Playing With Digital Tools With Explicit Scaffolding

Abstract

This teaching tip showcases instructional strategies and scaffolds from an out‐of‐school digital writing camp. Often, teachers may be hesitant to incorporate digital tools into their literacy instruction for various reasons (e.g., scripted curriculum, fear and uncertainty of digital tools, lack of experience and knowledge with technology), yet it is quite similar to using the writers’ workshop approach with the added necessity of explicit scaffolding. Three main scaffolds of reading aloud mentor texts, teacher modeling of the digital tools, and providing time to play with the digital tools are further explained. The author highlights lower to higher tech digital tools, such as Google Slides, PicLits, Animoto, and iMovie, and reveals how they can be incorporated into the literacy classroom in engaging and meaningful ways.

(Info)Graphically Inclined: A framework of infographic learning

“…Curriculum standards in English language arts and in other content areas often include standards for interpreting a variety of visual information, such as graphics, as well as writing using illustrations and graphical representations. Our 21st‐century students need to learn ways to read and represent information in a variety of formats (Beschorner & Hall, 2018; Dalton, 2012; Kang, 2018), not only to meet curriculum standards but also to creatively communicate in their visual world. Figure 1 (created using Canva: https://www.canva.com/) provides an example of an infographic representing an overview of why infographics should be studied in classrooms with instruction in both reading and writing, as learning in one supports learning in the other (Graham & Hebert, 2010; International Reading Association & National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2011).…”

“…Curriculum standards in English language arts and in other content areas often include standards for interpreting a variety of visual information, such as graphics, as well as writing using illustrations and graphical representations. Our 21st-century students need to learn ways to read and represent information in a variety of formats (Beschorner & Hall, 2018;Dalton, 2012;Kang, 2018), not only to meet curriculum standards but also to creatively communicate in their visual world. Figure 1 (created using Canva: https://www.canva.…”