After reviewing what people summarized from their reading answers these below please! :) My questions are:
- How do reading specialists/instructional coaches integrate technology, assessments, and materials into improving the programs at schools? Does your reading specialist at your school you're at now do any of those things?
- Are you integrating technology, assessments, or materials into your task 2 or task 3 for this class?
- How would you make sure when picking new materials for your school/program that you incorporate multimodal texts to account for the new literacies/21st century learning?
1. Reading specialists integrate technology by providing teachers with the tools to use the technology in their classroom. They give teachers ways to incorporate and use technology with their students. They also empower students to feel that they can accomplish things by using technology. They select materials that fit the population of the school, with input from different members of the school staff, such as team leaders or the principal. The selection process can be based on multiple factors like standards, needs of the students, and engagement factor. Reading specialists play an important role in facilitating and creating assessments. They help create formative assessments, as well as summative assessments that can be used throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteThe reading specialist at my school definitely plays an important role in the assessment process. She is there for us to answer questions and helps us analyze the data we receive from the DRA. She does not play as big of role in material selection because it is given to us by our district. We follow a certain curriculum, and that is chosen by Norman.
2. For my task 2 and 3, I plan on incorporating technology as a component, based on what my teachers felt they needed. They are looking for professional development over multimodal literacy, so I feel that it is important to incorporate technology, and help them feel more comfortable using it. The materials we are using will all be dependent on the area they chose to learn about and the format in which they want to learn it. For my task 3, I plan on using writing as my focus. Because of this, I am using a few different books for book studies, and some other materials that are new to our school. These will all be accessible to them whenever they need access. As far as assessments, there are assessments embedded into the different areas that I am focusing on already, so I am not introducing any new assessments.
3. In order to account for new literacies, I think one of the most important considerations for materials is the accessibility at your school. Since new literacies focuses partly on technology, it is important to consider what formats are available to your students both at school and at home. I would make sure that the materials chosen had a variety of different activities and formats for students to use. Just as in print texts, it is important to make sure that the materials provide different levels, genres, and formats for students to read. Lastly, I would make sure that the materials I am selecting aligned with the standards my district uses. As you said Bre, districts are now changing their standards to include different technologies in them. This is something that I would make sure to align with when selecting those materials.
How do reading specialists/instructional coaches integrate technology, assessments, and materials into improving the programs at schools?
ReplyDeleteReading specialists/instructional coaches integrate technology into improving the programs at schools by first making sure they, themselves are tech savvy and up to date on the latest research, lessons, and tools that are available for teachers to utilize in the classroom to enhance student learning and engagement. Then Reading specialists/instructional coaches can give professional development and or coach teachers on how they can implement the New Literacies into their lessons and classrooms. Some of the ways to integrate technology is to teach students strategies for online reading comprehension and research. Technology can also be integrated through teaching New Literacies early, use online reading experiences to develop critical thinking skills, integrate the internet through online communication, use internet reciprocal teaching and collaborative online learning experiences.
Reading specialists/instructional coaches integrate assessments into improving the programs at schools by utilizing the RTI process to identify students who are in need of specialized interventions due to not performing at grade level. All students are given Tier I instruction at grade level. Then in Tier II & III, students are given extended time, individualized instruction and practice in attempt to bring them to grade level or are possibly identified for special education services. Assessments can also be integrated through formative, interim, and summative assessments, “Literacy leaders must be familiar with the fundamental aspects of validity when considering the adoption, development, and implementation of student assessments.”
Reading specialists/instructional coaches integrate materials into improving the programs at schools by including assessment materials that include multiple feedback formats, print and electronic books that contain a variety of genres that entertain, motivate, and engage readers, classrooms that include print-rich environments, also non-books such as games, instructional aids, word walls, leveled texts, journals, newspapers, magazines and student made books.
I do not have a reading specialist at my school. My principal is usually the one who facilitates with other teachers to help determine if classrooms have integrated technology, assessments, and materials and if not, what can be done in assisting these classrooms so that programs are improved at our school.
Are you integrating technology, assessments, or materials into your task 2 or task 3 for this class?
Yes. I am integrating technology into writing for my task 2 and task 3 assignments. The more I think about it, I am also integrating assessments to determine if there is improvement in writing with the integration of technology and I am integrating materials that will be specific to writing and writing integrated with technology.
How would you make sure when picking new materials for your school/program that you incorporate multimodal texts to account for the new literacies/21st century learning?
At my school, we have smart boards, chromebooks, and desktop computers. I feel like we have the hardware but it is a matter of expanding what can be done with the hardware that we currently have. Therefore, my new materials would be discovering what multimodal text for the new literacies/21st century learning could we learn to utilize on the hardware we currently have. This would include creating blogs, creating digital storybooks, online collaboration through google classrooms with other classrooms in our district, state, and globally! The possibilities are endless!