As I venture into this new feat (for me), known as a blog, I have created a twitter list of resources for the topic, “Technology and Literacy.” The list itself is attached at the end of this post. Throughout my research for this list I found that their were many resources out there for technology or literacy, but finding accounts that addressed both were somewhat harder. Within my list I tried to include a variety of accounts that addresses different aspects of the above topic. I searched for accounts in the following order. First, I included accounts that discussed technology and its effects on actual literacy/reading instruction. Second, I sought resources that addressed technology media and its explicit use within the classroom. Lastly, I wanted sources that thoroughly addressed literacy instruction. My purpose was to find accounts that addressed both technology and literacy together, then find resources that taught technology usage, so that ideas could possibly be combined with the last addendum to the list, the literacy instruction. Overall, I feel strongly that the twitter list will help all who are seeking to teach and administer technology utilization into their classroom instruction while divulging potential ideas for literacy education in the process.
Within the configuration of the twitter list I found some accounts to stand out more than others. One of the accounts belongs to Jose Picardo. His twitter account is @josepicardo and he has a website he created called www.boxoftricks.net. Jose is a foreign language teacher in the United Kingdom, and has a masters degree in information and communications technology (ICT). Based on his website he offers invaluable resources for using technology in the instruction of language arts. He provides an alphabetized list of resources on his site of accessible software that can used in education, and details how each piece of software can be used. Additionally, he lists links to blogs and websites he subscribes to in his quest as a lifelong learner. Any educational professional who is looking to access technology for any kind of instruction, including literacy, should start by accessing Jose Picardo’s account and delving through his wealth of resources.
Jose’s account and site are extremely insightful. However, within the twitter list there are many other powerful accounts that will guide educational professionals in their search for technology and literacy implementation. I urge any professionals looking for solid tech and literacy resources to take a look within the linked twitter list. I think you will find yourself following many of these individuals just as I have started doing.
Technology and Literacy Twitter List
Your blog is great! I really like your idea of dividing your resources into specific skills and then combing them to create more beneficial resources. Wonderful idea! I was very impressed with your resource selection especially www.boxoftricks.net . Jose Picardo is a great resource for any educator. While exploring this resource, I found a list of blogs and wikis he frequents the most. This was a huge collection. I chose to explore Teacher TV from his list. I was surprised to discover it is one of the largest network of teachers in the world….more than 1.7 million subscribers. The downloads are free and members can receive personalized, relevant resources. Teachers TV supports the professional development of anyone working in school, enabling them to widen their skills, develop their practice, and connect with others in the field. Teacher TV offers videos and resources that help save time with practical tips, lessons, and classroom ideas. The topics are great! I can see why this is a popular site to visit.
ReplyDeleteWithin Teacher TV, I found a link about interactive whiteboards called “ Whiteboard Literacy.” I am working on a hypermedia project in another course right now that requires us to review whiteboard technology software. This was the most creative use of the technology I have seen in all my research for my class. They took actual video clips and made fictional plots for students to learn about characters, plot, setting, problem, resolution and more. Watching the video, the viewer felt like he/she was in the story waiting for what happens next. This is a very innovative way to teach the elements of a story. It should be called “Web 2.0 story starters” because it would change the way a teacher thinks about story starters forever. What a great set of resources! I was very impressed with all of them and plan on sharing these resources with others, while at the same time enhancing my own lessons. Thank you again...Elizabeth
Your Twitter list has great resources Brad! It's amazing to me how we can search through Twitter and find such diverse accounts to follow. I too, especially enjoyed looking through the tweets of Jose Picardo. I am following him now through Twitter myself. The resources that are available by delving into this one Twitter account amazed me. The resource list he provides with links to blogs and websites is somewhat like having my own Professional Learning Community at my fingertips. I have already bookmarked several of the sites in my favorites folder! Thanks for sharing such an insightful resource.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a great topic for your blog. Your idea of searching out resources that blend both technology and literacy sparks a great interest in me as well. I find it so fascinating that even though we are on complete opposite ends of the education spectrum...you teaching in a high school setting and me in a kindergarten classroom...we have very similar blogs topics in that we want to find new ways to teach the core concepts. I look forward to reading more of your blog posts and will definitely continue to follow your Twitter Resource List for updates that you may find and add as you continue your research. Happy Blogging...and Tweeting...!