Motivating Reluctant Readers & Writers With Technology

1. Motivating Reluctant Readers & Writers With Technology Reading/Language Resource Room BCMS 2009 Beth Dounane Linda Grimes-Picarazzi

2. Motivating Reluctant Readers Why are they “reluctant”? • Disability – in need of assistance, support Disinterested – in need of motivation, increased interest

3. Motivating Reluctant Readers Supporting and Assisting Students with Technology Read alouds, recorded books, text to speech Example Twilight (Youtube.com) Example Black Duck (public library) Kindle, Text to speech software, Natural Reader, Read and Write Gold, BookShare, Test Talker

4. Motivating Reluctant Readers Supporting and Assisting Students with Technology Visual supports – movies, trailers, puppets (real or virtual) Background knowledge for Code Talker (Navaho)-http://taggalaxy.de/

5. Motivating Reluctant Readers Increase their interest by using technology • Student choice – collaboration with other students outside of class • Fostering special interests Wikis, blogs, forums, e-mail, apps Amazon.com book reviews, scholastic.com book discussions

6. Writing Essentials • Have a purpose for writing • Opportunity to work through process from draft to finished product • Audience • Student choice

7. Writing SolutionsVideotaped “news segments” • Purpose – information, entertainment • Audience of peers • Writing process from draft to final product over 3 sessions, once per week. • Student choice (within boundaries) of topics of interest • Additional benefits – practice using vocabulary mapped in previous classes, multiple opportunities to practice reading fluency, and practice using “good speech”, posture, enunciation, projection, etc.

8. Writing SolutionsCreation of the Technology Guide for Seniors • Purpose –education of Senior Citizens by expert users • Audience – family members, community • Writing process from draft to final product over 3 sessions, once per week. • Student choice (within boundaries) of topics of interest • Additional benefits – research, students as teachers, writing with emphasis on clarity and mechanics.

9. Writing SolutionsPhoto Story 3 • Purpose-a digital form of book reports • Audience-students trying to find a good book to read • Writing process from draft to final product- 2 sessions (used a graphic organizer) • Student choice of opinion, pictures, animation • Additional benefits-visualization, reading fluency, review of literary terms

10. Writing SolutionsGame Shows • Purpose-review of material, end of unit evaluation • Audience-students • Writing process-at least two sessions • Student choice- pertinent information, type of game to use (Jeopardy or Millionaire for example), question format, visuals, sound clips • Additional benefits-grammar counts/ language use, creativity, practice using power point, review of material

11. Quarterly Class NewsletterThe Eagle Scoop • Purpose-writing and publishing a newsletter • Audience-parents (mailed home) • Writing process-from brainstorming to final draft and publication • Student choice-write about what you know • Additional benefits-students practice writing in different genres (editorials, advice, horoscopes, car reviews, short stories, book reviews, poetry)

12. Motivating Writing Opportunitieshttp://www.xtranormal.com/ • Purpose-writing dialogue, curriculum linked writing response • Audience-self, peers, teachers, internet community • Writing process-from brainstorming to final draft and publication • Student choice-choose a character from a book and tell story from his/her point of view • Additional benefits-students practice writing from alternate point of view, create visual to solidify knowledge of events or story line, opportunity to share work, collaborate

13. Evolve or die out • Latest updates • Wordle.net to create a “word cloud” of selected text.

14. Time to Share Show and tell …. What’s working for you in your classroom?

15. Classroom Solutions to Motivate You! • What questions do you have? • What would you like to try? • Photostory3 • Xtranormal.com • Power Point games • Text to Speech apps • Overdrive @ public library • Tag Galaxy • Our Wiki