Julie Douberly September 20, 2011

Article 1 Citation Dalton, B., & Grisham, D. L. (2011, February). eVoc strategies: 10 ways to use technology to build vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 64(5), 306-317. doi: 10.1598/RT.64.5.1 Identification Professional Practice Summary Dalton and Grisham begin their paper by defining eVoc as an electronic, or technology-based, strategy that teachers can use to develop students vocabulary learning and interest in words (p. 306). They then provide an overview of significant theories and research regarding vocabulary instruction in general, beginning with why such instruction is important. As evidence, they discuss the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension, the development of academic language as a second, learned language, and trends such as the Matthew Effect and the fourth-grade reading slump (p. 307). This is followed by an overview of the popular, effective methods of teaching vocabulary: encouraging wide reading, teaching words and word learning strategies, and promoting active learning and interest in words (p. 308). As the title promises, Dalton and Grisham then get to the real business of the article and describe ten ideas for deploy*ing+ technology in service of vocabulary learning (p. 308). Their first recommendation is to utilize online word mapping

tools such as Wordle to help students analyze the relationships between words. Next, they explain how an activity called the vocabulary field trip, which once was conducted with posters and bulletin boards, can be shifted to an online format to allow for more interaction between the students and texts. Online vocabulary games, thesauri and dictionaries, as well as language translators and text-to-speech tools are recommended as further strategies. Critique From past experience, I know that it is difficult to make learning vocabulary words meaningful and exciting. Yet, learning new vocabulary is a vital part of language arts instruction. Dalton and Grisham present several ideas here that I would definitely try out if I were still in the high school classroom. To me, this is the most useful sort of article, one that goes beyond discussing theory into imparting real tips for making this happen in your classroom. For instance, in the section that discusses word mapping tools, they include not only an overview of the steps to using the programs, but also sample pre- and post-activity discussion questions to guide the classroom conversation, as well as a sample word map generated by Wordle. Another idea that I would snag is having students create power points that explore new words through various media such as video and graphics. I also appreciated that the authors included a pull-box of reflection questions to help the teacher prepare for implementing these strategies.

Article 2 Citation Tarasiuk, T. J. (2010, April). Combining traditional and contemporary texts: Moving my English class to the computer lab. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(7), 543-552. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.53.7.2 Identification Professional Practice Summary In this article Tarasiuk explores the evolution of her traditional English class into one that uses technology in a meaningful way. Like many teachers, Tarasiuk found that her students were less than enthusiastic about both reading and writing assignments. Observing her students, she found that several of themeven those who were performing poorly in classcreated YouTube videos in their spare time. These videos included the obligatory skate boarding videos but also self-penned skits and instructional videos about digital special effects. Her students were reading and writing regularly on the internet, something they were reluctant to do in class. My goal was to take advantage of adolescents out-of-school literacies to make my teaching more relevant for all my students, she says of her mission to integrate technology into her courses. Tarasiuk surveyed her students to learn more about their technology use and their reading habits. She goes on to give a narrative account of the process. In particular, she focuses on two activities that utilized technology: wikis and video book chats. In groups, her students created wikis using PBworks in which they collaborated to organize information

about vocabulary, summaries, and characterization as they read their novels (p. 347-48). Because the students were writing for a real audienceanyone could see their wiki pages onlinethey put more effort into the assignment; they were more deliberate and thoughtful as they added information and edited each others work. The students collaborated and supported each other authentically (p. 548). As a final project for the novel unit, students worked together to create a trailer for the book they had read, a video that would include aspects of the books characters, plot, setting, and theme. Again, Tarasiuk found that her students were more engaged in creating these projects than they had been in the past. Critique This is another article that contains great ideas that could easily be implemented into a class with access to a computer lab. Although relevant theories are discussed in the opening pages, the bulk of Tarasiuks article is a narrative account of her experience. This not only provides step-by-step instructions for how she went about it, but readers also get to see how successfulor notthese steps were and how students reacted to them. She also includes a few practical tools within the text such as a graphic organizer for planning the digital book talks, a rubric for scoring the assignment, and a link to her website which showcases student samples of the book talks. Even if I decide I need to tweak something to make it work for my students, it is always helpful to have all the pieces to a new assignment so that you are not trying to reinvent the wheel. All in all, this was a very approachable text.

Article 3 Citation Steinkuehler, C. (2010, September). Video games and digital literacies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(1), 61-63. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.53.1.7 Identification Theory-into-Practice and Research Summary Steinkuehler begins by discussing the unsavory reputation video games seem to have in the educational community, citing reports such as 2004s Reading at Risk which linked game play to the decrease in students reading (p. 61). However, Steinkuehler argues that playing video games is actually a type of digital literacy practice. She writes that gaming is a narrative, hewn out of verbs made available within a game design . . . . video games are about a back and forth between reading the games meanings and writing back into them (p. 61). She also goes on to explain how gamers are often members of online communities, communities which often produce other forms of literacies such as communally authored user manuals to online discussion threads to fansites, fan fiction, and digital fan art (p. 61). Steinkuehler states that despite these multiple literacies involved in the world of gaming that the gamers are often underperforming in school. She uses a student called Julio as a case study into the possible relationship between gaming and academic performance. Julio was failing language arts and had no interest in completing assigned reading tasks, yet on his own time he wrote online books as part of his games fandom. He scored below grade level when reading from a

textbook and when reading from a prescribed text relating to his game. It was only when he was allowed to choose his own reading material that his scores improvedby four grade levels. Steinkuehler concluded that when choosing his own topic Julio persisted in the face of challenges, struggling through obstacles until he got the meaning. He cared (p. 63). Critique Even though Steinkuehler concludes the article by stating that video games are a legitimate medium of expression, which recruit important digital literacy practices, the real point of the paper was that students will be more invested in subjects that they are genuinely interested in (p. 63). I felt that the title and introduction of the article were misleading in that way. I was expecting to read a piece which discussed using video games as a means of promoting certain literacies. I have read interesting articles in the past which discussed using games in the classroom as part of instruction. That we read and write better when we have a real purpose seems like a no-brainer to me. It is something that I try to keep in mind when designing writing assignments for my composition students now.

Article 4 Citation Spence, L. K. (2009, April). Developing multiple literacies in a website project. The Reading Teacher, 62(7), 592-597. doi: 10.1598/RT.62.7.5 Identification Professional Practice Summary Spence begins by pointing out that most teachers today expect students to come to school with some computer ability (p. 591). She then asks, What happens when they do not? (p. 592). Spences paper focuses on a website project that involved students from a school where an overwhelming percentage of students were from Spanish-speaking homes and all were eligible for free or reduced meals. Most of these students did not have access to technology like computers at home, but they worked after school in the computer lab to design and to publish a website for a local competition. Spence walks the reader through their experience from brainstorming to publishing. When deciding on a topic, the students were encouraged to draw upon their funds of knowledge, the cultural practices, knowledge, skills, and information shared in the social networks families use to function in their day-to-day lives (p. 592). The students chose Mexican Heritage as their theme and went on to create a site that showcased their culture and their bilingual abilities. The site featured creative writing and a section focused on language. Students had to become adept at a new literacytechnology

and that meant learning to scroll, insert, select, browse, enter text, and type a URL, using English, Spanish, and the language of technology (p. 595-96). Critique The high school where I taught is in a rural area and I had several students from migrant families who spoke English as a second language. It was always a struggle to bridge the gap that seemed to develop where traditional academic texts and compositions were concerned. There were also many students who did not have access to computers with internet connections at home. The experience Spence relates is inspiring, particularly the interest that the families and community took in the students work. The concept of funds of knowledge was something new to me but makes absolute sense. Why not draw on students backgrounds to foster learning and community building? Spence ends with a list of suggestions for practice based on what she learned from the experience that could be helpful for any teacher looking to implement a similar project. She also provides examples of the students work such as drawings, the language page, and an excerpt from a short story. It is always beneficial to see concrete examples of what can be achieved with a given assignment.

Article 5 Citation Larson, L. C. (2009). Reader response meets new literacies: Empowering readers in online learning communities. The Reading Teacher, 62(8), 638-48. doi: 10.1598/RT.62.8.2 Identification Research Summary Larsons article focuses on a fifth grade classroom in which traditional literature circles were replaced by electronic response journalsin the form of an asynchronous, online message boardand traditional books were replaced by e-books. Before introducing the classs teacher and the school where the study was conducted, Larson reviewed several theories significant to the study of reader responses. Two groups of five students each were followed throughout a novel unit on the American Civil Rights movement. One group read Bud, Not Buddy and the other, The Watsons Go to Birmingham1963. The original plan was for the teacher to post prompts after the students read their e-texts each day. However, feedback soon showed that students were eager to pose their own prompts to their peers, and after some instruction on composing good prompts, the students did just that. Throughout the unit, Larson examined the statistics for the frequency and length of student responses and analyzed transcripts of the online discussions. By looking at this information at different points as the activity was ongoing, the teacher was able to use the data to make adjustments to the assignment as need arose. Larson explains that five types of literature response prompts exist: experiential,

aesthetic, cognitive, interpretive, and clarification. She observed each type in the student reading groups and provided a sample of what the students had actually written. Of the benefits of the message board discussions, Larson writes, As group members communicated on the message board, they carefully read and contemplated the opinions of others before submitting a thoughtful reply (p. 646). She pointed out that it seemed to be particularly beneficial to those students who were reluctant to speak out loud in class. Because they also posted their own prompts for their classmates, the students took on simultaneous roles as facilitators of and participants in the online literature discussions (p. 646). Critique Because online discussion boards are something that I use occasionally in my own classes, I was particularly interested to read this article. I have only worked with high school and college students before and also wanted to see what the activity looked like in an elementary classroom. The most interesting aspect of the article was Larsons various comments on the effect of online chatting on students use of a similar technology in the classroom. At first the teacher had reminded students of the differences between informal writing during chats at home and what was expected of them in the classroom in the response posts. Despite this warning, the students writing still reflected synchronous chat room language (p. 646). However, both Larson and the teacher reached the conclusion that this writingwhich included emoticons, abbreviations, and the likeactually enhanced the conversations by adding voice and expression (p. 646). This caused me to consider whether or not I am doing my students a disservice by insisting on the same conventions that I would hold for an essay in their discussion board posts. Would their responses be more authentic if they were allowed to

write to each other the way they chat? If I were teaching literature, I would try changing the instructions but as I am currently teaching composition, Im not sure it would be well received by my department.

Article 6 Citation Lorenz, B., Green, T., & Brown, A. (2009). Using multimedia graphic organizer software in the prewriting activities of primary school students: What are the benefits? Computers in Schools, 26(2), 115-129. doi: 10.1080/07380560902906054 Identification Research Summary As a means of justifying one schools budget for technology, the authors sought to find out how much measurable increase there was in students learning when aided by technology. Specifically they studied the use of a traditional pen and paper graphic organizer versus a computer-based organizer and their effectiveness in students prewriting. Before discussing the study, the authors provide a literature review that focuses on the writing process learning theories supporting the use of graphic organizersdual coding theory, schema theory, and cognitive load theoryand combining technology with the prewriting process. Their study took place at an Orange County elementary school and looked at four second-grade classes. Students were first instructed to create a wagon wheel graphic organizer on paper. A writing assignment was introduced and the students were asked to pre-write using the g.o. A few days later a similar writing prompt was given and students were asked to use Kidspiration software as a prewriting activity. The resulting writing was analyzed by a writing expert and other impartial educators. They examined the impact each technique had on students logical

organization and written output. They found that the quantity stayed the same for all students and that their organization either improved slightly or stayed the same. The group of students most affected by the software was the middle achievement readers who showed a slight increase in both areas. The researchers noted, however, that the students created slightly more idea bubbles when using the computer and they expressed verbal enthusiasm at the new software. Based on the available evidence, they concluded that using computing tools to teach prewriting skills does no harm (p. 128). Critique Having taught high school around the time that the GPS were rolling out, I am very familiar with the concept and benefits of graphic organizers. However, I must admit that those were decidedly low tech. I was interested to read this study to find out if using software aided in learning. I teach writing now so I wanted to know if I should be implementing more computerbased organizers. The authors are very thorough at summarizing the current theories regarding the issue. They provide the reader with a careful description of the setting and parameters of their study. Unfortunately, their results were less than exciting. I felt a bit cheated that I had read all of this only to learn that, well, it doesnt hurt to use technology in prewriting. While the results had to be presented objectively, I would have liked to read more discussion of the results and their implications for technology in education.

Article 7 Citation Richardson, W. (2003, September). Web logs in the English classroom: More than just chat. The English Journal, 93(1), 39-43. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3650568 Identification Professional Practice Summary Richardson prefaces the article with a letter from Sue Monk Kidd to his students who had been reading her book The Secret Life of Bees and using web logs to discuss their reading. He explains that she followed their discussions and was impressed and enlightened by their observations. Richardson then goes back to explain the concept of a Web logan easy and inexpensive way to improve instruction, facilitate publishing, build a community, involve different audiences, and provide a lasting record of learning (p. 42)and the variety of sites available to host such projects. He explains, The major appeal of Web logs is the connections they create when readers and writers interact and explore common interests (p. 39-40). He shares his experience integrating this type of discussion within his classes as a supplement to traditional in-class discussion. Richardsons students were required to make two posts to the discussion group about various important aspects of the novel. They were also required to make at least two quality comments to others posts (p. 40). He found that student responses were often more reflective and better supported than those in class and that those

students who were too shy to speak up in class felt comfortable contributing in the virtual setting. His students went on to add original art work to the board which lead to their critiquing each others work without being asked to do so. Parents and others outside the classroom could also follow and comment on the students thoughts. Of this Richardson writes, the variety of outside voices that shared our discussions brought more depth to my students understanding of the novel . . . . the Web logs allowed them to see the work in a real-world context, not just a classroom exercise (p. 41). Critique This is the most dated of the articles I read for this assignment. In the eight years since this was written, using Web logs in the classroom has become fairly commonplace. Some semesters I use the boards available through Georgia View for discussion. Like Richardson I typically give my students prompts and require a certain number of posts and responses to earn an A. It generally serves its purpose, but I wouldnt say that it has been an amazing success. That is why I was interested in reading this particular article; I was hoping to find some ways to make my discussion boards better. There was nothing particularly eye-opening in this article for me, but I will consider the idea of using a site like Blogger instead of Georgia View so that the students will have a more authentic audience. This article would probably be most useful to someone who was completely new to the idea of integrating even this basic technology into the classroom, someone very old school. It might also be of use if you were looking to document success stories to make a case for allowing on-line discussion and interaction with the public at your school.