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The Kindle first became available in Australia in October 2009. It is a handheld reading device, is 7mm thick and weighs 290gms. This paper outlines the features of The Kindle and promotes its use in the classroom as a motivator for literacy enhancement.
The Kindle first became available in Australia in October 2009. It is a handheld reading device, is 7mm thick and weighs 290gms. This paper outlines the features of The Kindle and promotes its use in the classroom as a motivator for literacy enhancement.
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Scarica in formato PDF, TXT o leggi online su Scribd
The Kindle first became available in Australia in October 2009. It is a handheld reading device, is 7mm thick and weighs 290gms. This paper outlines the features of The Kindle and promotes its use in the classroom as a motivator for literacy enhancement.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Formati disponibili
Scarica in formato PDF, TXT o leggi online su Scribd
ReKINDLING The Fire: Using Kindles for Literacy in the Classroom
Faye Bormann and Kaye Lowe
Middle Years Journal, Volume No 18, October 2010
How is Technology Changing Literacy? The National Capital Centre for Literacy Research (NCCLR) works with disengaged and struggling readers enrolled in U-CAN READ to support them attain literacy success and become motivated, engaged readers. U-CAN READ: Literacy Intervention Years 3 10 is a joint project with the ACT Department of Education. It is a collaborative parent education program that assists parents/carers to support their children struggling with reading. The Centre is research based and is focused on making use of technology to re-engage students in reading. Technology includes Kindles, Ipads, computers, digital cameras and ipods. This paper outlines the features of the Kindle and promotes its use in the classroom as a motivator for literacy enhancement. Students in classrooms today are living in a time where technology is increasing at a rapid pace (Sternberg, Kaplan & Borck, 2007). The transformations in digital technologies have forced teachers to rethink what literacy means (Kress, 2003). Technology is now readily available to most adolescents in the form of mobile phones, online computers, ipods and MP3 players, digital cameras, video recorders and players (Sternberg, Kaplan & Borck, 2007). Larson (2009a) notes the current discrepancy between the types of literacy practices students engage in at home on a daily basis and those students engage in at school. Larson (2009a) suggests expanding the types of text students are exposed to and engaged with at school to bridge the gap between home and school. One way of doing this is to turn our attention to electronic books or e-books (Larson, 2009a). What is the Kindle? The Kindle first became available in Australia in October 2009. It is a handheld reading device, is 7mm thick and weighs 290gms. Two models are available: one with a 6inch screen and one with a 9.7 display. (Insert Photo - Matthew Kindle 1 or 2 or both)
Why the Kindle? We have had digital text for a long time but for the first time we have access to a device which is a dedicated mobile reading platform. The Kindle takes advantage of the virtues of digital text in a simple hand held device. For readers there are several features, which provide access to a wide range of reading material and increased enjoyment. As Kindles have been a fairly recent phenomenon in the classroom very little research has been done on their contribution to improved learning outcomes. Features of the Kindle Access and Flexibility The Kindle opens up the world of books and reading material such as newspapers, providing wireless access and downloads in sixty seconds. Once purchased (most books cost between $9 - $15) the books can be shared across 6 devices. This could be 6 Kindles or a combination of Kindles and computers. Australians currently have access to approximately 360,000 titles through Amazon.com. Some of the classics which are now out of print can be downloaded free from Amazon. According to well known publishers, access to free books has renewed interest in such classics as Treasure Island.
Audio books can also be downloaded to the Kindle using Audible.com. These can be listened to using earphones plugged into the Kindle. Readers have wireless access to Wikipedia which is the world's most up-to-date encyclopaedia. The New Oxford American Dictionary can also be accessed. The reader can place the cursor before an unknown word and the dictionary meaning will appear at the bottom of the page. The search function on the Kindle allows readers to search for words, phrases and character names in the book. There is also a note taking capability to assist them in book studies/discussions. . Text to Speech Where the author permits the text to speech facility enables the reader to listen to the text being read. The pages turn automatically, leaving the hands free. Male or female voices can be chosen and the speed of reading can be adjusted according to the reader's needs.
Readability The Kindle has a paper like display with black ink which reads just like real paper without the glare of a computer screen. It is easy to read in full sunlight. If the book has illustrations these appear along with the text.
Seamless Reading Page turning on the Kindle is designed to be effortless, becoming more of an unconscious movement of the thumb to allow the reader to "disappear into the story.
Changeable Font Size Eight adjustable font sizes are available and the Kindle can be read in either landscape or portrait view. A teacher of 7 th grade in Senaca, US shared her information through, an online discussion site, (Edukindle 2009). She states that her students enjoyed using the Kindle. One reason was because they could change the font size. They stated that they liked the largest font because it was clear, made them less tired and helped them to read faster. Students generally preferred the largest font size, which is 20 point.
Practical Ideas for the Classroom
Guided/Group Reading Six Kindles in a classroom can provide an engaging way to work in small groups for guided reading. Students can highlight particular words in the text using the highlight function. Word meanings are instantly displayed at the bottom of the screen once the cursor is placed before the word. For more in depth study this meaning can be expanded out by an additional command. The note taking function allows students to write and store their opinions or questions. When discussing particular words students can type the word in the search feature and all the places in the text where this word appears are listed. Bookmarking is useful if the student is using the same Kindle each time. If not, they can record the number of the last location read and easily return to their place in a subsequent session. Struggling readers are often faced with the embarrassment of being seen to be reading "easy books. With the Kindle they can read independently. The text to speech helps the student gain the meaning of the text and become immersed in the story. Headphones can be used for privacy.
Motivating Writers Many students are keen to read but can be more reluctant when it comes to writing. This can occur for many reasons; the most common being a fear of being unable to spell words. The possibility of publishing on a Kindle can be enticing. Writing can be published on a computer, illustrations scanned in and then saved onto the Kindle as a PDF file.
Case Study One eight year old boy had an advanced vocabulary for his age but was often not motivated to write. The idea of becoming a writer and illustrator on the Kindle was the motivator for him to write. He was a talented illustrator and began writing the script for his story under his illustrations. Once the first page appeared on the Kindle he was hooked. Below are the first eight pages of one story that he wrote. When he completed U.CAN READ, he said : am going to write another 30 pages!!
(Insert Oliver's Story)
Conclusion Rosenblatt (1995) explains that each reader makes sense of a text through personal meaning making and individual experience. The use of e-books provides new opportunities and possibilities for engagement, personal interpretation and new experiences (Hancock, 2008; Larson, 2009b). Literacy advisers for U-CAN-Read find Kindles give reluctant readers choice, new reading experiences that motivate them to engage with texts and consequently, contribute to their reading success.
Larson, L. C. (2009a). Digital literacies e-Reading and e-Responding: New tools for the next generation of readers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(3), p. 255- 258. Rosenblatt, L. M. (1995). Literature as exploration (5 th ed.). New York: Appleton- Century-Crofts Modern Language Association. Sternberg, B. J., Kaplan, K. A. & Borck, J. E. (2007). Enhancing adolescent literacy achievement through integration of technology in the classroom. Reading Research Quarterly, 42(3), p. 416-420.