Today Linda is interviewing two teachers Pat (Stacey) and Michelle (Chrissy). Pat is a sixth-grade teacher at Ipswich (Mass.) Middle School and Michelle is a fourth-grade teacher at Connery Middle School in Lynn, Massachusetts. Both these teachers want their students to be engaged, strategic readers who can apply his/her reading skills across all areas of the curriculum. Through a federally funded research project by CAST, Pat and Michelle introduced universally designed, digital, supported texts into their classroom. Let's listen to what Pat and Michelle have to say about using digital text to support reading comprehension.
Roles
Person 1 – Michelle- Chrissy
Person 2 – Pat- Stacey
Person 3 – Interviewer - Linda
Person 4 – technical support- Jessica
Interview Questions
What digital texts are you using today that you didn’t use before?
Tell me about the digital texts and the various types of features?
What are some of the positives and the negatives of using digital texts?
Did you notice any changes in student self-esteem and confidence level?
Do you feel that digital texts can meet the needs of all student levels and does it help with overall reading comprehension?
Introduction to Interview:
Today Linda is interviewing two teachers Pat (Stacey) and Michelle (Chrissy). Pat is a sixth-grade teacher at Ipswich (Mass.) Middle School and Michelle is a fourth-grade teacher at Connery Middle School in Lynn, Massachusetts. Both these teachers want their students to be engaged, strategic readers who can apply his/her reading skills across all areas of the curriculum. Through a federally funded research project by CAST, Pat and Michelle introduced universally designed, digital, supported texts into their classroom. Let's listen to what Pat and Michelle have to say about using digital text to support reading comprehension.
Roles
Person 1 – Michelle- Chrissy
Person 2 – Pat- Stacey
Person 3 – Interviewer - Linda
Person 4 – technical support- Jessica
Interview Questions
What digital texts are you using today that you didn’t use before?
Tell me about the digital texts and the various types of features?
What are some of the positives and the negatives of using digital texts?
Did you notice any changes in student self-esteem and confidence level?
Do you feel that digital texts can meet the needs of all student levels and does it help with overall reading comprehension?
Responses
questions_answers.docx
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Example of a supported, digital text
A student responds to a strategy prompt while reading a digitized novel.
Students in Michelle's class completed their unit on So Far From the Bamboo Grove by constructing murals.
Student artwork from the poetry final project. Click on the images to see accompanying poetry and notes (PDF format).
So What?
UDL Frame:
UDL_Reader_Frame_group1.pptx
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- 75 KB
Benefits:
Meets all student's needs
Students are engaged
Students gain more confidence and self esteem when discussing and interacting with peers
Student's writing improved; more details in writing
Student's reading comprehension increased
Weaknesses:
Took time to adapt
Some stories were too complex given attention and motivation
Students preferred picture books
Images from
http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=voices/winslow_previte/index.html
Strangman, N. (2003, May). Strategy instruction goes digital: Two teachers' perspectives on digital texts with embedded learning supports. Reading Online, 6(9). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=voices/winslow_previte/index.html