptable objective, even if in the short term all that can beachieved in education is to pursue an ongoing struggle to reduce the gap between the haves and the have-nots—hence the compensatory programs, the remedial curriculum for children who have been ‘left behind’ and the special efforts made in schools in poor neighbourhoods.

However, inequality is not unjust insofar as education is one of society’s ‘opportunities’. It is free and compulsory, and through education you can become anything you like and succeed on your own terms—if you have the will and the ‘ability’, that is.

new communication practices, new literacies have emerged

A pedagogy of Multiliteracies would need to address this as a fundamental aspect of contemporary teaching and learning.

We also felt that discourse differences within a language had not been adequately taken into account.

The world was changing, the communications environment was changing, and it seemed to us to follow that literacy teaching and learning would to have to change, as well.

none of us could have predicted the reach and the influence the multiliteracies idea would have, way beyond our own circles of personal and professional association

we are more and more required to be users, players, creators and discerning consumers rather than the spectators, delegates, audiences or quiescent consumers of an earlier modernity.

inculcated a rudimentary ‘basics’. Literacy, in fact, was two of the ‘three R’s’: reading, writing and arithmetic.

Education has become more prominent topic in the public discourse of social promise. The expectations of education have been ratcheted up, i

new forms of identity and personality.

Even the idea of a ‘Google search’ was unimaginable ten years ago.

created networks and affiliations and worked in joint projects

1994 to talk through what was happening in the world of communications and what was happening

In image, if there is something that we wish to depict, we can depict whatever we want. We don’t ask: ”Is there an appropriate image we can use?” Contrary to common sense assumptions about language, words are vague

All these are social meanings, specific to a particular culture. At the same time they are chosen, put together for their potential to mean, by the deliberate action of the designer.

I am attracted by “Grille”; I am aware that I am particularly drawn by the “e” on “Grille”

All media offer specific possibilities to the designer, and to the reader/user in their reading and / or use.

The choice of mode has profound effects on meaning, and textbook designers, for instance, need to be aware of such meaning effects of different modes.

Writing as mode and book as medium have shaped western imagination, forms of knowledge, practices of reading; the technology of writing has shaped the book, and the technology of the book has shaped how writing has developed.

cultural associations

Take a simple example. I am in an American airport, looking for something to eat. I see a sign Bar and Grille, outlined in lurid red neon lights. Being hungry, I am attracted by “Grille”; I am aware that I am particularly drawn by the “e” on “Grille”. As a semiotician – even a hungry one – I wonder about this ”e”, in part because just the night before I have had a discussion with a colleague about how signs work. I order a brisket sandwich and think about this sign. What the “e” tells me is something about tradition and ‘Englishness’; it relates to many other signs I have seen where the “e” has had similar meanings, as in “Ye olde gifte shoppe”. And, even though I know it is a marketing gimmick, I want to be seduced by its meanings. Of course all the other parts of the sign also mean: the ‘Grill’ – with or without the “e” - speaks of barbeques, of the outdoors, of freshly cooked food. For the sauce I had the choice of mild, medium and make my day (- which I chose; and it did). “Bar” has its specific meanings for Americans reading the sign; and the lurid red neon sign of course ‘means’ to attract my attention, and maybe offer whatever promises ‘lurid red’, in the context of “Bar”, might hold.

All media offer specific possibilities to the designer, and to the reader/user in their reading and / or use.

The choice of mode has profound effects on meaning, and textbook designers, for instance, need to be aware of such meaning effects of different modes.

If I have a number of ways of expressing and shaping my message, then the questions that confront me are: which mode is best, most apt, for the content / meaning I wish to communicate? Which mode most appeals to the audience whom I intend to address? Which mode most corresponds to my own interest at this point in shaping the message for communication? Which medium is preferred by my audience? Or by me? How am I positioning myself if I choose this medium or this mode rather than those others

For design this is a crucial factor, and a profound change. The designer of such ‘pages’ / sites is no longer the ‘author’ of an authoritative text, but is a provider of material arranged in relation to the assumed characteristics of the imagined audience. The power of the designer is to assemble materials which can become ‘information’ for the visitor, in arrangements which might correspond to the interests of the visitor. For the visitor however “Information is material which is selected by individuals to be transformed by them into knowledge to solve a problem in their life world” (Boeck, 2002)

et only that for which there is a word can be brought into communication: no word, no communication about it. In image, if there is something that we wish to depict, we can depict whatever we want. We don’t ask: ”Is there an appropriate image we can use?” Contrary to common sense assumptions about language, words are vague.

One of the present tasks of a social semiotic approach to multimodality is to describe the potentials and limitations for meaning which inhere in different modes.

Participatory Culture

Big

Culture

Participatory

Creation can be viewed simply as the act of producing, or causing to exist.  Construction is the building or assembling of an infrastructure. Construction is equal parts inspiration and perspiration. Construction calls on creativity as well as persistence, flexibility, and revision. Construction asks our students and teachers to focus on the power and patience employed during work process…and not just the final resultant work product.

She identified that in order to “identify, in textual terms, how the Internet mediates the representation of knowledge, the framing of entertainment, and the conduct of communication”, our understanding of construction and creation needs to be broad enough to allow for change in the future.

Creation can be viewed simply as the act of producing, or causing to exist.  Construction is the building or assembling of an infrastructure. Construction is equal parts inspiration and perspiration.

Creation can be viewed simply as the act of producing, or causing to exist.  Construction is the building or assembling of an infrastructure. Construction is equal parts inspiration and perspiration. Construction calls on creativity as well as persistence, flexibility, and revision. Construction asks our students and teachers to focus on the power and patience employed during work process…and not just the final resultant work product.

I would view communication in the traditional understanding of ORC to include basic elements of communication as taught in our high schools and universities. During the ORC process students learn during an inquiry process and then send this message out to others using a text or tool of their choosing.

The digital media, rather than the (text) book, aremore and more the site of appearance and distribution of learning resources,and writing is being displaced by image as the central mode for representa-tion

Project

Expeditionary

Creativity

Designing

Skills

STEM

Learning

When we compare a textbook from 1935 with a contemporary one, wenote that there tends to be less writing now than there had been, and thewriting that there is differs from the writing of 40, 50, or 60 years ago, bothsyntactically and in its use.

There has been considerable research on representation in learningresources from diverse perspectives: Some has focused on comprehensionor on the effect of image on students’ memory or understanding of concepts(e.g., Martinez Pena & Gil Quilez, 2001; Pintó, 2002).

When we compare a textbook from 1935 with a contemporary one, wenote that there tends to be less writing now than there had been, and thewriting that there is differs from the writing of 40, 50, or 60 years ago, bothsyntactically and in its use. Although images were present on the pages oftextbooks before, there are more images now; these images look and functiondifferently from those found before. The page is used differently to the wayit had been: Writing and image are combined in ways that could not havebeen conceived of in the 1930s.

Connected

Mimi

Cultural

6) Boosts vocabulary and other kinds of literacy knowledge

) Addresses students' questions and interests

Prepares students to handle real-life reading

1) Provides the key to success in later schooling

Informational text is a type of nonfiction that conveys information about the natural or social world.

t boosts vocabulary, addresses questions and interests, and much more

Revising is defined as the process in which a student dedicates time to systematically review and examine with the intent of improving the overall work product (Hayes & Flower, 1980). The process of reviewing and revising may occur across all stages of the model, however this final step is one in which students consciously examine and evaluate constructed content before finishing the work process

Compos-ing is defined as the process in which a student constructs the online content while weaving elements from the previous three phases into a cohesive composition that is representative of the goals of the inquiry process.

goals of the inquiry and purpose of the content. Additionally, as students organize, they may at-tend to aesthetic decisions about the presentation and ordering of elements of the content

Organizingis defined as the process in which a student cre-ates or manipulates the hierarchical or relational structure of their work product (Flower & Hayes, 1981). In this process, students maneuver content and categories of content to ensure they meet the

Generating is defined as the process in which a student creates or translates initial elements of the digital product based on their memory and organizers (Hayes & Flower, 1986; Collins & Gentner, 1980). These initial drafts and graphic organizers act as elements of the work completed to allow the student to begin reviewing and organizing materials

Planning is defined as a student creating internal and external representations of the content they intend to build and ensuring that it is logically appropriate for the task (Flower & Hayes, 1981). These representations may include paper sketches, graphic organizers, or original designs of future works planned.

The goal of the OCC model is to provide teachers with pedagogical opportunities to move students from content consumers, to content curators, and finally constructors of online content. Content curation in this context refers to a meaning-making activity in which students collect, aggregate, and distill links of online information sources through the use of tools such as Pinterest. The knowledge, skills, and dispositions involved in this communi-cation process are informed by previous research in writing instruction (Hayes & Flower, 1980, 1986; Collins & Gentner, 1980; Scardamalia, Bereiter, & Steinbach, 1984; Graves, 1994) and envisioned as a combination of skills students may employ as they construct online content

OCC was developed to define the abilities necessary to communicate the information assembled while searching, sift-ing, and synthesizing knowledge gained during the online inquiry process (Leu et al., 2004, 2008)

The writing process (Murray, 1972, 1999; Hair-ston, 1982) has been defined as including prewrit-ing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. As the writing process moves from print to pixel many of these skills are employed as students construct online content. As student writing moves from page to screen the key difference between the tra-ditional writing process and OCC is that teachers and students need to consider other elements that are particular to working with online informational text (e.g., semiotics, visual literacy, multimodal design).

OCC is defined as the skills, strategies and dispo-sitions necessary as students construct, redesign, or reinvent online texts by actively encoding and decoding meaning through the use of digital texts and tools

building connections across different sites of learning.

less privileged kids are being left behind

connected learning puts progressive, experiential, and learner-centered approaches at the center of technology-enhanced learning.

Connected learning is when someone is pursuing a personal interest with the support of peers, mentors and caring adults, and in ways that open up opportunities for them.

Powered with possibilities made available by today’s social media, this peer culture can produce learning that’s engaging and powerful.

Connected learning isn’t a burden that one organization shoulders on its own, and is about building connections across different sites of learning.

Traditional education is failing to engage many students as they enter their middle school, high school, and college years.

Young people learn best when actively engaged, creating, and solving problems they care about, and supported by peers who appreciate and recognize their accomplishments.

The most engaged learning happens while doing something for a meaningful goal or purpose, whether that is creating something, contributing to a community, or engaging in a friendly competition.

The Internet Inquiry Project is an online research project that helps students develop the important digital knowledge and skills needed as they build their web literacies.

This work should also be compiled in a manner that is appropriate and accessible for your students and their grade level.

Students collaboratively (with the instructor) identify an area of interest and co-construct a driving question to guide inquiry. Students engage in online collaborative inquiry as they search and sift through online texts using digital tools to address their focus of inquiry. Students critically evaluate online information by considering the credibility (truthfulness) and validity (usefulness) of the information obtained. Students synthesize what they have learned during their online inquiry by actively curating and synthesizing information across multiple, multimodal sources. Student engage in online content construction by synthesizing what they have learned and selecting the best digital text or tool before sharing this answer.

Students collaboratively (with the instructor) identify an area of interest and co-construct a driving question to guide inquiry.

nternet Inquiry Projects are student interest driven, and are more authentic as a learning activity than traditional WebQuests.

WebQuests typically contain an introduction, task, process, evaluation, and conclusion. WebQuests play a vital role in the classroom by providing students with a scripted, guided examination of online resources in a topic.

It is the responsibility of educators in all grades and content areas to modify as needed for learners.

The Internet Inquiry Project is an online research project that helps students develop the important digital knowledge and skills needed as they build their web literacies. Internet Inquiry Projects are student interest driven, and are more authentic as a learning activity than traditional WebQuests.

WebQuests play a vital role in the classroom by providing students with a scripted, guided examination of online resources in a topic.

“Readability” button up to your browser’s tool bar. When your students are at a website that you want them to read for content, they can simply click on the button to convert the page into a simple black-text-on-white-background format.

Texts are mostly informational.

educators need to find ways to teach our young people how to process the information they are finding, and how to find it with more precision and understanding.

Hyperlinks, images, audio, and video are usually part of the reading experience.

the act of reading online quickly becomes an act of hunting for treasure, with red herrings all over the place that can easily divert one’s attention. As

Readers read for different purposes. Sometimes they read for pleasure. Sometimes they read for information. Their reason for reading impacts the way they read. They may skim or read carefully depending on why they are reading. Throughout this process, readers monitor the meaning they are constructing. When the text does not meet their purposes, they may switch to another text. Readers expect what they are reading to make sense. They use a repertoire of strategies, such as rethinking, re-reading or reading on to clarify ideas, to make sure they understand what they read in order to accomplish their purposes.1

One important issue to bring into this discussion is the importance of analyzing top-level domains. A URL that ends in .gov, for example, was created by a government entity in the U.S. Ask students what it means for a URL to end in .edu. What about .org? .com? Is a .edu or .org domain necessarily trustworthy?

the act of reading online quickly becomes an act of hunting for treasure

The easiest way for a teacher to begin addressing the hyper-reading of young people might start with the process of elimination, by helping readers remove the clutter on the web pages they encounter. Readability is one online tool that can help in this regard. The tool is free and simple to use: To install it, just drag the “Readability” button up to your browser’s tool bar. When your students are at a website that you want them to read for content, they can simply click on the button to convert the page into a simple black-text-on-white-background format.

Because it’s easy for anyone to publish online, authority of information typically merits more evaluation.

we need to take a closer look at what online reading is all about and think about how we can help our students not only navigate with comprehension but also understand the underlying structure of this world.

He has not yet developed the information-synthesizing skills and understanding of the medium to make those connections.

Readers read for different purposes. Sometimes they read for pleasure. Sometimes they read for information. Their reason for reading impacts the way they read. They may skim or read carefully depending on why they are reading. Throughout this process, readers monitor the meaning they are constructing. When the text does not meet their purposes, they may switch to another text. Readers expect what they are reading to make sense. They use a repertoire of strategies, such as rethinking, re-reading or reading on to clarify ideas, to make sure they understand what they read in order to accomplish their purposes.1

If you are a teacher or parent who revels in the deep reading of novels or articles, with discussions and contemplations of character development and plot design, this kind of “reading” is enough to drive you to the brink of despair.

The promise of using technology in school technology has been to give students more control over their learning, while helping teachers provide tailored instruction to individual student needs. “Personalized learning” has been the common rhetoric driving most one-to-one device initiatives.

Open educational resources (OER) are any resources avail-able at little or no cost that can be used for teaching, learning, or research.

Three changes are especially noticeable in the English language arts standards of CCSS:1.There is a greater focus on reading informational texts.2.Higher-level thinking is emphasized.3.Digital literacies are integrated throughout the English language arts standards.

The need to conduct research and to produce and consume media is embedded into every aspect of today’s curriculum.

1.The Internet is this generation’s defining technology for literacy and learning within our global community.2.The Internet and related technologies require new literacies to fully access their potential.3.New literacies are deictic; they rapidly change.4.New literacies are multiple, multimodal, and multifaceted, and, as a result, our understanding of them benefits from multiple points of view.5.Critical literacies are central to new literacies.6.New forms of strategic knowledge are required with new litera-cies.7.New social practices are a central element of new literacies.8.Teachers become more important, though their role changes, within new literacy classrooms. (p.1

literacy is not just “new” today; it becomes “new” every day of our lives

We live during a time in which new technologies continuously appear online, requiring additional skills to effectively read, write, and learn, sometimes on a daily basis

In short, online reading compre-hension is online research. Second, online reading also becomes tightly integrated with writing as we communicate with others to learn more about the questions we explore and as we communicate our own inter-pretations. A third difference is that new technologies such as browsers, search engines, wikis, blogs, e-mail, and many others are required. Addi-tional skills and strategies are needed to use each of these technologies effectively

Teach Source EvaluationSkillsIf you want to teach source evaluation skills, have small groups conduct research to answer a three-part problem such as this:1.How high is Mt. Fuji in feet?2.Find a different answer to this same question.3.Which answer do you trust and why do you trust it?As you observe students begin work on the third part of the problem, you likely will see a student begin to use the strategy that you have tar-geted: locating and evaluating the source of the information. When you see someone use this strategy, perhaps by clicking on a link to “About Us,” interrupt the other groups and have this student teach the strategy to the class, explaining how he or she evaluates a source for expertise and reliability. There are many inconsistent facts online that can also be used, just like this, to teach source evaluation including: “How long is the Mis-sissippi River?” or “What is the population of San Francisco?”

With our extensive prior knowledge derived from offline reading, we naturally interpret this standard, using a lens to our past, and teach infer-ential reasoning with narrative text offline.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, online reading may require even greater amounts of higher-level thinking than offline reading. In a context in which anyone may publish anything, higher-level thinking skills such as critical evaluation of source material become especially important online.

A dual-level theory of New Literacies conceptualizes literacy at low-ercase (new literacies) and uppercase (New Literacies) levels. Lowercase theories of new literacies explore several types of elements: (1) a set of new literacies required by a specific technology and its social practices such as text messaging (Lewis & Fabos, 2005); (2) a disciplinary base, such as the semiotics of multimodality in online media (Kress, 2003); or (3) a distinctive, conceptual approach such as new literacy studies (Street, 2003).

It is true that today’s students have grown up in an online world and are developing profi-ciency with gaming, social networking, video, and texting (Alvermann, Hutchins, & DeBlasio, 2012; Zickuhr, 2010). However, this does not nec-essarily mean they are skilled in the effective use of online information, perhaps the most important aspect of the Internet. Studies show that stu-dents lack critical evaluation skills when reading online (Bennet, Maton, & Kervin, 2008; Forzani & Maykel, 2013; Graham & Metaxas, 2003) and that they are not especially skilled with reading to locate information online (Kuiper & Volman, 2008).

each Source EvaluationSkillsIf you want to teach source evaluation skills, have small groups conduct research to answer a three-part problem such as this:1.How high is Mt. Fuji in feet?2.Find a different answer to this same question.3.Which answer do you trust and why do you trust it?As you observe students begin work on the third part of the problem, you likely will see a student begin to use the strategy that you have tar-geted: locating and evaluating the source of the information. When you see someone use this strategy, perhaps by clicking on a link to “About Us,” interrupt the other groups and have this student teach the strategy to the class, explaining how he or she evaluates a source for expertise and reliability. There are many inconsistent facts online that can also be used, just like this, to teach source evaluation including: “How long is the Mis-sissippi River?” or “What is the population of San Francisco?

Schools increasingly require students to list the sources of any online information that is used in a report. Take this one step further and require students to also indicate how they determined that each source was reputable and reliable

f you have an interactive whiteboard or a projector, do the same but ask students to come to the projected screen and point to the answer they think is correct, explaining their reasoning and teaching others, showing them the evidence that they used

The ability to read and locate online information is a gate-keeping skill. If one cannot locate information online, it becomes very hard to solve a problem with online information and to learn in online spaces.

Make it a policy to always teach a new technology, with new literacies, to your weakest reader(s) first. This enables struggling readers and writers to become literate in this new technology before other, higher-performing students in reading. Those who struggle with reading and writing become literate in a new literacy before others and can teach this new literacy to others who are not literate with this new form. This is a powerful principle that positions weaker readers as experts

(1) reading to identify important questions, (2) reading to locate information, (3) reading to evaluate information criti-cally, (4) reading to synthesize information, and (5) reading and writing to communicate information

The new literacies of online research and comprehension frames online reading comprehension as a process of problem-based inquiry involving the skills, strategies, dispositions, and social practices that take place as we use the Internet to conduct research, solve problems, and answer ques-tions.

Some believe there is little to teach; our students are already “digital natives,” skilled in online literacies (Prensky, 2001). It is true that today’s students have grown up in an online world and are developing profi-ciency with gaming, social networking, video, and texting (Alvermann, Hutchins, & DeBlasio, 2012; Zickuhr, 2010). However, this does not nec-essarily mean they are skilled in the effective use of online information, perhaps the most important aspect of the Internet. Studies show that stu-dents lack critical evaluation skills when reading online (Bennet, Maton, & Kervin, 2008; Forzani & Maykel, 2013; Graham & Metaxas, 2003) and that they are not especially skilled with reading to locate information online (Kuiper & Volman, 2008).

Thus, when we speak of New Literacies in an online age we mean that literacy is not just “new” today; it becomes “new” every day of our lives.

We live during a time in which new technologies continuously appear online, requiring additional skills to effectively read, write, and learn, sometimes on a daily basis

Most importantly, it is reshap-ing the nature of literacy education, providing us with many new and exciting opportunities for our classrooms.

Beware online "filter bubbles"

Internet Inquiry Examples

Open learning, also known as open education, can be defined as a set of practices, resources, and scholarship that are openly accessible, free to use and access, and to re-purpose.

Building

Although adolescent "digital natives" may be skilled with social networking, texting, video downloads, MP3 down loads, and mash-ups, they are not generally skilled with online information use, including locating and critically evaluating information (B

hallenged readers who possess online reading comprehen sion skills may read online better than do students who per form at higher levels with offline reading comprehension but lack online reading skills (

4. Online information and communication skills are included

nternet is no more a technology than is a book; its functional affor dances define it more than its technological affordances. Fr

W. Ian O’Byrne’s sidebar.

teaching digital skills would include showing students how to download images from the Internet and insert them into PowerPoint slides or webpages.

Unfortunately, many focus on skills rather than literacies.

habits of mind

integration efforts should be creatively designed or structured for particular subject matter ideas in specific classroom contexts.

. In our work, the word technology applies equally to analog and digital, as well as new and old, technologies. As a matter of practical significance, however, most of the technologies under consideration in current literature are newer and digital and have some inherent properties that make applying them in straightforward ways difficult.

TPK is an understanding of how teaching and learning can change when particular technologies are used in particular ways. This includes knowing the pedagogical affordances and constraints of a range of technological tools as they relate to disciplinarily and developmentally appropriate pedagogical designs and strategies.

FITness goes beyond traditional notions of computer literacy to require that persons understand information technology broadly enough to apply it productively at work and in their everyday lives, to recognize when information technology can assist or impede the achievement of a goal, and to continually adapt to changes in information technology.

how can teachers integrate technology into their teaching?

Pedagogical knowledge (PK) is teachers’ deep knowledge about the processes and practices or methods of teaching and learning.

Content knowledge (CK) is teachers’ knowledge about the subject matter to be learned or taught.

At the heart of good teaching with technology are three core components: content, pedagogy, and technology, plus the relationships among and between them.

integration efforts should be creatively designed or structured for particular subject matter ideas in specific classroom contexts.

Many teachers earned degrees at a time when educational technology was at a very different stage of development than it is today. It is, thus, not surprising that they do not consider themselves sufficiently prepared to use technology in the classroom and often do not appreciate its value or relevance to teaching and learning.

Teaching with technology is complicated further considering the challenges newer technologies present to teachers

knowledge of student thinking and learning, knowledge of subject matter, and increasingly, knowledge of technology.

effective teaching depends on flexible access to rich, well-organized and integrated knowledge from different domains

the TPACK framework offers several possibilities for promoting research in teacher education, teacher professional development, and teachers’ use of technology. It offers options for looking at a complex phenomenon like technology integration in ways that are now amenable to analysis and development. Moreover, it allows teachers, researchers, and teacher educators to move beyond oversimplified approaches that treat technology as an “add-on” instead to focus again

By better describing the types of knowledge teachers need (in the form of content, pedagogy, technology, contexts and their interactions), educators are in a better position to understand the variance in levels of technology integration occurring.

three key components of teacher knowledge: understanding of content, understanding of teaching, and understanding of technology.

Instead, TPACK is the basis of effective teaching with technology, requiring an understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies; pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach content; knowledge of what makes concepts difficult or easy to learn and how technology can help redress some of the problems that students face; knowledge of students’ prior knowledge and theories of epistemology; and knowledge of how technologies can be used to build on existing knowledge to develop new epistemologies or strengthen old ones. By simultaneously integrating knowledge of technology, pedagogy and content, expert teachers bring TPACK into play any time they teach. Each situation presented to teachers is a unique combination of these three factors, and accordingly, there is no single technological solution that applies for every teacher, every course, or every view of teaching.

develop skills to look beyond most common uses for technologies, reconfiguring them for customized pedagogical purposes. Thus, TPK requires a forward-looking, creative, and open-minded seeking of technology use, not for its own sake but for the sake of advancing student learning and understanding.

It’s not about using digital tools to support outdated education strategies and models; it’s about tapping into technology’s potential to amplify human capacity for collaboration, creativity and communication.

Promote Mastery Orientations

Embrace Collaborative Learning

Provide Autonomy Support

Foster a Sense of Competence

Make It Meaningful

Every English class starts with a moment of quiet after which students are asked to share their energy and stress levels.

n English, juniors are grouped with seniors, which helps the younger students learn how the process works by watching and learning from the older students. Additionally, pairs of students are invited to lead the discussions. The English discussions are also held online, and students are required to participate and comment on at least two other student comments.

While students participate in the group discussions around the Harkness table in English, the teacher selects one student to be the moderator and another to be the discussion tracker who records the flow of the conversations. The moderator can look at the discussion tracker’s notes and see which students he should invite to chime in.

In English, the discussions are open-ended, allowing for multiple right answers.

In English classes, students sit around a Harkness table (a large wooden table capable of seating the entire class), which allows every student to see the teacher and all the members of the class as they speak. The foundation is that students come prepared to discuss and collaborate.

assigning students to groups to review their homework, do daily class worksheets, participate in moderated discussions, and complete hands-on projects. Often, teachers give students group tests, which, like the class worksheets, are designed to be harder than the individual assignments. Students quickly realize that they are able to solve problems as a group that they would not be able to solve as individuals. Some of the other ways teachers foster a collaborative-learning environment follow

teachers must be willing to “cede the floor” to the students. Other things to consider are the need to create an effective classroom geography, focus on the process, build accountability, let students teach one another, and encourage students to be in tune with one another.

The collaborative-learning style incorporated into the fabric of the school helps students to be resilient by aiding them with identifying their resources (peers) and testing their theories to see if they are on the right track all while developing habits of mind that form the foundation of scholarship

In math classes, the students sit face-to-face in groups of four tables to collaborate. In English classes, students sit around a Harkness table (a large wooden table capable of seating the entire class), which allows every student to see the teacher and all the members of the class as they speak. The foundation is that students come prepared to discuss and collaborate.

assigning students to groups to review their homework, do daily class worksheets, participate in moderated discussions, and complete hands-on projects. Often, teachers give students group tests, which, like the class worksheets, are designed to be harder than the individual assignments. Students quickly realize that they are able to solve problems as a group that they would not be able to solve as individuals. Some of the other ways teachers foster a collaborative-learning environment follow:

teachers must be willing to “cede the floor” to the students. Other things to consider are the need to create an effective classroom geography, focus on the process, build accountability, let students teach one another, and encourage students to be in tune with one another.

Collaborative Learning Builds Deeper Understanding Encouraging students to reach out to one another to solve problems not only builds collaboration skills but leads to deeper learning and understanding.

For children in low-income school districts, inadequate access to technology can hinder them from learning the tech skills that are crucial to success in today’s economy

Starting with a good toolkit is essential for designing learning experiences that reach the Modification and Transformation level of the SAMAR model.

the real learning gains result from engaging students in learning experiences that could not be accomplished without technology.

The SAMR model  is a useful tool for helping teachers think about their own tech use as they begin to make small shifts in the design and implementation of  technology driven learning experiences to achieve the next level.

According to Mandinach and Cline, educators go through 4 stages of development with their use of technology: Based upon the work of Mandinach & Cline. With this in mind, as leaders of technology in our establishments, we need to be mindful of our responsibility to our students and our staff when it comes to technology use. Strategic planning and building in  training for staff is critical if we want transformational learning happening.

According to Mandinach and Cline, educators go through 4 stages of development with their use of technology:

For example, this year teachers said they were more comfortable using technology than ever before.

you do need open minds and the willingness to trust students with their learning. You need a culture that values every student's strengths and a school community that believes everyone can learn from each other. In other words, it requires the very things that nearly every school strives for. So why not give it a try?

ceding the floor to her students was at first "unsettling." But now it's clear to her why allowing her students to learn in this way is so powerful. "They're learning more than just math," she says. "They're learning to be more proactive; they're learning how to depend on their peers. When they go off to college, they already know how to work with people and draw out their strengths." And their graduates seem to bear this out. College Prep alumni consistently report back -- through surveys and anecdotes -- how well the school prepared them for the academic challenges of college, teaching them how to reach out for help when needed and helping them to develop the confidence to contribute to college seminars with their own analyses.

What our collaborative learning style empowers and enables is a student's resilience -- how do you look to your neighbor as a resource, how do you test your own theories, how do you understand if you're on the right track or the wrong track?" says Monique DeVane, College Prep's head of school. "It teaches them that it's not just about content; it's about cultivating habits of mind that are the underpinnings of deeper scholarship."

How Collaborative Learning Leads to Student Success Encouraging students to reach out to each other to solve problems and share knowledge not only builds collaboration skills, it leads to deeper learning and understanding

In Collaborative Reasoning discussions, students are engaged with texts through reasoning and deliberation with one another about the multi-faceted issues raised in the text(s). The discussion is a process of teasing out and working through "big" issues; handling of ambiguity and opposing viewpoints; reasoning, exploring, evaluation and building of arguments; and holding one's own or letting go within a social context.

, the teacher poses a question likely to incite different points of view, and students provide reasons to support their positions. Collaborative reasoning aims to "encourage students to use reasoned discourse as a means for choosing among alternative perspectives on an issue" while drawing on personal experiences, background knowledge, and text for interpretive support (Murphy et al., 2009). This approach has been shown to improve argumentation and students' use of the text to defend arguments, while decreasing teacher talk and control of the topic (Murphy et al., 2009).

Providing students with opportunities to ask questions that examine multiple interpretations of a text has been shown to strengthen critical-thinking and reasoning skills