Tech-Savvy Readers & Writers: Digital Tools to Unlock Literacy Skills

Outline

Presentation Outline: "Tech-Savvy Readers & Writers: Digital Tools to Unlock Literacy Skills"

Total Duration: 60 minutes

1. Introduction (5 minutes)
- Content: Brief overview of session goals and objectives.
- Engagement: Icebreaker question: “What literacy challenges do your students face?”
Participants will share their thoughts in pairs.
- Process: Facilitate a brief group discussion to gather diverse perspectives.

2. Overview of Key Literacy Skills (10 minutes)
- Content: Introduce the key literacy skills: decoding, reading fluency, vocabulary acquisition, word choice, and annotation.
- Engagement: Use a slide presentation with visuals and examples for each skill.
- Process: Encourage participants to take notes and consider how these skills apply to their students.

3. Technology Tools for Literacy Skills (20 minutes)
- Content: Present specific tech tools for each literacy skill:
- Decoding: Digital letter tiles
- Reading Fluency: Fluency apps
- Vocabulary Acquisition: Interactive word games
- Word Choice: Digital thesaurus tools
- Annotation: Collaborative annotation platforms
- Engagement:
- Live demonstrations of each tool.
- Participants will use their devices to explore selected tools during the presentation.
- Process: Facilitate peer-to-peer interaction where attendees discuss how they might implement each tool in their classrooms.

4. Group Activity: Planning Implementation (15 minutes)
- Content: Participants will brainstorm a lesson plan incorporating at least one technology tool for a specific literacy skill in small groups.
- Engagement:
- Each group shares their ideas with the larger group.
- Use a shared digital document (e.g., Google Doc) for collaborative note-taking.
- Process: Facilitate group sharing to foster discussion and idea exchange among participants.

5. Reflection and Q&A (5 minutes)
- Content: Invite participants to reflect on what they’ve learned and how they plan to implement the tools.
- Engagement: Use a quick polling tool (e.g., Mentimeter or Wooclap) to gauge which tools participants find most useful.
- Process: Allow time for questions and provide answers to specific queries about implementation.

6. Closing and Resource Sharing (5 minutes)
- Content: Provide a summary of key takeaways and share resources for further exploration.
- Engagement: Distribute a digital resource packet with links to all tools discussed, lesson plan templates, and articles on integrating technology in literacy.
- Process: Encourage participants to connect with each other post-session via a shared online platform (e.g., a dedicated Google Classroom or email list) for ongoing support and sharing of experiences.

Overall Engagement Tactics:
- Interactive discussions
- Peer-to-peer activities
- Device-based exploration
- Group brainstorming and sharing
- Use of digital polling for feedback and reflection

Supporting research

Supporting Research:

1. Inclusive Learning 365 by Christopher Bugaj:

https://iste.org/products/a1w1U000004LphkQAC/Inclusive-Learning-365

2. Culturally Response- Sustaining Education (CRSE) Framework:

https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/crs/culturally-responsive-sustaining-education-framework.pdf

3. Book: "Belonging through a Culture of Dignity: The Key to Successful Equity Implementation" by Cobb and Krownapple (2019).

4. Science of Reading:

https://improvingliteracy.org/brief/science-reading-basics/index.html