Dr. Anita Voelker, Associate ProfessorAlyssa Reph, Student

Think, Pair, Share

“You call that technology??

Technology has a bunch of wires

coming out of it.”

- Landon

What are the benefits and challenges to reading on e-readers?

What are the benefits and challenges to reading on e-readers?

Pros Cons

Image from: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9t5fTp9GmGo/TDtt-UwRC6I/AAAAAAAABSw/q8EAPmpYiEc/s1600/2.jpg

It’s A Book By: Lane Smith

My Inspiration…

Born in the “digital native” generation

Love for technology in all various formats

Desire to learn how technology is shaping the field of education and students’ responses to its use

Fall 2010, Reading Curriculum course assignment

Topic: how digital media cultivates children’s literacy development

Summary: teachers must build on children’s digital knowledge through the implementation of strategies that incorporate new technologies, broaden their connections to text, and inspire in them a love for books with the aid of an online database.

Love for Technology Review of the Literature

Children’s literacy development is cultivated through the teacher’s implementation of strategies that incorporate new technologies

Levy (2009) concluded that children have transferable literacy skills

Larson (2010) remarked that Kindles foster literacy development by broadening connections between the reader and the text

Teachers must build on children’s digital knowledge through the use of new literacies, and assist them in developing a love for books.

How will children respond to and interact with the Nook versus the printed texts?

- similarities

- motivation How will the children

comprehend both venues?

- connecting

- verifying

Know: Want to Know:

Purpose for the Research

 1. To chronicle the behaviors, attitudes, conversations and questions of two six-year old twins as they engage with the Nook. 2. Similarly the children’s response to hard copies of the same books viewed using the Nook will be recorded.

3. Using field notes, video and audio tapes, I intend to analyze, code, and determine themes related to similar and dissimilar ways the children use both types of text.

Goals:

Methods:

Primary procedure: observation, video tapedDuration: weekly for two months; one hour per visit

Location: at the children’s home

Introduction: As part of the first visit, demonstrated the Nook to both children. Invited them to experiment. First novel exploration.First-Third Visits: Met with each child individually. Nick received the Nook to view Little White Rabbit. After this exploration, he examined the hard copy of the same text. Landon received the hard copy first, then investigated the same version on the Nook. This process was repeated with Jamberry and The Best Place to Read.Fourth Visit: In order to maintain a developmentally appropriate final assessment, I invited the children’s mother to join us and had the children demonstrate their knowledge of both texts as I prompt behaviors. Splat the Cat: Good Night, Sleep Tight was the text read for this final visit.

Analysis Timeline

Observed the children each week for four weeks

Watched the videos each week, noting interactions and manipulation of texts, both book and Nook

Reviewed videos, transcribing each one Decided which video fit best with what was

observed in the fourth visit (assessment) Coded the second and fourth visit videos,

highlighting connections and interactions

Books Chosen:

Difficulties encountered: finding quality children’s literature that was offered in the Nook format. At the time, children’s books were relatively recent to the Nook and therefore limited in selection.

Nook v. Printed Text Rotation

Second visit with Nick: Jamberry

Second visit with Landon: Jamberry

“Stupid computer.” - Landon

Nook v. Book Comparison Chart: Second Visit

Hypothesis (pre-assessment): The children will have meaningful comments

above and beyond the number of comments previously due to the differing nature of the story. Splat the Cat: Good Night, Sleep Tight differs in that it is not a “Read and Play” (does not include games) along with its lack of animation should allow the children to focus more on the content of the story.

Additionally, fewer sounds and animations may lend itself to an increased number of comments during reading.

Fourth Visit with Nick: Splat the Cat

Fourth Visit with Landon: Splat the Cat

Nook v. Book Comparison Chart: Fourth Visit

Themes:

Auditory Didactic Learning how to

navigate technology

Pictorial/visual Inquiry Meaning-making

Nook Book

Results:

The original hypothesis was challenged: the educated guess was that the children would have deeper and more meaningful interactions with the text. On the contrary, the boys had less of a variety of interactions.

Limitations:

Jamberry was “Read and Play” while Splat the Cat was “Read to Me”: different Nook formats may have contributed to some discrepancies noted

Time constraints Limited resources, specifically the Nook

Take Away:

An awareness of the choices teachers will have to make when choosing books

Technology debate for classrooms Technology as a tool of teaching as

opposed to a method for teaching

References

Keene, E. O. & Zimmerman, S. (1997). Mosaic of thought: Teaching comprehension in a reader’s workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky - Digital

Natives, Digital Immigrants - Part1.pdfSipe, L. R. (2002). Talking back and taking over: young children's expressive engagement during storybook read-alouds. The Reading Teacher, 55(5), 476-483.

Additions… and a HUGE thank you to PSLA conference attendees for your insight!

Take away: learning how to assess comprehension and starting to think like a researcher, reading as a communal experience (bedtime stories with parents, “that wasn’t my Jamberry” – negative reaction to hearing the Nook reading it)

Limitation: Splat as a first reader versus the others as picture books

Sites to check out: International Children’s Library http://en.childrenslibrary.org/, “e is for book” blog http://www.eisforbook.com/, “I.N.K. Interesting Non-Fiction for Kids” blog http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/