Vocabulary Development and Electronic Books

Using ebooks in the classroom is another Web 2.0 option which teachers can utilize. Ebooks have features not found in regular printed texts. These include audio and animation features, word and sentence recall, built in highlighting and word definition. It is possible to also insert electronic sticky notes to make notes as you read. One of the key aspects to note about ebooks is that they are interactive and can leveled for the appropriate reading audience.


In “Using Electronic books to Promote Vocabulary Development, the authors (Higgins & Hess, 2000) suggest that it is a great tool for teaching vocabulary. They point out that vocabulary learning is supported by the animation features which students can use to make inferences about the text they are reading. While some studies they presented revealed that students improved in vocabulary knowledge with the easier texts, other studies determined that overall comprehension with more difficult texts was not as easy for students. With the more difficult texts, teacher instruction and guidance was necessary. The overall finding (Higgins & Hess, 2000) with respect to vocabulary development was that supplemental vocabulary instruction in conjunction with the animations in an electronic book is needed in order for significant improvements in students’ vocabulary to be seen. They point out further, “that the person providing the supplementary instruction must be familiar with the animation features of the target vocabulary words in the electronic book, must know synonyms for the target words, and must be able to generate questions that require the children to relate the target words to their world.” (Higgins & Hess, 2000, p.429) With struggling readers in particular, one on one reading activities (teacher and child) is recommended.

The Word Processor as an Instructional Tool…….

The Word Processor as an Instructional Tool…….

Although the word processor as an instructional tool is outdated in many parts of the world, in the under-developed world, it is still a very valuable tool in writing instruction. Robert Drouns asserts that the use of this technology in the classroom can be improved by “adapting instruction to software strengths and adding metacognitive prompts to the writing program.” He further explains that before and during the writing activity, the teacher should attempt to open up the student’s “cognitive processes by stimulating (in the child) an inner dialogue that typifies self-regulated learners.”


Although current technology has surpassed the capabilities of the word processor, the author suggests that it should be understood “in context” in terms of its transformative role in classroom instruction. The author however acknowledges in a citation from Perkins that the word processor, with respect to its fairly simple functions, may be viewed as ‘first order finger tip technology’ in relation to other technologies with. (p.18) It is however in the classroom where the truth is revealed. Is it, he asks, an instructional tool, or a cognitive tool? (p.86) I believe it can be use both cognitively and for instruction. In my experience, many of my students struggle with simple sentence construction and editing techniques which require much practice to perfect. Also, many of our school based assignments are pure research projects that have to be typed up to be forwarded o the Ministry of Education which is not interested in anything but black and white legible printed products. In my classroom there will be time for the creative, interactive type activities but there will always be room for the basics. As I work with them on their SBA projects, I try to apply metacognitive techniques to help them think about how they organize their ideas. With word processing they easily move paragraphs and sentences to where they fit better. With the use of the internet in such research projects, I also use a metacognitive approach to help students think about information selection as it applies to their specific project.

THIRD SPACE

The amazing thing about the incorporation of new literacies into our schools is the creation of a “third space”. This concept was described in an article on podcasting by Suzanne Smythe and Paul Neufeld. The authors (Smythe & Neufeld, 2010)identified a study on “podcast time” in which students involved creatively sourced data and information (symbols, music, stories etc.) from the various cultural and social sources available to them (home, community, popular culture) to produce dynamic podcasts. As a result of this production process which was unlike any other area of production within the curriculum, students themselves made a clear distinction of pedagogic spaces. They identified a ‘podcast time’ and a ‘class time’.

As educators we all know how creative our students can be and how willing they are to participate if we make things a little more fun loving for them. As we begin to incorporate technology into our lessons, we will necessarily begin to cover what Smythe and Neufeld refer to as ‘new pedagogic territory’ (Smythe and Neufeld, 2010, p.494) This means that we will be challenged to think outside the boxes and books as far as our students’ contributions and creativity is concerned. With Web 2.0 technologies we live in a changing world which impacts our classroom. Quite unconsciously our classrooms are microcosmic mirrors of this world consciously however, we as educators need to modify our instructional strategies towards a more metacognitive style as we teach students how to think and sort information with which they are bombarded. Inevitably they will want to be creative and engaged but like the students in the study, they will be sourcing information from various places and spaces. A metacognitive approach is therefore increasingly more appropriate since we cannot (sometimes if we apply the strictest measures) always control what information they have access to.

Transitioning from Traditional Literacies to New Literacies in Reading Workshops.

In this blog, I refer to a couple of important issues discussed by Lotta C. Larson in her article(Larson, 2008); “Electronic Reading Workshop: Beyond Books With New Literacies and Instructional Technologies”. The first idea which caught my attention is one espoused and mandated by NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) They provide standards for teachers and for students. Standards for the students direct teachers on preparing their students for the global society in which we now live. The NETS for teachers is a framework for teachers to transition their schools from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age. (p.121) Caribbean teachers are on the whole struggling to meet the mandates of NETS, since we have genuine socio-economic constraints which have affected the development of technological systems in our various school systems as a whole and in our individual (island) literacy development strategies in part. The Reading Specialist Program at UWI is an attempt to improve or literacy levels in the schools and fortunately at this time many schools have been equipped with computers to facilitate the requirements of the MOE ICT policy and initiatives.

Larson (Larson, 2008), suggests that it is necessary to embed technology in literacy training workshops for teachers. Components of a reading workshop should therefore include not only the traditional approaches to literacy enhancement in that area, but also the new literacy applications. Each workshop should include for sections; literature selection, literature response journals, literature conversations, and project response options. In the Literature selection component, the traditional approach would be to select print texts such as novels, picture books and magazine articles. With the new literacy approach this aspect of the reading workshop should include an electronic component which would include e-books, online reading materials, hypertexts etc. Edrl 6004, in my view is addressing the new literacy aspect of literacy instruction. I think that it would be great to have a part two to this course because it is absolutely fascinating to think of the possibilities in classroom instruction with new literacy strategies and tools. Students at my school are particularly visual and verbal, but struggle with traditional print literacy especially with producing written materials, so I’m happy that I will be better equipped to teach literacy in the new term just with the basics that I have learnt thus far but I will definitely will be.

From Traditional Literacies to New Literacies

This is a very important discussion as we proceed forward into the Masters in Reading Program. Only an hour ago, I read an article by Norman Higgins and Laura Hess (Higgins & Hess, 2000) which addressed the issue of teacher involvement in vocabulary instruction when using the eBooks as an instructional tool in language comprehension. Teachers must be involved to guide, scaffold, and to support students' learning development not only in vocabulary and comprehension but in all areas of instruction which utilize electronic tools. The term 'tool' is an appropriate metaphor for these devices which enter the classroom for instructional purposes. In the classroom, the teacher is the 'handyman/woman' who uses these tools to enhance instruction and learning. He/she is therefore responsible for how and when they are used in the classroom.


Here in the Caribbean very few studies have been done to ascertain the impact of these tools on the learning achievement of our students. We can assume however, based on educational studies done by the experts, that there is some value to the use of technological tools in the classroom. We as teachers see for ourselves that our students become somewhat instantaneously motivated to pay attention, focus and interact when certain electronic tools or programs are applied in the classroom context. This is exciting for us too as we can begin to imagine the classroom engagement which this type response to electronic tools will have in our Caribbean classrooms.....bringing the 'under the mango tree discussions' into the classroom is what comes to mind.

Podcasts to Proofread?

Davis and McGrail’s article on “proof-revising” (Davis& McGrail, 2009),discusses the use of podcasts as an effective audio instructional tool used by teachers to assist their students in proofreading their written projects. The idea in my view is amazing. First students work on their writing project, then they either hand it in or email it to their teacher. The teacher then reads the assignment or an excerpt of the best and worst written segments of their work. This reading is recorded via podcast which the student can then access online. The student is then able to hear their work as it is written, mistakes and all. The student’s mistakes will usually include misspellings, punctuation errors, and misdirected tones and moods in his/her writing. As a result of hearing his/her mistakes via podcast, the student will be able to correct not only grammatical corrections but the overall style and mood of the writing which also affects the message an author intends to invoke.

Whereas proofreading for surface errors will help students improve the way in which their documents appear, this activity will help students build a better rapport with their audience as they gain skills in active and effective communication that reaches them in a more dynamic way. With Creole as the predominant language in many of the home of our students, teachers in the Caribbean will find this tool very useful in helping students to improve their literacy skills in reading and writing.

Using Electronic Books in the Classroom

Norman Higgins's article "Using Electronic Books to Promote Vocabulary Development", outlines the key feature of ebooks which include animation as well as the technological ability to "read whole stories, phrases and individual words aloud"(Hess & Higgins, 2000, p.425-426). Discis ebooks have a word reall feature which enable children to find definitions as well as access pronunciations. The article (Hess & Higgins, 2009)suggests that ebooks are a useful instructional tool at the primary level but also suggests that teacher guidance in vocabulary instruction is important or even vital for vocabulary development in primary school children. The overaching view in this document suports the view of many teachers who feel that technology does not replace the teacher.

To further illuminate this point, Higgins points us to a study by Matthew(1997)who found that her grade three students "who read Discis ebooks, performed significantly better on story retelling than a matched group who read printed books", but gained no significant improvement with reading comprehension (Hess& Higgins, 2000, p.425-426) This view was shared by Moore and Smith (who studied grade thwo students) that there was no significant improvement with reading comprehension. Higgins's concluding study is one by Lipson and Wixson who propose that three vocabulary-building guidelines be followed when using ebooks. They (Hess& Higgins, 2000) include; ensuring that the child attends to the associations made between the target word and the animations, that he/she is provided with synonyms to help define unfamiliar target words and that the teacher provides examples of the use of these words in other familiar contexts. The role of the teacher therefore can not be undermined even with the inclusion of technological devices in the classroom.

We have so much planning to do......

In her article "Language-in education planning: the use of emergent Web2.0 genres in the south of Italy", Maria Grazia Sindoni (2009) stated that, The University of Messina's Language Centre (CLAM) has done significant research in the area of foreign language instruction with particular emphaisi on ESL programs. They emphasize planning on the micro and macro level for the success of a language program. On the macro level, langauge policies, economic development and political control are factors which are considered (Sindoni, 2009). Micro level planning deals with the actual language programs which are implemented for the benefit of the learner both at the level of instruction and as well as accessiblity in terms of financially affordability (Sindoni, 2009)

In the Caribbean, we too must engage in serious 'planning' in terms of our language development programs. Although the CLAM program in this article addressed the needs of a Soutnern Italian community of learners in particular, administrators here in the Caribbean may use similar strategies for the creation of a succesful language program here. As we are all top aware, many of our students in the Caribbean are fluent in the native Creole language dialects but struggle with expressing themselves in standard English. Although the inability to express oneself in standard English is not reflective of one's intelligence, here in the Caribbean, English is the formal language by which we communicate to the external world in areas such as commerce, development, politics, academia etc. Planning is necessary on all levels if we wish to expereince success in our literacy programs. In Trinidad for example, there are key differences between urban and rural communities which may necessitate particular emphasis on different aspects of language instruction as well as the use of particular technologies. Although it may be hard to believe in such a small country there are notebale differences in phonetics which may affect the way reading development occurs. Students in the rural areas are far less exposed to the language in the banks, modern businesses etc., so they may require programs which use teachnology that enhances dialogue and drama to simulate such situational interactions.....

FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

21st Century Caribbean Education

From colonial to contemporary Caribbean, education has always been significant to our development. Many scholars have emerged from the lands in this region yet still our struggles to become developed are ongoing as a brain drain seems to continuously expel them into the vast ocean of the developed world. Educators play a significant role therefore not only in raising the levels of literacy and scholarly achievement but also in 'motivating' our graduates to apply their knowledge to our collectively lived realties. The use of and integration of 21st century literacies into our classrooms at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels will help achieve the goal of motivating our student graduates to remain in the region and continue to contribute to our development. One main reason for this is the communication and interaction component of 21st century literacies. Once students become comfortable with the literacies available for their use in academia they will likely realize that they can interact, collaborate and communicate with international students and scholars who work in similar fields. With the use of podcasts, wikis etc, on site research can continue while living in the Caribbean while at the same time communicating updates to often outdated information stored in overseas libraries.


For example, I remember while going to school in Toronto, I did a short paper on the use of Tobacco amongst Carib Indian Shamans. While I was able to find books with some information on the topic, I was not able to get contemporary data on current day rituals involving tobacco use amongst the Native Carib Indians. As I later realized upon return to Trinidad, there are several contemporary Carib Indian ceremonies which use tobacco as a sacred herb.

The use of the internet and other technologies apart from the word processor was not at all common at the time when I did my paper, so obviously my paper was not as dynamic as it could have been.