Portfolio Rationale

          Prior to writing each of these blog entries, I  read scholarly articles and evaluated the information presented.  I have learned about research to support to use of technology, authentic instruction, and comprehension strategies in the classroom.  As a reflective practitioner, I have applied some of these ideas in my classroom, such as the use of electronic resources and music to enhance reading instruction.  I will continue to search for new ways in which I can improve my teaching practices.

Authentic Learning through the Use of Technology

          Students report that they are motivated by solving real-world problems and that they prefer learning by doing as opposed to watching.  "Learning by doing is generally considered the most effective way to learn" (Lombardi, 2007).  In Authentic learning for the 21st century: Overview, Lombardi describes authentic learning as focusing "on real-world, complex problems and their solutions, using role-playing exercises, problem-based activities, case studies, and participation in virtual communities of practice."  Authentic learning can be presented through ten elements: real-world relevance, open-ended problems, investigation, multiple sources, collaboration, reflection, interdisciplinary lessons and integrated assessments, production of products and open interpretations.  Through the use of technology, teachers now have access to digital archives, databases and other resources that promote authentic learning.  Technology offers the opportunity to for students to use rare or expensive equipment and interpret data for themselves.  Additionally, software visualizations, images and audio "bring abstractions to life."

          Overall, we live in a changing society in which technology is becoming more prevalent in all that we do and it is important that we use this to our advantage and help children learn through a different mode.  I use many online resources to enhance my students' learning.  PebbleGo is a great source for children to read about and investigate features of animals during our animal science unit.  I introduce the database whole group in the computer lab, which is always a pleasure for them.  Then, they can use the program at the computer literacy center.  They can click on an animal and have the facts read to them, listen to the noise the animal makes and take a quiz about it. Another great resource that I use in my class is Discovery Education.  This online resource allows children to having more authentic learning experiences through videos.  From these sources of information, my students are able to construct their own knowledge and answer their own questions.

          As a huge proponent of authentic learning, it is important to provide meaningful experiences in the classroom with or without the use of technology.  One of the authentic activities in which my students engage are planting and growing seeds as part of our plant unit.  After learning about the parts of the plant and plant needs, the students take care of the plants by watering them and keeping them by the window to get sunlight.  In addition, they maintain observation notebooks in which they write and draw pictures to reflect their observations.  Another authentic learning experience from our curriculum is the raising of mealworms to darkling beetles.  The children learn about its life cycle and needs for survival, and record their observations in a separate observation journal.  These are very enjoyable, engaging learning experiences for kindergarten students.  They engage in inquiry and many of the ten elements of authentic learning mentioned in the article by Lombardi (2007).  While learning a lot about the plant and animal life cycles, these are sure to be lessons that the children remember for years to come.  Science may lend itself more to authentic learning, however, most lessons can be arranged so that there is some interdisciplinary learning which makes them more meaningful.

References

Discovery Education (2010). Discovery Education [computer software]. Available from

          http://www.discoveryeducation.com

Lombardi, M. M. (2007). Authentic learning for the 21st century: Overview. Educause Learning

          Initiative. Retrieved from net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3009.pdf 

PebbleGo: The emergent reader research solution. Capstone Digital. Available from

          http://www.pebblego.com/

 

Music as a Reading Fluency Intervention

          In many schools around the country, programs in the arts are overlooked by reading and math instruction due to the pressures to raise scores on standardized tests.  As an early childhood teacher, I use many songs to help my students remember concepts and even the daily routines.  Most of the time the songs are paired with dances or body movements, which motivates the children and meets the needs of a variety of learners.  Children, especially those of younger ages extremely enjoy musical experiences and I think it is important to account for this unique reader factor.

          Howard Gardner listed musical intelligence as one of his original seven intelligences.  Musical intelligence is defined as "skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns.  It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms" (Smith, 2008).   Interestingly, under the description of musical intelligence from Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligences, Smith goes on to say, "according to Howard Gardner musical intelligence runs in an almost structural parallel to linguistic intelligence."

          Winner of The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in 2007, TUNEin to Reading is a reading intervention for struggling readers designed to improve fluency.  The program is utilized in grades 3 through 12.  Its goal is to engage students in developing fluency while repeated reading and singing of song lyrics.  This "unconventional approach to fluency development" (Florida Center for Research Reading) also incorporates computer technology.  First, the software assesses students' instructional reading level through the use of cloze tests.  Next, students chose a song and silently read the lyrics on the computer screen three times while listening to the melody.  Then, students record the song at least three times, each time trying to improve their fluency.  A score is assigned after each performance, which makes it somewhat of a game.

          A study  on 7th and 8th grade students in a West Central Florida middle school yielded that treatment groups receiving 30 minutes of TUNEin to Reading intervention over 9 weeks experienced a 1.37 grade level gain in instructional reading level while the control group showed little change in reading level.  Other results of the program are listed in Music Program Improves Reading Fluency including great gains by 3rd and 4th grade students at Churchville Elementary School in Harford County, Maryland.

            Strengths of TUNEin to Reading include a strong research base for repeated reading, the motivation and engagement that is often lacking in conventional reading instruction and easy-to-navigate software.  Additionally, students are engaging in explicit and systematic instruction while practicing to read and sing words in a meaningful context.  Professional development for staff is also offered at a separate cost from the program, nevertheless, there is official training for the program which reviews the research behind it.  One weakness of the program is that word accuracy is not addressed, but can easily be strengthened with teacher modeling and pre-teaching of difficult words.  Shared singing is another recommendation to improve word accuracy.  More information about the program can be found at the TUNEin to Reading product website.

          TUNEin to Reading seems like an effective reading fluency intervention, as it allows struggling readers to utilize their musical intelligence and technology to improve their weaknesses.  This program provides a fun, meaningful and interdisciplinary way for students to overcome their reading challenges and is inherently motivating through the use of headphones, a microphone and recording.  Education is taking a turn to interdisciplinary instruction and this is one way in which our students can greatly benefit from it.

References

Electronic Learning Products (2010). Tunein to reading. Electronic Learning Products. Retrieved from

          http://www.elpcorp.com/content.cfm?page_id=187 

Florida Center for Reading Research.  Tune in to Reading [PDF document]. Retrieved from

           http://www.fcrr.org/FCRRReports/PDF/TuneReading.pdf

Pytel, B. (2010). Music program improves reading fluency. Suite101. Retrieved from

           http://www.suite101.com/content/music-program-improves-reading-fluency-a226690

Smith, M. K. (2008).  Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences.  The Encyclopedia of Informal

          Education. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm

Fostering Academic and Social Independence through Digital Readers

          A recent advancement of integrating technology with literacy is the use of electronic-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and Apple iPad.  In Lotta Larson's article Digital Readers: The Next Chapter in E-Book Reading and Response, she lists several advantages of e-book readers including multimodal animations and sounds, a text-to-speech option, a highlighting tool, a dictionary and a note-taking feature that would be helpful in establishing academic and social independence for young readers.

          The opportunity to use e-book readers is very motivating for children, even struggling readers.  The text-to-speech tool allows younger students to listen to a story if they cannot read the text independently.  However a downside of this feature is that the voice is semi-robotic and does not demonstrate inflection as the author might intend.  Unlike digital readers on laptops or desktop computers, e-books are more portable and allow students to read in a more comfortable setting and read together, which encourages positive social peer interactions.  Possibly the most advantageous features are the note-taking tool and dictionary, as they allow children to initiate their own learning and solve decoding and new vocabulary challenges independently.

          The case study on Amy and Winnie focused on the digital note-taking tool, by which the students transferred their thoughts into written notations.  It was very interesting to see how the spontaneity and impulsiveness of the notes Amy and Winnie had taken reflected their understanding of the story, personal meaning making, questioning, answering and literary evaluation, all of which contribute to enhanced text comprehension and interpretation.  By using the tools built into the Amazon Kindle, the students were able to become more reflective, metacognitive and independent learners.  Ms. Miles was also able to gain further insight into the girls' personalities through their notes (Larson, 2010).

          While I am more familiar with the Amazon Kindle than the other digital readers, as I have used the text-to-speech feature to complete reading assignments, it is my understanding that it does not offer picture books in electronic form.  The Apple iPad and the Barnes & Noble Nookcolor, which will be released later this month, both have colorful touchscreens and appeal to children as well as adult readers.  In The iPad Meets the Children's Book, author Karen Springen states, "In fact, children's stories held six of the top 10 paid iPad book-app sales spots as of press time" and lists a number of popular children's book titles.  Teachers should explore the use of digital readers, as there are many advantages of using them as instructional tools in the classroom.

References

Barnesandnoble.com (2010). Nookcolor. Barnes & noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com
          /nook/index.asp

 Larson, L. C. (2010). Digital readers: The next chapter in e-book reading and response. The Reading
          Teacher 64(1), 15-22.

Springen, K. (2010). The ipad meets the children's book. Publisher's weekly. Retrieved from
          http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/42762
          the-ipad-meets-the-children-s-book.html

Reading Comprehension Instruction through Think-Alouds

          The ultimate goal of reading is text comprehension.  "Comprehension involves a series of behaviors" (Tompkins, 2010) by the reader that occur before, during and after reading.  Successful comprehension depends on the "interaction of reader factors and text factors" (Tompkins, 2010).  Comprehension strategies to use before reading include activating prior knowledge and examining the text to uncover its organization.  This can be done by making predictions, responding to a question that will lead into the main topics in the book and previewing the text.  During reading, children can use comprehension strategies such as making connections to one's own experiences, questioning and visualizing.  Lastly, strategies that can be used after reading include drawing inferences and summarizing.

          In order to learn what these behaviors look like and how they can be done, children need a good model, which is the important role a teacher plays in reading instruction.  There should be many opportunities for children to experiment with reading and utilize the strategies they are taught.  One method is through think-alouds during a read aloud lesson or guided reading lesson.  Tompkins states "teachers use think-alouds to demonstrate the monitoring strategy during mini-lessons and when they're reading aloud to students."  Through my think-alouds, I set my expectations of what good readers should do.  I generally have students look at the title and the picture on the cover and ask them to form a prediction.  Sometimes we will even do a picture walk before forming predictions depending on the purpose for reading.  Sometimes I will briefly select students to share their predictions with the class, but once I notice that students are able to make reasonable predictions, I just give them time to think and then I tell them to evaluate whether they need to adjust their prediction as we read.  I am also sure to clearly state our purpose for reading so that students can prepare themselves for a specific focus.  As I read, I often stop to allow my students to make connections to the text and so that I can check for understanding which shows students that they should be making sure that they understand what it is they are reading and if not, we can refer back to the text.  At the end of the story, I may ask clarifying questions or general comprehension questions.

          An article by Reading Rockets entitled "Using Think-Alouds to Improve Reading Comprehension" outlines three components, modeling, coached practice and reflection and corresponding activities to engage students in the reading process.  The author suggests assigning 2 or 3 strategies to different colors of the same object and handing students one of the colored objects and asking them to use the strategy assigned to that color.  I think this is a great visual and kinesthetic way to involve students because I have noticed from my professional experience that children respond well to color codes.  In summary, reading comprehension is a complex process that involves both the reader and the text and it is my job as a teacher to facilitate a relationship between the two.

References 

Farr, R. & Conner, J. (2004). Using think-alouds to improve reading comprehension. Reading

          Rockets. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/102

Tompkins, G.E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston, MA:

          Pearson Education, Inc.