FETC 2005
Literacy
Technology for Struggling Writers in Inclusive
Classrooms Website Resources
Prepared
by
Patricia
M. Barbetta, Ph. D.
Linda Spears-Bunton, Ed. D.
Florida
International University
Below, find valuable websites related to literacy and technology. Many of the sites relate specifically to using technology to support literacy instruction of students with disabilities. (Website descriptions taken directly or adapted from websites.)
Literacy
and Technology: http://campus.fortunecity.com/newton/40/home.html
This
site was created by Dr. Joyce
Hinkson, an educator from California, to assist teachers, students,
parents and
others, with the integration of curriculum and the Internet to promote
student
literacy. The site is divided into six sections: Education Links, Computer and Technology Specific Links,
Government Links, Media Links, Reference Links, and Virtual Field Trip
Links.
The
Literacy Web at the University
of Connecticut: http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/littech.htm
The
Literacy Web is designed to
promote the use of the Internet as a tool to assist classroom teachers
in their
search for best practices in literacy instruction, including the new
literacies
of Internet technologies. It has several topic areas including literacy
and
technology.
The
Knowledge Loom: http://www.knowledgeloom.org
The
Knowledge Loom is a place for
educators worldwide to do the following:
The
International Reading
Association: http://www.reading.org/resources/issues/focus_struggling.html
IRA
was founded in 1956 as a
professional organization of those involved in teaching reading to
learners of
all ages. Over the years, their focus has expanded to address a broad
range of
issues in literacy education worldwide. Many literacy resources
available
including research or practice, traditional print-based reading and
writing or the
Ònew literaciesÓ of the Internet age. Articles on using
technology to support
struggling readers is available.
Reading
On-line: http://www.readingonline.org
Reading
Online (ROL) is a
peer-reviewed journal of the International Reading Association (IRA).
Since its
launch in May 1997 it has become a leading online source of information
for the
worldwide literacy-education community, with tens of thousands of
accesses to
the site each month.
The
journal focuses on literacy
practice and research in classrooms serving students aged 5 to 18.
ÒLiteracyÓ
is broadly defined to include traditional print literacy, as well as
visual
literacy, critical literacy, media literacy, digital literacy, and so
on. A
special mission of the journal is to support professionals as they
integrate
technology in the classroom, preparing students for a future in which
literacyÕs meaning will continue to evolve and expand.
Critical
Issue: Using
Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li300.htm
This Critical Issue was
coauthored by Ann Holum, Ph.D.,
and Jan Gahala, M.A. Holum's doctoral work on the use of interactive
media to
improve children's story-understanding skills sparked her ongoing
interest in
integrating technologies in K-12 literacy settings; she currently is an
independent educational consultant. Gahala is a technical specialist in
NCREL's
Communications department. This article was at the site of the North
Central
Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Learning Point Associates. As a member of the Regional Educational
Laboratory
Network, NCREL is dedicated to providing high-quality, research-based
resources
to educators and policymakers in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
LD Resources: http://www.ldresources.com
The LD Resources web site has
been providing resources
for people with learning disabilities since 1995. The site has recently
been
overhauled with better organization, more resources, and a discussion
area
where users can post questions, their own resources or stories, or join
numerous ongoing discussions. LD Resources is a non-commercial site
designed,
built, and run by Richard Wanderman who is an educational technology
consultant, well-known presenter, and a successful adult with a
learning
disability. There are several
articles related to technology and literacy.
The
ABCs of Writing: http://www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/
The
purpose of this site is to
provide a user friendly online resource, for students or teachers, no
matter
what they are being challenged to write.
4
Teachers.org: http://www.4teachers.org/
4Teachers.org
works to teachers
integrate technology into their classrooms by offering FREE online
tools and
resources. This site helps teachers locate and create ready-to-use Web
lessons,
quizzes, rubrics and classroom calendars. There are also tools for
student use.
Discover valuable professional development resources addressing issues
such as
equity, ELL, technology planning, and at-risk or special-needs students. This site also includes resources in
Spanish.
Assistive
Technology on-line
Project: http://www.atto.buffalo.edu
The
Assistive Technology Training
Online Project (ATTO) provides information on AT applications that help
students with disabilities learn in elementary classrooms.
CAST
Universal Design for
Learning: http://www.cast.org/
CAST
is a not-for-profit education
research and development organization that uses technology to make
education
more flexible and accessible for all students, especially those with
disabilities.
http://www.ncte.org/collections/weblit/strategies/117192.htm
NCTE's ReadWriteThink site offers
a number of lessons that
illustrate what NCTE's ReadWriteThink site
offers a
number of lessons that illustrate what research on the Web looks
like in
the K-12 classroom. The Teacher Resource Collection Literacies in
the Ways
of the Web provides additional resources on using Internet technologies
in your
classroom.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=286
Animal inquiry is often part of
the primary grades
curriculum, and the Internet offers opportunities in animal study not
found in
print text. However, the challenge is using these resources in
developmentally appropriate ways. Animal Study: From Fact to
Fiction
offers multiple online tools and resources to model the research
process.
Resources are also included for black bears, fish, frogs,
toads, penguins
and polar bears.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=328
In this lesson plan, middle
school students explore a
class inquiry project, collecting Web-based resources that can be used
for
further study during the course of the class or for more in-depth
projects.
Students use Internet search engines and Web analysis checklists and
questions
to find and evaluate online resources then write annotations that
explain how
and why the items they have found will be valuable to the class. This
lesson
plan can be completed individually or in groups. For demonstration
purposes,
this lesson plan focuses on researching a specific country or several
countries; however, this activity can be completed with any inquiry
topic in
the classroom.
(from
Read-Write-Think.org. Many
other lessons are available at this site.)
Weaving
the Threads:
Integrating Poetry Annotation and Web Technology
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=36
Nancy Patterson, chair of
Assembly on Computers in
English (ACE), offers this sample lesson to illustrate how meaningful
research,
poetry, and Web publishing can be the focal point for an
alternative
to the traditional research paper.
Weaving
the Multigenre Web
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=279
Pat Schulze offers an
alternative to the traditional
methods of analyzing the elements of a novel. In this lesson,
students
represent their understandings in many different genres and then
hyperlink
these pieces together on student-constructed Web sites.
Choose
Your Own
Adventure: A Hypertext Writing Experience
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=128
The
popular "Choose Your Own
Adventure" stories are back as a hypertext experience. While the
students
may start writing in groups, the final format is really up to the
individual
student. Publishing on the Web makes collaboration and
organization of
the activity that much easier.
Story
Character Homepage
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=50
Looking at a character's
development over the course of a
book or series has its own set of challenges. When added it the
opportunity to
present the information in a Web format, we have the makings of
valuable
conversations for middle school or high school students.
Exploring
Literature Through
Letter Writing Groups
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=397
This
lesson asks students to discuss literature through a series of letter
exchanges. It can be used as a one-time assignment in conjunction with
any work
of literature or it can be used throughout the year with the students
discussing, and even making connections among, a number of literary
works. Exchanged letters can take the form of handwritten
letters, typed
letters, electronic documents, e-mail, online discussion posts, and
even Weblog
posts.
Reward and Recognition: Student Writing
(from NCTE,
(http://www.ncte.org)
Teachers
Can Nominate High
School Juniors for NCTE Writing Awards
Nearly
700 students are honored
each year in the NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing program for their
excellence in writing. Teachers nominate students for
participation in
January, and participants submit a sample of their best writing and
write an
impromptu theme in April. Winning students are notified in October of
their
senior year of high school.
The
nominations deadline for the
2005 Achievement Awards in Writing program, now in its 48th year, is January 31, 2005.
Contact the NCTE Student Awards Office (800-369-6283, ext. 3608) or
visit the NCTE Web site
(http://www.ncte.org) for complete
details.
Teachers May Enter
Eighth-Grade Students in Writing Program: ncte.org (http://www.ncte.org)
The
2005 NCTE Promising Young
Writers Program will honor eighth-grade students next spring for
their
exceptional writing ability. Teachers of eighth-grade
English
language arts in schools in the United States, Canada, and
American Schools
abroad may nominate students to take part in this annual program.
To
participate, the students write
impromptu essays and submit a sample of their best work. Judging
is
carried out by teams of teachers at the state level. Papers are
judged on
content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization,
development, and
style.
January 16, 2005, is the nomination deadline. Complete
information is
available by contacting the NCTE Student Awards
Office (800-369-6283, ext.
3608) or by visiting the NCTE Web site. (http://www.ncte.org) (If you are reviewing this document, past the
2005
deadline, you may want to visit the NCTE site for future reward
opportunities.)
Scholastic Art & Writing
Awards: http://www.artandwriting.org
Like
NCTE, Scholastic applauds excellence in student writing by offering
writing
awards for students in grades 7-12. Scholastic and The Alliance for
Young
Artists and Writers, sponsors of the awards, will give attendees at
this year's
NCTE Annual Convention a copy of Best Teen Writing of 2003, the
anthology of
award-winning writing from the contest.
Funds for Language
Arts and Technology
Hewlett-Packard:
http://grants.hp.com/us/programs/tech_teaching/index.html
HP
believes that technology, when
used effectively in teaching, can have a positive impact on student
learning.
We are inviting educators in the U.S. and Puerto Rico who share this
belief,
and have the vision and desire to make it a reality, to apply for the
HP
Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative.
This
grant initiative is designed
to support the innovative use of mobile technology in K-16 education,
and to
help identify K-12 public schools and two- and four-year colleges and
universities that HP might support with future grants. Based on the
outcomes of
the projects funded through this initiative in 2005, HP will offer some
grant
recipients additional, higher-value grants in 2006.
NCTE has compiled a list of additional resources the organization feels will be helpful to you as you seek funding and resources for your school, district or program. These include a list of state humanities councils, state departments of education, and education-friendly foundation and corporation listings. Additionally, there are a number of resources available on the Web designed to assist grant writers in identifying the appropriate style and method for writing grants. Be sure to visit N.C.T.E.Õs listings for professional development funding.
Selected Major State Funding Programs for
Teacher Professional
Development Florida
(information
can be found at the NCTE website: http://www.ncte.org)
Florida
Education Finance
Program (FEFP). FEFP, the
Florida basic
state aid program for local districts, by statute earmarks funds for
staff
development. In 1997-98, the requirement was $6.98 per FTE student.
Funding
level: $16 million.
Staff
Development Incentive
Program. These funds are used to
support a
competitive grant development program for districts. The districts use
the
funds to develop innovative staff development programs that occur
outside the
instructional day and that incorporate the criteria of effective staff
development practices. Funding level: $5 million.
Sunshine
State Standards and
FCAT Area Training Centers. This
program
establishes six regional centers to assist districts in improving
student
performance through implementation of state standards and assessment.
Funding
level: $3.5 million.
Literacy
and Learning Models. This
program provides for the development and
dissemination of research-based training programs. Funding level: $2
million.
Educator
Training-Performance
Appraisal and Students Gains.
Resources
are provided to train teachers in the use of student data. Funding
level: $8
million.
Florida
supports a number of
programs that provide professional development for teachers in the area
of
educational technology. These include the On-Line Telementoring
Project ($3 million), Florida
On-Line Teacher Training ($8
million), Laptops for Teachers($4
million), Technological Research Development
Authority ($2.1 million), andthe
Technology
Training Center of the Miami Museum of Science ($1.5 million).
Florida
reports a total of $36.5
million in state funds for professional development.