Stretch Your Technology Budget Patsy Gibbs Reading First

Stretch Your Technology Budget: Patsy Gibbs Reading First Coach Madison Parish Schools Karol Osborne Extension Agent 4 -H Youth Development Juanita Johnson Professor 4 -H Youth Development 1

What this Computer Lab Offers • Access to Free Resources, Information, and Materials § Annotated links to the “best-of-the-best” Web sites that provide information on research-based reading literacy strategies § Lesson plans § Online student tutorials § Help for parents § Online Professional Development 2

“Tour” of Web-based Resources via Scenarios Topic: Reading Literacy ● Scenario #1: Lesson Plans ● Scenario #2: Computer-based Projects ● Scenario #3: Online Books ● Scenario #4: “The Arts” ● Scenario #6: Professional Development 3

Scenario # 1: Lesson Plans • Research clearly indicates that the effective use of technology can result in higher levels of learning. • You are looking for ready-made templates and lesson plans for elementary students. • Awesome Library: Organizes the Web with 35, 000 carefully reviewed resources. • Go to: http: //www. awesomelibrary. org 4

Awesome Library: http: //www. awesomelibrary. org 5

Additional lessons on Fluency is the ability to read text with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Fluent readers: • Recognize words automatically • Read aloud effortlessly and with expression • Do not have to concentrate on decoding • Can focus on comprehension To locate lessons: Go to the Harlan Community School District of Harlan, Iowa’s Web site. Go to: http: //np. harlan. k 12. ia. us/reading_center. htm

Click on: Word Lists and High Frequency Phrases Click on the links on the page to open a Power. Point presentation of word lists or high frequency phrases. There is a ‘beginner’ and ‘advanced’ levels. Word Lists High Frequency Phrases

Go to: http: //np. harlan. k 12. ia. us/reading_center. htm

Scenario # 2: Computer Projects n Researchers consistently find that tools for youth to create computergenerated projects helps to build motivation. n You are looking for web-based software. n Go to: http: //www. readwritethink. org/student_m at/index. asp 9

http: //www. readwritethink. org/student_mat/index. asp 10

Scenario # 3: Online Books • A teacher is looking for varied reading materials to meet the needs of parents in a youth and family literacy program. • Unfortunately, she has no budget for purchasing books. • Someone suggested using online books. • Where can she find recommendations? 11

Go to: Starfall. com • First, she would go to: www. starfall. com • Second, she should click on ‘I’m Reading. ’ • Starfall is primarily designed for first grade students, but materials are also useful for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and second grade. 12

http: //www. starfall. com/ 13

For additional activities, go to: Scholastic http: //www. scholastic. com/ispy/play/ • I Spy is a series of books, software, puzzles, and games for children. It combines intriguing photographs of familiarobject with rich rhyming riddles to create visual brain-teasing puzzles. • The activities focus on clever object associations, word play, and themes that help children build important learning skills, including reading, problem solving, and creativity. I Spy 14

Scenario # 4: “The Arts” • A team of parents are concerned about their children’s poor reading comprehension, particularly the performance of struggling students. • They have been reading about the powerful role the arts can play in promoting learning. • What they find most intriguing are strategies for infusing arts and crafts and multimedia into literacy instruction. • Where can they go to find some good ideas to launch their program ideas? 15

Go to: Crayola. com • First, go to: http: //www. crayola. com/lesson-plans/ • Second, then go to the section, “Coloring Pages. ” • Third, then begin to search through the sections: – Parents – Teachers – Craft Ideas 16

http: //www. crayola. com 17

For additional “Arts” activities, go to: Tammyyee. com http: //www. tammyyee. com/origami. html Origami Projects: Paper folding projects from your favorite books! 18

http: //tammyyee. com/origami. html 19

For additional “Arts” activities… go to: SEDL (formerly the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory) • • http: //www. sedl. org/afterschool/toolkits/ The toolkit includes promising practices and sample lessons in: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Arts Reading Literacy Math Science Technology Homework 20

http: //www. sedl. org/afterschool/toolkits/index. html 21

Scenario # 5: Professional Development • A 4 -H volunteer leader needs more information on how to organize a literacy program. • Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the time to go and take a class at the local university. • He considers the possibility of taking an online course. • Where can he find online, free training on literacy programming? 22

Go to: Thinkfinity http: //www. thinkfinity. org/pd/request_ training. aspx 23

What Is Thinkfinity? Thinkfinity. org is a Web site that contains thousands of free lesson plans and student materials for every core subject, designed by the leading educational organizations in the United States. º º º A partnership between the Verizon Foundation and the nation’s leading educational and literacy organizations 55, 000+ FREE education and literacy resources FREE professional development 24

Thinkfinity’s Content Partners The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts National Council on Economic Education Economics National Endowment for the Humanities National Council of Teachers of Mathematics International Reading Association & National Council of Teachers of English Reading/Language Arts American Association for the Advancement of Science National Geographic Society Geography National Museum of American History American Library Association, National Center for Family Literacy & Pro. Literacy Worldwide Adult & Family Literacy 25

Dissemination • Who will you tell about this Computer Lab? • Why? • When and how? 26

Contact information: Patsy Gibbs Reading First Coach Madison Parish Schools patsy. gibbs@madisonpsb. org Karol Osborne Extension Agent 4 -H Youth Development LSU Ag. Center Madison Parish kosborne@agcenter. lsu. edu Juanita Johnson Professor LSU Ag. Center Department of 4 -H Youth Development jjohnson@agcenter. lsu. edu 27