Literacy

Tech Tip: 

Literacy is the problem, and task, of more than just English teachers. Today literacy encompasses not only the essential content areas of math, science and the social sciences, but also technology, information and social media. While technology often presents challenges in these areas, there are also solutions to be found with t right tech tool. If you have an example of how you incorporate content literacy into your classroom with the help of technology, please share in the comments feature at the end of the blog.

Maximizing Google   

A powerful literacy strategy, backed by research, is the use of marginalia for close and critical reading. In the video below, I demonstrate how I have students use the comment feature in Google Drive documents to record margin notes electronically. This strategy works well for all content areas, focusing the specific type of text and strategy for the field.

Featured App 

Pic Collage is a photo app for iOS and Android that is "building a community of people who create, combine and share visual content in fun and novel ways. This is an app that many students are familiar with from personal use, but has some great classroom applications. In the examples below students are completing test reviews and visual vocabulary assignments. 

Kit Hard demonstrates using Pic Collage as a graphic organizer for vocabulary instruction:

English teacher Cheryl Scharnweber had students use Pic collage as a review tool before a quiz. Students chose one short story from their short story unit and created a visual review of the elements studied in the unit.

Moving Forward with Moodle 

Moodle supports literacy instruction in many ways. From lessons that can be created specifically focusing on literacy to creative use of assignments and modules. One assignment choice that is simple to create and implement is the Glossary. At its most simple implementation, it serves as a dictionary, but a teacher can use the module to creatively assign vocabulary instruction and critical thinking assignments. The video below demonstrates an example of a Glossary as well as instructions on how to create a Glossary assignment in your Moodle Course. Don't forget about the great help documents on the Moodle.org site. Here is a link to the Glossary help doc.

Twitter Friday Follow   

As you start building your PLN on Twitter, think beyond people. Do you have a favorite product? For instance, our featured app this week, Pic Collage, has a Twitter account, as does all of the apps that have been featured on the blog. #pic_collage often tweets out examples of what people have created with their product. This can be a great way to consider different uses of an app, tool or product as well as provide examples for your students.    

                 

Library News

New furniture is ordered, half of the bookcases have been evaluated and moved and 9th, 10th and 11th grade classes have all conducted a preliminary search for their quarter two independent reading project book choices. We have been busy the last couple of weeks!

Congratulations to Teen Read Week design a book cover contest winner and runner-up. The challenge was to create a new book cover for Catching Fire to coincide with the movie release. Students could choose to create a digital book cover or hard copy. Great work Caleb, I hope that you enjoyed your pizza!

                                

Caleb's first prize entry

Jenna's runner-up entry