Chapters 6 & 7 reinforced my sense that reading teachers, and teachers generally, are in a privileged position when it comes to literacy-related apps and other technologies. Teachers take Starfall and so many other e-curriculum materials for granted, and teachers bring deep knowledge of individualized reading support to the task of matching readers to all types of reading materials & resources. The broader population of caregivers and others who work with young readers float – but perhaps quickly drown – in a sea of apps, eBooks, and tech tools. Also, although Tumble Books and other eBook publications are available through public libraries, many children interact with e-texts primarily through schools.
This isn’t a bad thing in itself, but we know home-based learning deeply matters, as well. The digital divide threatens to skew the positive outcomes of better tools, resources, and teaching with technology. Luckily, librarians and working with researchers to find out what concerns caregivers have, and what support they need, when it comes to improving uses of technology at home to support children's development.
As we learn in Chapter 7, many of children's productive interactions with e-texts occur through teachers, whose expertise in scaffolding text uses to promote reading development shapes those interactions. I was fascinated reading about the recent research involving Learn With Homer, the child-driven literacy learning program field-tested in NYC to study methods for preventing ‘summer loss’ of literacy skills. The Israeli research about home use of e-books – and the different ways parents interacted with children when e-books were intentionally educational rather than only entertainment -- really stood out to me, as well. Teachers are experts at creating educational experiences around any text, after all! (This video shows high schoolers previewing tough text ideas through collaborative conversation, writing, and drama.)
In relation to young learners, teachers stress to caregivers the need for coordinated talk while sharing the reading of any text, and we provide tips for asking good questions, listening actively, etc. We may be at a very beginning stage, however, of providing guidance related to interaction with apps, eBooks, and other technology tools.
If you wonder about my claim regarding this issue as a new concern in the literacy field, take a look at Vicky Coe’s recent ILA blog post. The new learning standards for literacy education graduate programs were just released in final form in May 2018. These standards guide the curriculum and assessment framework for graduate programs leading to initial certification (literacy specialist). Digital literacy leadership is threaded throughout the standards. I guarantee you we are all in the same boat when it comes to figuring out how to pin-down the jello of literacy-technology integration in our teaching, learning, and research lives.
Now more than ever, we need to work together and across our areas (and generations) of knowledge and expertise--literacy, ed tech, parent-advocate. What strengths do you bring to this challenge?
