During our second class we shared our reading task analysis. It was interesting to see all the groups' perspective on the reading process. Many ideas were similar but the organization through the programs Inspiration or Kidspiration made each look different. Being a teacher it was great to actually examine the process a student goes through when reading. Knowing this now can be helpful when working with struggling readers. Check out my groups' Reading Task Analysis, posted earlier.
In the afternoon of class we were given the opportunity to search the net looking for interactive literacy websites that could be used with students in the classroom or at home. WOW, there are plenty of excellent sites available. I was floored with what is available to students, many free of charge. I really have never taken the time to look around the internet for specific literacy websites, so I was happy to receive that time in class to explore. I was familiar with Starfall and TumbleBooks and have frequently used both. However, in my search I came across a few others I would like to share here on my blog.
Into The Book http://reading.ecb.org/
This site I thought was wonderful. Into the Book teaches students about eight reading strategies (prior knowledge, making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, evaluating and synthesizing) using interactive activities. Teachers can also access the site for related lessons and resources to use when teaching these strategies. For me when teaching students about these various strategies I often thought it would be great if I could incorporate a computer activity to assist in their learning, and this site does just that. All students in elementary school learning about these strategies would benefit from using this website, as well as students struggling with reading.
My StoryMaker http://www.clpgh.org/kids/storymaker/embed.cfm
Having students create their own personal stories is an activity we as teachers have all had our students do. But instead of having students write, My StoryMaker allows students to develop their own stories by picking characters, goal, setting, and pictures all completed like a book on the computer! It is amazing. The website is user-friendly and easy to navigate for young students. I would definitely use this in my classroom, especially for students who have difficulty writing or for students who struggle with developing ideas in story writing. However, this site would not be of interest for students in grades five and above, as the site seems designed for young children. The site also offers voice instructions for how to design your story. The downfall is that once the story is completed you are unable to have the voice re-read the story back to you. Despite this I think this a fabulous website that is worthwhile checking out.
Signed Stories http://www.signedstories.com/index.cfm
This website offers a wide-selection of children's stories that are read in sign language. Of course persons with hearing problems would benefit the most from using this website, but all students can enjoy the stories as they are also read aloud as well. Students pick a book theme and from there select the story they want from picture titles. However, the stories offered are for students in the early elementary grades as there are no chapter books available. Signed Stories allows all children to be part of the story time experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment